I regularly read a blog called Soulemama (soulemama.com). She's just had her fifth(!) child and instead of blogging on a daily basis, she's asked other bloggers to contribute to her writing space for a while.
I read THIS today and *loved* it. The last two paragraphs are the best part.
We've been doing a lot of outdoor play with the sky high temperatures and our garden has taken off. I am amazed at how much those little plants can grow in a single day with the warmth of the sun egging them on. I'm so grateful for my group of mama friends here in Evanston, with whom I gather almost every single day to watch our toddlers play, argue, laugh and stumble. And I'm loving Yard Sale season! Woot! :)
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
A long weekend
After two days of crushing thunderstorms, we had a hot, rain-free Memorial Day.
We made a morning trip down to Lincoln Park Zoo where we saw the current favorite: giraffes; and other assorted hot and sleepy animals. I was reminded that summer brings with it its own Toddler Packing List and we have traded gloves, hats, and jackets for a different kind of hat, sunscreen, and a spare t-shirt. In short: Christopher came home with a new neon-green bucket hat.
We played in the yard, dusted off the water toys, dug in the yard, took naps, fired up the barbecue, and proceeded to sweat through dinner because we were just all so thrilled to be outside, outside, outside.
And I think I got my first bug bite of the season which is something of a rite of passage: summer is here.
We made a morning trip down to Lincoln Park Zoo where we saw the current favorite: giraffes; and other assorted hot and sleepy animals. I was reminded that summer brings with it its own Toddler Packing List and we have traded gloves, hats, and jackets for a different kind of hat, sunscreen, and a spare t-shirt. In short: Christopher came home with a new neon-green bucket hat.
We played in the yard, dusted off the water toys, dug in the yard, took naps, fired up the barbecue, and proceeded to sweat through dinner because we were just all so thrilled to be outside, outside, outside.
And I think I got my first bug bite of the season which is something of a rite of passage: summer is here.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Earthy.
Today the sun has been shining and the air is warm. A late afternoon cloud cover and thunderstorms are expected as the sun begins to go down. Wait... maybe a bit earlier - I just heard some thunder off in the distance.
This is perfectly timed as I just finished planting the remainder of my seeds and starts. I left a few sections of empty space in the veg beds in case I'm seized by the need to plant something else irresistible.
I'm hoping to figure out how to link to a document via Blogger so that you can see my planting plans. Here! Click on the photo below to see it a bit bigger!
Oh yes, on one particularly cold, rainy evening in April, I geeked out with the veg plans and drew up a map on Excel outlining spacing and location for each variety I hope to grow this summer. It was actually quite helpful since some things require more/less sun, and I took height and growth rate into consideration. This year will be a big leap from what we tried last year, and I hope that each season will offer many opportunities to learn learn learn.
Mike and I spent the afternoon planting two dwarf apple trees! We're excited to be planting trees in our yard and hope that we'll see a few Cortland and Macintosh apples for munching or baking or canning in a few years from now. At the moment, they're just two cute twigs sticking out of the ground. Our fingers are crossed that they grow up to be big(ish), strong trees that provide a little more shade for the patio and some enjoyment for our tastebuds.
We also staked and fenced in the last few vegetable beds... a necessity if I want to see all of that hard planting work come to fruition! The bunnies around here are cute, but we sing the song "John the Rabbit" with a whole new tone these days. Let's just say that the bunnies and I have had a few encounters in the early evening when they come out to look for little bunny hors d'oeuvres prior to their bunny dinners. Sweet, green seedling leaves seem to be a favorite.
The sheets that were drying in the breeze have been brought inside, and I can still hear families riding by on afternoon bike rides. Christopher is VERY into bike rides, by the way. That and going for runs with Daddy in the mornings in BOB. For both of these actitivies, he can be heard egging on the driver with, "Faster, Mama/Daddy!"
This is perfectly timed as I just finished planting the remainder of my seeds and starts. I left a few sections of empty space in the veg beds in case I'm seized by the need to plant something else irresistible.
I'm hoping to figure out how to link to a document via Blogger so that you can see my planting plans. Here! Click on the photo below to see it a bit bigger!
Oh yes, on one particularly cold, rainy evening in April, I geeked out with the veg plans and drew up a map on Excel outlining spacing and location for each variety I hope to grow this summer. It was actually quite helpful since some things require more/less sun, and I took height and growth rate into consideration. This year will be a big leap from what we tried last year, and I hope that each season will offer many opportunities to learn learn learn.
Mike and I spent the afternoon planting two dwarf apple trees! We're excited to be planting trees in our yard and hope that we'll see a few Cortland and Macintosh apples for munching or baking or canning in a few years from now. At the moment, they're just two cute twigs sticking out of the ground. Our fingers are crossed that they grow up to be big(ish), strong trees that provide a little more shade for the patio and some enjoyment for our tastebuds.
We also staked and fenced in the last few vegetable beds... a necessity if I want to see all of that hard planting work come to fruition! The bunnies around here are cute, but we sing the song "John the Rabbit" with a whole new tone these days. Let's just say that the bunnies and I have had a few encounters in the early evening when they come out to look for little bunny hors d'oeuvres prior to their bunny dinners. Sweet, green seedling leaves seem to be a favorite.
The sheets that were drying in the breeze have been brought inside, and I can still hear families riding by on afternoon bike rides. Christopher is VERY into bike rides, by the way. That and going for runs with Daddy in the mornings in BOB. For both of these actitivies, he can be heard egging on the driver with, "Faster, Mama/Daddy!"
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