The Sunflower House

Well, we planted them late in the season, and didn't water them as much as we should have. But in spite of our procrastination and neglect, our sunflowers are tall and lovely and we are enjoying them immensely. I love how - in Missouri - the sunflower are all in full blooming splendor just in time for my birthday. I still need to get out and measure the tallest one for the contest that inspired it all. And the children and Mark and I are full of ideas about improving the Sunflower House next year (planting earlier, planting more varieties, planting pretty flowering vines to grow up the stalks....)Hyrum, Josie - the neighbor boy who wishes he lived here - Gabba, Lucy, Eliza and Yvette posing with the sunflowersWe did have something weird happen, though. One afternoon, I left Hyrum in charge while I ran an errand. When I got back, the kids were all agitated that someone had stolen a sunflower. Apparently, there was this group of youth-ish people walking by, and suddenly, one of them made a mad dash into our yard (the back yard, I might add), plucked up one whole sunflower plant, and ran off with it. !!! We're pretty sure it was on a dare. But weird, huh? Glad all the kids were in the house watching old Bugs Bunny cartoons (trying to raise my kids with an education in the classics...).
Gabba and Lu posing with the "runt" sunflower...for some reason, it never did thrive, but it did bloom.