Quail Botanical Guard

We went to the Quail Botanical Gardens today. A while back we took the boys with our friends Philip, Meredith and their son Tobin. Back then, it wasn't the best place in the world for the kids. They were barely walking and all of the interactive things for toddlers were just a bit above their level. I knew it was a place that we'd have to come back to some day because it's a really nice place with a wonderful children's garden. They have programs for toddlers/preschoolers almost everyday, bubbles, a play house, and lots of water activities.



Today was music and story time. We arrived in time to play in the "Seeds of Wonder" garden for about an hour. 45 minutes of that hour were spent doing this:


I think I might have a Garden Railroader on my hands. (Stop laughing Jeff and Beckie)

When we sat down for music time, Evan wanted no part of it. (This is starting to be a trend with him) There were about 40 kids so it was a bit overwhelming, but not for Ryan. While Evan and I hung out around the corner, but still in full sight of Ry, Ryan sat down, front and center, transfixed, mesmerized, spellbound.
Evan came around near the end when she sang the 5 little speckled frog song. Something about frogs for this guy, he gets this obsession from his dad. (someday ask Scott about Buford)



One of the really fun activities, or at least an activity that is supposed to be really fun, is this station set up for the kids to re-plant a succulent. There's a big table full of dirt and trowels, kid's dream right?



Okay, I should stop here and say, I am very Type A, very anal retentive, I like things neat and orderly. (um--that was BC--Before Children) I always have a plan, and I like order, it calms me.

But I'm different now. (stop laughing, I am!)



While it would make me crazy to have this table full of dirt in my house, in a situation like, um at a garden, outside, where the idea is for kids to experience nature and stuff, I'm good with it all. The boys had bubble juice all down their fronts mixed with dirt and who knows what else. What-EV-ER! (Besides, I had a change of clothes in my bag)

So, the reason for my confession, It's a good thing I had children that have forced me to lighten up, or I may have ended up like this lady...We are at the potting table, and this volunteer is there to instruct us, help us, etc. First I hear her say to another little girl "NO, NO, NO--you must FIRST put your name on one of the large pots!" Okay, I grabbed the pen and quickly spelled out E-V-A-N on one pot and R-Y-A-N on the another. Whew.


We carefully picked out two small plants and carried them over to the table, actually we tried to carry them over to the table, but I guess we weren't doing it right, the volunteer snatched the pots out of the boys hands and placed them in the dirt table. Ryan promptly tried to dump out his little plant, to shrieks of "NO, NO, NO" Then the volunteer took his pot, his plant and his trowel and finished the re-potting for him.


She then turned her attention to Evan, who was trying to shovel dirt into his pot, most of it was getting on him and the ground. She looked at me and said "do you want me to do it for him too?" I gulped hard, took a deep breath and said..."no, I think he's having fun" "Well, O-Kay? We are about to get really busy down here" she replied.


What I really wanted to say was..."look lady, this is a children's garden full of kids, and the whole idea is for them to experience things, get dirty, make messes, not for grown ups with their own agendas to do things for them. If they get dirt all around the floor, on themselves, whatever. That IS the point." I didn't say it, I thought to myself, "she's a volunteer, she shouldn't be dealing with little kids, she's a volunteer." I was brought out of my calming mantra by an audible exasperated sigh, I came to in time to see Evan dump a huge pile of dirt on the floor.

We were then ordered instructed to place our pots on wall and pick them up before we leave for the day. Ryan proceeded to grab hands full of dirt from the adjacent planter and put them in his pot. (of course, he didn't get to actually pot his own plant so he decided to do some potting on his own, gotta love this kids initiative.) We were then sternly chastised. "NO, NO, STOP IT." It was at this point that I grabbed both boys hands and took them away from the mean lady to a quiet part of the garden where we could grab clumps of dirt and put them where we wanted.

I thought about complaining, or suggesting that this might not be the appropriate assignment for this lady, but hey, she's a volunteer. (See, I have changed)

In spite of this one volunteer, we really had a nice time and we will be back, hopefully on a day when the Botanical Guard is off duty.