Taxi Momma.

Told you I was gonna paint my van yellow!  It is official.  I am now a taxi van driver.  Just don't try calling for rides, because I am booked.  Tomorrow I have two trips to school and three baseball games in the evening.  And I have to go find ink for the printer and some stuff for a project too.

Seriously, I had been kidding about painting my van yellow just days before, and I pulled into Dale's office and there it was.  A YELLOW TAXI VAN!!

Anderson is a not so big town.  We don't see taxi cabs much - I've never seen a taxi Van in Anderson - and there it was.  In our parking lot.  Daring me to take its picture.  I dared alright.  Maybe I should call it and see how much he would charge to taxi my boys back and forth to school and to all their games and practices.  At least then I'd know what all my driving was worth.

Gardening Tips:

• Perennials are worth their investment - as long as you like them.
• Get the good hose.  And the long one.
• Don't plant further than your hose.
• Miracle Grow works.  Use the old fashioned type.
• Don't plant mint.
• Take time to teach your husband what your perennials look like.
• Round up kills weeds - and perennials.
• Round up does not kill mint.
• Wave petunias are great!
• New Gold Lantana is Great!
• Find a cool nursery - that is not Lowes or Home Depot - for real advise. 
• Believe them when they say, "this will grow pretty big."
• Zinnias grow easily from seed - not much else does.
• Atlas Gloves are wonderful! (amazon)
• Slugs are not.
• Worms are good.  Grubs are not.
• DON'T BUY THE JAPANESE BEETLE BAGS AND BAIT!!!  (They lure all the Japanese beetles in the neighborhood to your yard)
• If you do buy the Japanese Beetle bags, they will come to the bag, but also to your roses and your trees and your flowers - before they get to the bag.  They will eat your roses, your Crete Myrtles and Cherry Trees, more - and worse, they lay eggs in the ground that become grubs and will be back next year many more times than the first year.
• If you have done this, get the stuff to kill the grubs that are in the ground and Do Not fall for the Japanese Beetle Bags - again!! 
• Plants I can't kill - easily:  zinnias, daisies, purple coneflowers, lantana, salvia, blue daze, black eyed susans, and of course, mint.
• Don't fall for even Chocolate Mint.
• Don't step on bees.
• Plants need water.
• Mulch is good.
• Dogs, not so good.
• Can I say it just one more time?  Don't plant mint.

Don't stir the tea with the phone!

Yesterday I drove for my son's first grade class to Greenville Children's Museum for a field trip.  I have heard great things about this place, and they were all true.  This place was fabulous.  I'm gonna drag all three of my boys there - maybe as soon as next week.

Well, back to driving.  My friend, Elizabeth got to ride with me and her daughter and another little girl from the class as well as my son and another little boy from their class.  We were all talking at once, so the volume often rose to decibels a few to0 high for highway driving.  Elizabeth and I were able to tune most of it out and enjoy our time, but I almost fell out of the van laughing when Elizabeth jumped from our conversation to a little girl conversation going on behind us and she sweetly said, "No, let's not lick our feet.  Put your shoes back on.  Now what were you saying, Annette?" 

Oh the things we have said as mothers we never dreamed we would say.  I wish I had thought to write them all down.  I'm hoping God did that for me - I'm sure he's had a good chuckle over things He has overheard in my home.  But of course, I can't remember them.  The title of this is from a friend of mine in Charleston who said this to her own astonishment to her children one day 11 or so years ago.  Anyone have ones to add?