Moving to Indiana, I had to learn how to garden all over again. My first two gardening seasons here were pretty pathetic by my standards. This is the first year I’ve been somewhat pleased, which isn’t bad considering we’ve been in a pretty bad drought and Jade was born in July. Side note – there are few things more pathetic than watching a nine month pregnant woman try to maintain a garden in 90 degree temps and drought conditions. So I didn’t even try – I sent the children to do it! LOL

Brett had gone out to pick peppers this morning (yes, we’re still getting peppers near the end of October!) She gave the basket to Indigo to bring in. Indi decided to do quality assurance to make sure the peppers were up to her standards. Fortunately, she chose a banana pepper. Brett had picked not just the banana peppers and sweet peppers, but jalapeno peppers as well!

I know the dangers of jalapeno peppers and children. We were recently at a friend’s house and her 4 year old daughter decided to show off to my children and eat a jalapeno pepper. Needless to say, she was pretty miserable. We tried milk, bread, and cucumbers. When we left, she was doing better. But I found out the next day they ended up at the emergency room around 3 am. It seems that when you get jalapeno oil all over your hands and then rub your eyes and pick your nose, that no amount of cucumbers (yes, even up her nose) will allow a 4 year old to sleep.

So, ever thankful to learn a lesson at someone else’s expense (rather than my own), I kept a watchful eye to make sure Indigo didn’t eat any jalapenos!

Jim then came up with the brilliant idea of having Indigo sort the peppers. I didn’t think she could do it, but she did! She had a little trouble mistaking the small green bell peppers for jalapenos. And she didn’t understand why mommy wanted the red ones in with the bell peppers. But once again, a job done by the youngest person capable of doing it. Which translated, means one less job for me!