Life has been moving slowly and way too fast at the same time - I feel like there are so many things I *could* blog about, like all of Cecilia's conversations on the potty, or how much she and John Paul fight about things that don't matter, or the games we've invented to keep them outside as long as possible, or how we're doing now that the twins are 7 months old, but I just have no energy for it!
So... Here's what we've been up to lately:
--1--
The kids are trying to sprout bean seeds in plastic bags because, you know, it's a thing to do... So far we have no action, but it's been a day.
They've been prepping their pot for planting, slooooowly filling it with dirt. Unfortunately, they decided that using their hands was more effective than shoveling...
--2--
Every night after the kids go to bed we head out to work in the garden - the tomatoes are growing well and we've added some new herbs to the mix:
And Andrew got some raised bed kits, so we've planted peppers, squash (pretty sure that one's dead already), cantaloupe, strawberries (everbearing, so we might get to eat some this summer!), beans, basil, zinnias, and marigolds.
Of course, right after we planted the marigolds to encourage bees, all the lilies on our neighbor's side of the fence started blooming - how beautiful is this?
--3--
This guy is learning how to pump! Unfortunately, he still can't get himself going, but we're getting closer to independence!
Although there's still a whole lot of "MOM!!! Push me on the swing! A JILLION pushes!"
And Cecilia follows up with, "I need a HUNDERdog!"
--4--
And speaking of independence, the babies are sooooo close to crawling!
But they're VERY frustrated that they don't have it down yet...
Thankfully Mary Claire has a sense of humor about it!
--5--
John Paul has really long eyelashes and a borderline unibrow...
--6--
We've been heading outside most nights after dinner, setting the babies up on a quilt while the big kids play. It really helps with that last fussy hour of the day when it's too early for bed but too late for anything else!
Look, she's getting some meat on her bones!
AND I figured out how to capture a sun flare!
You see how ready she is to crawl?
Just not quiiiite there! And I'm in no hurry - when these two start crawling, it's all over!
The kids keep taking their shoes off and running around the yard with "bear" feet - they love it and I kind of love how ridiculously dirty they are at the end of the day :)
My mom says we have poison ivy in the back - is this it? I thought it was supposed to be shiny...
--7--
Have you entered my Firmoo giveaway? 5 $20 vouchers, and IF 50 or more people enter, they'll give away a free pair of glasses, too! So even if you don't wear glasses, you can get sunglasses, and if you don't want the voucher you can enter anyway and give someone else a chance to win a free pair!
Well, somebody's gotta have something (or a lot of things) more interesting to say at Jen's!
Entered! Hope you get to 100! And crawling twins...that sounds fun! ;)
ReplyDeleteGlad your garden is growing well.
ReplyDeleteLoving all the blanket pictures, such cuteness!
Your garden looks awesome...I love the raised beds, they make gardening so much easier.
ReplyDeleteHaving one crawling baby is enough to make my hair turn gray...I can't imagine crawling twins!
They really do make everything so easy! It's nice to *know* that there are no pests in our plants (yet) because the soil is new and fresh :)
DeleteThat is one big yard for your area! Our yard is too small for a swing set and I am kind of bummed.
ReplyDeleteMy general rule is "leaves of 3, let it be" so better safe than sorry in case it is poison ivy. This site has some good info too http://www.poison-ivy.org/
ReplyDeleteYour raised beds look great! So fun for the kids after dinner :)
You guys have such a nice garden! And it's cute that you have garden dates each night. And tell J-P that a unibrow is a sign of intelligence (at least that's what I tell myself!)
ReplyDeleteYes, it's poison ivy! New leaves are shiny; then they become dull. Pour some boiling salt water on all of it pronto! And if any comes over to your side of the fence, put a plastic grocery bag on your hand, yank over as much as you can, stuff it all into the bag, and throw it away. DO NOT COMPOST IT. Heck, if you want to spray Round-Up on it, I will pretend that I didn't notice. Poison ivy is the devil's spawn. I hate to think of the kids' delicate skin with poison ivy weals on it. :'-O
ReplyDeleteBy the way, "leaflets three, let it be" is a terrific maxim. Just remember that if a vine or bush with leaflets three has thorns, it's a berry. Poison ivy has no thorns. Why would it need any? Grrrr!
I like the bean-sprouting idea. Good luck with it! It's sort of like what Grandmother's father did to see if seeds were viable. He'd wrap some in a "dolly" (a damp piece of cloth) and put them in a warm place for a few days. No light, but you don't necessarily need light for sprouting.
Yay for your raised beds! They look expandable, too! I wonder if you can mulch between the beds and the fence so that Andrew won't have to weed-whack.
The marigolds will be good for discouraging pests in general, not just attracting bees. In terms of natural, granola-fed gardening, they are viewed as the miracle plant. Practically everything likes having marigolds near it, especially if they are the kind that have a perceptible smell. (Some people prefer the other kind. I don't think they work as well, though.) Because you are mostly concerned with insects (rather than yield), check this out: http://www.gardensablaze.com/Companions/CompanionPest.htm
Elizabeth is such a lovely chunka-chunk now! Who would think that she had been a tiny little alien child?
This time of year is perfect for post-dinner yard play! Do you have fireflies yet?
Your garden and your children are both growing beautifully!
ReplyDeleteI envy your beautiful garden! We are living in an apartment right now so we aren't able to keep a garden. Mind if I live vicariously through yours until we claim one of our own?
ReplyDeleteAnd I did enter the giveaway and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I win this one!
Why are your kids so adorable?! My husband and I have already given up on Leo being as cute, smart, and quotable. Tips appreciated! :)
ReplyDeleteHehe he's got plenty of time! And he's a pretty darned cute little guy - most babies that age aren't cute yet but Leo absolutely is!!!
DeleteI wish I was better at gardening! Yours looks great! I always have a few potted flowers/plants, tried expanding last year, and it was a total failure because I had morning sickness and only did the absolute bare necessities- gardening wasn't one of them.
ReplyDeleteI love that quilt your babies are on! It's so pretty! (and so are they :))
Yep, poison ivy. We have some that keeps trying to grow in our yard, too.
ReplyDeleteCrawling twins. *shudder* er, I mean, yay!! We just won't expect a blog post from you for the next year and half or so to be safe :)
I know, one of these days keeping the computer cord away from them is just going to be a lost cause and all my blogging will be over!
DeleteYour outdoor space looks heavenly!
ReplyDeleteMary Claire is one beautiful baby! Love those photos! Your garden is like my dad's! There is nothing better than vegetables fresh from the garden!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to taste our own fresh veggies! Hopefully we can keep them away from animals - something has been nibbling on our strawberries...
Deletehttp://www.allaboutstuff.com/Garden_Tips/Eliminating_Pests_and_Insects.asp
DeleteYou can try spraying soapy water on the plants, too. And dusting them with a bit of cayenne, or is it spraying them with water that has cayenne in it? You know how to research this.
Hi Rosie. I just discovered your blog. Love the pictures! Beautiful kids and fabulous yard! Good luck with the garden.
ReplyDeleteJennifer @ Little Silly Goose
I love your yard! I wish we had more stuff growing, but right now it's just tomatoes. Probably the same tomatoes that you have?
ReplyDeleteSuch great pictures, Rosie! I like the idea of hanging out in the backyard for the last bit before bedtime. Maybe if the mosquitos and humidity aren't too bad we'll try it too.
ReplyDelete