I deal with mostly a vegetable/herb garden and a native (to my area) flower bed, so my experience with gardening comes from that. I don’t recognize a lot of the plants in your photos so I can’t give a lot of specific advice. However here’s what I know/noticed:

• Dead stems: Yes you can cut off the dead stuff from last year’s growth. I cut them as close to the ground as I can. I wait until spring because it makes a good winter home for butterflies and other helpful insects. Plus if the flowers make any seeds birds and other animals can eat, leaving them until spring gives the animals some extra food during the winter.

• Weeds: What is a weed will greatly depend on the area of the world you live in. Several photos have creeping charlie in them. Creeping charlie is the stuff growing low to the ground with the purple flowers in image 4272. Creeping charlie isn’t native to my area, so I pull it because otherwise it creeps into wherever it can reach (which is everywhere). I would keep an eye on image 4261, that one the leaves look somewhat (but not exactly) raspberry/blackberry species which can be welcome or can easily take over. However I will say the stems aren’t what I’d expect for a raspberry species.

• Plant species: 4253: The leaves and stem are saying columbine to me. 4254: The tall leaves could be some kind of day lily or tulip like the flowering ones in 4275. 4259: Bleeding heart is in the upper left corner.

Hopefully someone else will recognize more of the plants so you can find out exactly what you have.

Books: Narwhal and Jelly was a favorite at that age. Also if an adult reads with her, we were reading the Mercy the Pig, and Zoey and Sassafrass series at that age.

I’m pretty sure that was also about the age we got our first Snap Circuits set. It still gets pulled out and built every so often - the flying “helicopter” is still a favorite.

However, Play-Doh is one you can never go wrong with at that age.

Edit: Forgot to add that Dr. Seuss and PD Eastman books are very good for the typical 6-7 year old reading level.

How did you hack my phone? (/s)

I thought I was being smart because I almost always remember my phone, so no more looking for misplaced notebooks. Now if only I can remember which app I saved that idea in and what title I gave it.

until the notepad joins the others in the void

I look like that at work too

They buzz the top of my head if I dare step outside without more food when the feeders are low

You’re doing a good job. Not sure if you needed to hear that from an internet stranger, but I felt called out too so you’re not alone.

have you already seen a scarlet tanager or rose breasted grosbeak?

Glad you cut that negativity out of your life, you deserve better

I had a boss who would say “spit it out” like I was trying to choose my words carefully rather than trying to snatch the words as they fled, made it so frustrating to talk to him

I like this take on it. I’ve just been calling it my “if you give a mouse a cookie” mode

In this case it is thankfully placed in an obvious spot. I was speaking more in general because they’re not always that easy to find.

My parents have one of these, and it drives me nuts when I visit. I understand that feature on something like an oven where it’s still cooking. But the microwave stopped. Nothing’s going to burn. So stop rushing me!

Sniff test then drink. Who’s got the time/patience to play iSpy with the date stamp?

• Camouflage (as in items of clothing with the pattern)
• Tall boots
• The color red
• When you open a plastic bag, such as for garbage (but if they’re left lying around he loves to sit on them) - this doesn’t apply to treat bags
• Tall men with deep voices - roughly 6’3” (1.9m) or taller

I spent probably 10 seconds looking for the feline in the bottom left before the light bulb went off

I kept thinking “don’t do it, you’ll hit the ceiling” while she was planning, but she obviously knows her limits much better because she made it look easy

Looks like a normal drawer to me, I see nothing amiss

long lazy boi noodle

There’s physically hyperactive, which is what traditionally was used to diagnose, and now mentally hyperactive is also recognized. As a result, three subtypes have been created - hyperactive, inattentive (mentally hyperactive), and combined.