Pretty Yellow Flowers

Awww… Spring! The smell of fresh cut grass fills the air. Tulips in every shade and color are in full bloom. The trees are thickening with little green sprouts of baby leaves. A lush spread of beautiful dandelions engulfs the yard. Wait, WHAT?!?! Those pesky weeds are taking over EVERYTHING!!! Ahhh!!!

I am truly so very thankful for this gorgeous weather we have been blessed with the past few days. My family has basically lived outside this whole week, only going in for the bare necessities… nap-time, bed-time, potty-time (okay, let’s be honest… I have 2 boys and the majority of their potty breaks have happened on the trees in the backyard. Boys will be boys, right?!) Anyways, we’ve grilled and picnicked on the back patio, spent hours bouncing on the trampoline, rode our bikes around until our bottoms were sore, and watered our grass with gallons of run-off from the sprinkler. Our swing set has seen more playtime in the last 3 days than it has in the past 6 months, and I’m quite certain my kiddos have become experts at building castles and forts in our sandpit. (Possible architects in the fam?) And to say that this beautiful weather gives way to thriving plants, alike, is an understatement.

Well, Tuesday afternoon, we were returning home from a walk to the park when I stopped in our front yard and just stood there, appalled. {shivers) All I could do was stare in disgust at the blanket of thousands of horrible yellow weeds that were consuming my lawn. Those masters of survival, how did they sprout so stinkin’ fast?! I am just positive they weren’t there when we passed by an hour or so ago. (Okay maybe they were, but still!) And to think, I was JUST bragging about how great our yard looked after my husband had finished the first mow of the year. And now… this… ATROCITY! Ughh!!!

It’s amazing how differently our children see the world. “Wow, look at all of them! Such pretty yellow flowers! I’m gonna pick some for Mommy!” It quickly became a game of which child could collect the most. (What can I say; they come from a competitive family.) At first, I was annoyed that they found them to be beautiful when I couldn’t get past seeing the stupid weed plants as anything but a nuisance. Yet, there I was holding a hand full of, dare I say, pretty yellow flowers. It was funny how their appreciation for the dandelions quickly rubbed off on me. Pretty soon I had 3 lovely glass vases filled with nature’s most abundant little golden blooms and I was actually even proud to display them on the kitchen table. It was truly a precious gift!

I’m sure you have all the heard the saying, each day we learn something new. Well, I’d like to think it should have been written: each day we learn something new… from our children. Today, I learned to see the beauty in a dandelion flower through the innocent and sweet little hearts of my outdoor-loving kiddos. And from the help of my sister-in-law, Jennie (who was also gifted with a beautiful bouquet of “weeds” from her little boy), I learned that dandelions aren’t just the invasive, irritating lawn pests we often believe them to be. They have been used frequently in first-aid for their medicinal purposes and were once considered a beloved garden-flower in Europe. And, have you ever considered indulging in a dandelion salad for lunch? They are actually more nutritious than most of the veggies in your garden. (Crazy, I know!) Better yet, they are actually GOOD for your lawn. (I didn’t believe it at first, but it’s true!) If you’re interested in learning more about the great lion-toothed plant, please consider reading the article “10 Things You Might Not Know About Dandelions” by Anita Sanchez.  Now, go outside and bask in this gorgeous sunshine, pick some pretty yellow flowers, and lavish in the joy of blowing those furry puffballs through the air! What a glorious and complex world we live in! =)

I’d love to hear back from you fellow Mommas. What have you adoringly (or begrudgingly) learned from your little ones lately? And who else has received a lovely bouquet of dandelions? If you don’t have an appreciation for the yard-loving golden blooms, (I’m sure there are lots of you out there… mine may be short-lived), how do you rid your lawn of those pesky pretty yellow flowers?