Who Took My Marbles?

It is amazing to me the power of peer pressure. I find myself on a beautiful Monday morning with no pressing engagements out pulling weeds in my back yard. Now I don't mean weeding my vegetable garden or even weeding around a flower bed. No,I mean weeding a barren plot of weeds and rocks. One would ask themselves why would you put yourself through this especially when there are so many appealing alternatives. It all comes down to a heap of peer pressure and a unhealthy dose from the HOA. Don't get me started on the HOA. Needless to say they deserve a blog all their own. I feel compelled to do something about my back yard because my weeds are spilling into the neighbors yards and heaven forbid they might take root there. Don't get me wrong; of the five people who are in close proximity only one has a finished yard and one other is well on their way to finishing. And yet I feel like I have to do something to show them that I am on their side and am trying to do something about the weeds. Anyway back to the reason for my blog today. I have two small children and one that is sick. They were not able to go out and work so I had a varying combination of my older children out with me. As I was talking to one of my girls they commented on how nice the neighbors yard was looking almost overnight. They have beautiful grass that is all edged. She expressed how she would like a yard like that and how it was unfair we had a big pile of weeds and rocks for a back yard. I explained the process that we have watched our neighbors take over the last month to get that beautiful grass, but all she could see was the end result. Later another child was working next to me and she stood up and also admired the neighbors lawn. But in contrast she then went on to say "Our yard will be just as nice as that when we are through. It will be hard work now but it will be worth it." What a difference. I also found it interesting the first child couldn't wait to get back inside while the second worked hard and happily despite her seasonal allergies beside me until I went inside. It was amazing how the difference in their perspectives influenced how hard they worked and the quality of their work. I am pretty sure who will be enjoying the yard most when it is done.