Mindy's lawn care guide to better living

So we had the new aide come this afternoon for Sam (more about that later) and I spent the first few hours going over stuff and that's when I realized how much stuff there really is to do for Sam. I mean, like seriously, I started wondering how anybody could possibly remember all this stuff. So I finally just shut up and figured it was going to be sink or swim for this new aide. So then she took him out for a walk and I was like, shit, now what do I do? I decided to take the other two outside and do some raking so we could mow before we leave on our trip since the grass has been growing so fast lately. But I'm out there with the wind blowing, leaves flying around feeling a little futile and realizing that raking takes a long time. What doesn't take as long is one of those smelly, obnoxiously loud leaf blowers that all our neighbors seem to use. Then I started thinking, if I had a leaf blower out here I wouldn't want the kids out with me 'cause it's too loud for their ears and I wouldn't be able to keep very good track of them. Also, I wouldn't be getting nearly as much exercise. And there was kind of a zen to the whole raking. Plus, the kids have their own smaller rakes to help.

I started realizing how *really* leaf blowers are actually more a waste of time because while I raked: 1) I enjoyed family time with my kids 2) I got exercise 3) it was peaceful and therapeutic. Basically I got more bang for my buck with the raking. Had I had a leaf blower out there I would have had to carve out separate time for the other 3 things and possibly spend money on such things as therapy for the stress inducing noise of the leaf blower. Or, if I paid someone to come do my yard, then David would have to work an extra job to afford it.

This can be applied to the mowing of the lawn too because while everyone else is paying to have their lawn mowed or sitting atop an expensive, loud ride-on mower, we're out there taking turns with our non-motorized push mower.

So either our lawn care routine is the cure to all of society's ills or I'm just trying to justify all the hard work.

And don't you even go there about how it would be better for all if we had no lawn at all because I know that, okay?!