Sweet Potato Surprise

[so lucky]

I was watering the garden this morning and noticed the sweet potato bed had some bumps in it. Looking closer, I can see potatoes sticking out of the ground! I didn't want to bother them too much, since I had just watered them, but now I can't wait to get out there and see how big they are!
When I was about 8 years old, I planted a sweet potato vine and watched it grow. One day my mom told me to go check the vine, that it might be time to see if there were any potatoes there. I found a huge sweet potato just barely under the surface of the raised ground! I was so thrilled that I had grown that beautiful tuber! I didn't find out for 50 years or so, that she had stuck a purchased sweet potato in the soil, to play a trick on me.
For some silly reason, I was more than a little disappointed at that revelation...and I guess, at her, for doing that and waiting a lifetime to tell me. Petty of me, I know. But true, nevertheless.
But, hey, if I get some big sweet taters out of my little garden, maybe I will feel vindicated. I am prolonging the anticipation before unearthing them. (A sure sign I don't have enough excitement in my life, lol)

 

[digitS']

Excitement is overrated.

We don't always have any good idea for raising kids. Dad also - once - told me how his mother played a trick on him.

I'm feeling guilty the last couple of days. I told DD, when my beefsteaks began to ripen, I could now have sliced tomatoes on toast with peanut butter and freshly ground black pepper.

She said, "Ew!" or, worse. So, the other day I sent her a picture of an open face sandwich but described it as having sunflower seed butter ... I'd just like her to try one ... besides, I've got all these tomatoes!

You could tell that she was thinking about it but it was really peanut butter on my sandwich ...

Steve

 

[so lucky]

You know that's gonna come back to bite you in the butt.

 

[Jared77]

I'm guilty of planting carrot starts over my daughter's carrot seeds. She was given carrot seeds for Earth Day by the local grocery store greeter. Was a thoughtful gift but it was old seed & I wasn't sure they'd germinate.

I found carrots in a cell pack so bought them & transplanted them where we'd planted the seed as insurance.

We had a mess of carrot that year more than I had transplanted. I had never grown carrots from seed and after reading up on the difficulties to get them going I figured better safe than sorry.

For me it was more important for her to feel successful than to worry about what was from Earth Day seeds & what was a transplant.

I think it's about intent more than the act. Its one thing to pull a prank on a kid vs feeling successful to encourage them.

 

[journey11]

Awww...I figure she had good intentions anyway.

Hope you get a good harvest! My kids sure have had a blast digging for ours.

 

[thistlebloom]

Maybe she just didn't want you to be disappointed in your SP crop So Lucky. More encouragement than trick?

This isn't gardening, but one time as a kid when my family was camping, dad and I went for a hike to the top of a mountain. It was hot and I was probably complaining. To keep me going dad told me there was a drinking fountain at the top. I was so disappointed when we got up there and there was nothing but a gorgeous view.
I know dad didn't mean to warp my trust in him, he probably really wanted to get there and was hoping I would forget about being thirsty once we had accomplished the hike. I didn't, unfortunately.