Our grandkids are all getting older. Our youngest grandchild turns 8 tomorrow. Yep, he’s a May the Fourth Be With You kid. I love watching them all grow up, but, on the other hand, it makes me sad to see them get too big to sit on my lap.

Apparently Pinterest knows that I am feeling this way, because lately it has been feeding me ideas on fun activities and interesting conversations to have with your grandkids. Of course, every time I poke one of these suggestions to see their ideas, the algorithm that has decided it’s time for me to spend more time with my grands gets stroked, resulting in more ideas. Frankly, my technology knows more about me than I know about myself.

Anyhoo, one day I was reading an article that suggested that homeowners shouldn’t mow or water their lawns in May so that weeds grow and attract the pollinating insects that are slowly vanishing. I don’t intend to do that because our homeowners association would place my head on a chopping block and my neighbors would begin to picket.

It did, however, turn on a lightbulb in my brain. I should plant a pollinators’ garden in my back yard. There is a perfect spot, back by the playhouse that all of our grandkids are too grown up to play in. It is an area that doesn’t get a lot of sun. I try every year to grow a couple of tomato plants, but they always end up spindly and nonproductive. It might help if I watered them, the needy little bastards.

And I knew exactly who would be in this adventure with me: my 11-year-old granddaughter Mylee. She is a scientist, and very serious about the problems facing the world. She is also funny, and a hard worker. She would be the perfect planting companion.

So I texted her. Here’s how the conversation went….

Me: I had a thought. As you probably know, bees are in danger because there aren’t enough flowers. Maybe you and I should plant a garden in that area back by the playhouse that has flowers that attract pollinating insects. It would be pretty and would help the environment.

I sat back and waited for her response. I knew it would be something like, “Nana, that it such a great idea. Count me in. I’m all for saving the environment and you are awesome to think of it.” Instead, this was her response…..

Mylee: We already tried that. Weeds started growing and bugs were eating them.

I have no recollection of planting flowers previously in that area, but I have no doubt what she said is true. Unfortunately, Pinterest hasn’t told me how to handle push back from the grandkids. As we all know, with social media, everything goes perfectly.

So, my response was…..

I don’t remember that, but I’m old and forget things. But I’m going to plant a butterfly garden back there, and I vow to keep up on weeding. We can use a natural insecticide to keep the bugs at bay.

I could totally picture in my mind the look on Mylee’s face when she read my response. I’m pretty sure there was some eye rolling and heavy sighing. Nevertheless, she generously threw me a thumbs up emoji back. It remains to be seen if a butterfly garden will happen.

What Pinterest doesn’t know won’t hurt them.