Indoor Gardening on a Winter's Day

One of the things I most wish I could give to my children is a garden: a place where they can run, dig in the dirt, and just breathe the wild air. For now, we're making do with a chaotic balcony and an apartment stuffed with all kinds of plants in various states of living thanks to my eternally black thumb.

On this dreary February morning, when we were all too ill to spend long outside in the cold, we brought our 'garden' to our living room floor. J and I repotted some plants that we've collected in the last months, and then of course we had to play with the mess we made! We drew shapes and letters in the soil, used it to build 'snowmen', and, after her nap, introduced baby sister to the fun as well.

Sure, it made a huge mess, and sure, both kids taste-tested the soil, but it was so worth it. The girls played happily for an hour, and I even managed to make lunch in peace. And, best of all, our plants look so happy I can almost convince myself we live in that dream garden.

Some days I feel so overwhelmed with all of the things that I feel we should be doing: the playdates we should be making time for, the parks we should be visiting. It's moments like these that remind me that it's also perfectly okay - if not pretty great - to spend a morning inside our four walls, or close to them, with no plans other than to enjoy each others' company and play a little.