R.I.P. Watermelon, R.I.P.

We are trying to grow watermelons this season. We had no idea how this would work out, but wanted to give it a whirl. I had seen pictures of watermelons growing vertically and thank goodness for a friend who insisted that I try to build a trellis out of electrical conduit! I hesitated to buy trellis netting, even though it would be a good investment. Everything I could find was online and about $30. Instead, I bought $3, 30lb fishing line and started making knots. After 100s of those little suckers, I had a cheap netting and one sunburned shoulder. So all was looking good. Except, there were a few things that were looming that I knew may be a problem. One, I chose Crimson Sweet watermelons, a 27lb variety. Two, I pulled the trellis netting tight and I realized a little too late that maybe it's going to need some give, as not to sever vines. Ooops. Despite this, they were growing fast!!! I was making sure to train the vines and buffer them with little strips of old tshirts. As for the melons, 3T dance tights seemed to be the perfect fit for a sling support.

I realize that this set up looks slightly obscene. Fill in melon joke here. Maybe it's just me, but I do get a sense that I should advise children to close their eyes. Especially when it rains. So, if you are reading with any small children, scroll at your own risk.

Anywho..... I was checking on the possiblity of vine damage today and decided to retie the slings of one of them and during the process, a melon slipped out of the sling and fell off. ARGGG!!!! So. Sad. Good news, though, we cut it open and it looked like it was on it's way to deliciousness. Hopefully, the rest of them work out.

Your Wish is My Command...

While knee-deep in some really late spring cleaning projects this weekend, Emma said, "Mom, before I was born, before I was in your belly, before you got me from the hospital, I made a wish. I wished for a silly mommy and a really smart daddy."

Awwww, right? This is a moment when self-talk is helpful for me. I'm telling myself, "control your reaction. Save the lecture on how mommies, including this one, are also smart. No, it's ok. Silly is good. Just listen." She continued:

"And, you know what? I made a second wish, that we would have a really clean backroom aalllll the time."

"Ok, Em, your wish is my command."

We have visitors...and LOTS of them!!!

Ugly, not cute, swarming, loud, visitors. Today, they surprised me in the garden around every corner. Yesterday, three landed on me in the backyard within 5 minutes. I'm not wearing brown outside for the next 4 weeks. This morning, they were hanging out...

on tomato cages

on our chives

on the cucumbers

on the green beans

and surprise! in the dill

This is quite the phenomenon. I've been hearing rumors that these are the 13-year kind, that they live underground all that time, and some people are making icecream out of them. (ps. I was also deeply disturbed by that surprise video of them emerging in that link. blech.) I can remember them from 1998, but still wanted to know more about this. Well, I started researching it and decided to stop my pursuit after reading this gem:

"After years of living in underground tunnels, thousands of periodical cicadas emerge from the earth, as if by a predetermined signal, shed their nymphal skins, and spread out through the nearby trees and bushes. Up to 40,000 can emerge from a under a single tree!"

No thank you. It sounds like the stuff of nightmares. When are they going away?

Lettuce Eat

Good news and bad news from our backyard....Good news first? Sure. Hooray for backyard salads! It worked! We have been able to add a spring salad to many of our dinners this season. We took pictures of our first, because we were pretty excited.

"let's pretend to eat it...wait. sam. sam. pretend, sam. sam, pretend!!"

(ps: as I am posting these, he is asking to see this picture b/c he wants to "see his moustache")

I was surprised at how the lettuce took off during the spring. We planted 4 baby romaine plants, and they grew up in a hurry. The red lettuce did, too. The chard, not so much, but there is still hope for those little guys.

Ready for the bad news? Can you tell from the picture above? This weekend, I noticed that the romaine looked a litte funny, different than it usually does. I figured it out and was super sad to see that they were bolting. Boooooo. It happens really quickly. The middle starts to shoot up and I have read it affects the flavor. So, harvest time, aka, save what I can in a mad panic!

Here, they are on their way to bolting. I was suspicious.

Yep, done, only a short time later

I knew it was a cooler-weather crop, but I couldn't help but think of all of cherry tomatoes that we will grow this summer that would have been perfect with it. Ok, so next year, note to self, look into season extending. If I would have been on top of it, I could have probably covered these little buddies up to shade them from the heat. Silver lining? Room for more! What should I plant? I have some plans for continuing some heat-loving greens...stay tuned!

Tomato CRAZY!!!!

I need an intervention! Someone, please help! I cannot stop adding tomato plants to our garden. I think I am absolutely missing the part of my brain that says enough is enough, when it comes to tomato varieties. This year, I am trying many heirloom tomatoes including the Old German and Box Car Willie. I could not pass up growing Tigerella, a red and orange stripped tomato, Cherokee Purple, or Pineapple tomatoes (a tropical-tasting pink and yellow variety). I didn't even know they exsisted before this year, so of course, I need to check this out. I can't help but think of the phrase curiosity killed the cat. But, in this case, I'm pretty sure curiosity is going to bury us in tomatoes!

Last year, we grew Sweet 100s, a red cherry tomato. They were so fun to pick and eat that I made sure we had some this year. All season, I have been in mad pursuit of Sungold tomatoes. We bought a pint, of these sweet, orange lil' ones, at the farmers' market last year. The person selling them gave us a sample and told the kids that they were "candy tomatoes". We all thought they were tasty and finished the pint that weekend. I knew we had to have them in our backyard, but I had not been able to find them aannywhere! Today, we were at Whole Foods, of course stopping at their vegetable plants outside, and Emma shouted, "MOM! SUN TOMATOES!!!" She spotted them!!! Then she looked around at the others, and said, "Here's a big boy." Gotcha! That girl can read. For some reason, it is her biggest secret, something that she hides. Not today! Not when tomato crazy is spilling over. It must be contagious!

So, I think that is going to be our last tomato addition to our gardens. I'm out of room. I wonder if there is a support group for this kind of thing.

Our Graduate

Emma has been reading a lot lately. She is so interested in learning new things. Well, after all, she has a degree (as pictured above). Anyway, she said this to me earlier this week:

Emma: Mom, what's that thing, you know, that looks like a 9 without a hole in it?

Me: I have no idea what you are talking about. Let's see. Oh, that's a comma.

Into the Mouths of Babes

Broccoli update! We chose broccoli as a new experiment this year. We've been able to harvest them and eat them for 2 dinners this spring, so far. I waited a little too long to harvest because I was being greedy. I thought maybe they would grow a little bigger, but, huh, learn something new everyday. Instead, every little bud of their classic 'tree like' appearance turns into mini yellow flowers. Cute! I did not know that.

I also learned about a new pest. Cabbage worms. The little jerks eat holes in all of the leaves and I've heard rumors about the adults, white butterflies, laying eggs in the roots, killing the plant. So far, the most organic way I have found to to get rid of these suckers is to hunt them down and smash them. I saw a white butterfly over by the broccoli today. For the first time in my life, I thought about killing a butterfly. It's a sad day, but seriously, stay away from my broccoli! Some gardeners suggest using row covers, and I also read that some people cover their broccoli heads with pantyhoes. I've decided against buying my vegetables undergarments/outfitting them like thieves and will stick to the smashing method.

do you like seefood?

pardon our manners, but mom said we could, (for the photo op, of course)

I am hoping that this is not the end of the broccoli, generally a spring crop. One of the main reasons I tried growing broccoli this year was because of an annual summer trip. Since forever ago, we have hung out with dear, dear friends in Litchfield. Last year, I noticed a broccoli plant with little shoots all over it, in August! It looked like they were exactly ready to join a veggie tray. Mr. D and Jess, my gardening idols, invited me to taste them. They were so crazy delicious that I absolutely had to stop myself from pulling up a lawn chair and eating the whole plant. I decided to attempt to grow some this year at home, as not to have such a ridiculous reaction at the lake. So, here's hopin' for side shoots!!! I'll keep you posted!

We've got WORMS!!! Happy Mother's Day to me!!!

This has been a long time coming! I've been thinking of making this purchase for over a year now. Previously, questions and thoughts like "is this ridiculous?", "maybe this is just a step too far," and "am I really going to buy a pound of red wigglers?" have held me back. But this year, it all came together. Single parenthood due to a week long work trip + golf trip + Mother's Day = vermicomposter!!! That was all the justification I needed!

So, currently, in my garage, in a small plastic get up, lives over 1000 red wiggler worms. They have the job of eating all of our organic waste and producing what is supposed to be incredible compost to take our veggie garden to a whole new level! Wahoo! The package arrived sans worms and we started to assemble the trays. Everyday, we checked for the wiggly tenants in the mail. Finally, they arrived and the move-in party began. Popcicles, Blue Moon, RedBridge and a visit from our friend, Jen turned this into quite the backyard event.

I roped Steve into leading the set up. It is a Mother's Day present after all. Anyway, the steps were somewhat complicated and required someone capable of concentrating, aka someone not as excited about the wormies. Enter Steve.

regretting you married me? naaahh.

We followed the instructions for setting up the bedding, a combination of soaked coir, good soil, and shredded newpaper. We added the worms, food waste, and topped it off with damp newspaper and tada.....vermicomposting!

Why compost with worms? According to the 16 pg instruction manual, it is a really efficient way to transform our food and junkmail trash into garden gold!!! Yep, they eat junk mail too! Everyone always asks about the smell. And so far, it has been odor free. Except for when we had them outside. I thought that we had found a good spot for them. They were not so happy about that random 90 degree day, so now they live in the garage and are odor free! I've heard legend of people even keeping their vermicomposters in their kitchen. Ours are definitely not making their way inside, though.

So, welcome to our new wormies. Get to work!!!!

Happy Graduation!!

Emma graduates from preschool this week. Even though it's a little funny to mark the 2nd year of 3 years of pre-K, it seems like a good time to take a moment and write down all the wonderful things about our sweet girl. The cliche that 'they grow up so fast' is becoming very real to us. I want to make sure I remember every second (except, fat chance that is going to happen, considering I can barely remember what happened this morning). Anywho...here are some random things I want her to know I know.

Dear Emma,

Happy Graduation Day! You are 4 and already brilliant! You are my joy and amaze me everyday. You can read, but like to keep that a secret. You have recently developed this little, coy smile that tells me when you are trying to be tricky or comes out when you are a little embarrassed. You can be shy in social situations and you take your time to assess the situation. You seem to be a natural leader. You make sure everyone knows the rules. You seem to have a flair for testing limits. You are a fantastic big sister. Even though you need reminders to be patient with your brother, you have been known to comfort him when he is sad and make sure that he has all of the snugglies he needs at bed time. You like to teach him things, good and not so good.

You have an incredible memory. You enjoy rhyming and changing the lyrics in songs to be a little silly. You love painting. You also like playing games with others. UNO and Pictureka are big hits right now. You are very loving and snuggling is one of your favorite things. You love to help in the garden and draw pictures. You adore our cats. Your favorite foods are steak and corn on the cob. You are tough cookie and rarely complain about anything. You are also sensitive and take things to heart.

You are very interested in learning to rollerskate, even though you have had to put it on hold because of the recent collarbone incident. You adore your Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles and treasure your relationships with them. Your friendships with others are very important to you. Birthday parties, or future birthdays, actually, anything birthday related is a huge deal and manages to be worked into at least one conversation per day. You smile with your entire face these days. We are so happy you are a part of our lives!

Happy Graduation, Girlie!!!

Deep Thoughts by Sam K.

Sam is taking a class at Little Gym and loooves it. Anyway, we were driving to Little Gym, kind of a quiet drive, but Sam broke the silence with this:

Sam: I like your ears, Mom.

Me: Well thanks, Sam. I like your ears, too!

Sam: Thank you!!

The Moments I've Been Waiting For...

it's here! the beginnings of broccoli!

This may very well seem like a little much. But, this growing season is way more exciting than the last for some reason. I have to admit that my new 'hobby' feels more like an addiction.....but oh well. I've decided that even though it may bring out the compulsiveness in me, this veggie garden is here to stay. Why am I this excited about broccoli and gardening in general? Let's see.... there is a small chance that it's because this endeavor is turning out to be productive and won't be destroyed the minute I am finished (which CANNOT be said about any housework attempted) or maybe that, thanks to the interweb, I can learn so many new things quickly. Also, our backyard veggies were surprisingly tasty last year, and I'm feeling greedy for more!

I have dreams of blanching and freezing enough green beans and broccoli for meals that last through winter. I have visions of jars of backyard-made salsas and sauces filling our pantry. Am I crazy? Possibly. Is this realistic? Probably not. Am I going to keep daydreaming? Yep!

baby sugar snap peas!!

Sam is 2!!!!!

Our little man is 2!!!!!

I can remember the car ride home from finding out that our second baby was going to be a boy. I kept thinking, "A boy. A boy. Hmmmm. I wonder what that will be like. I have no idea what that will be like." Well, I do now, and it has been a trip! Sam is absolutely one-in-a-million. He is smart, funny, animated, and dramatic. He loves to snuggle and is very caring and concerned about those around him. He often tells family members, "I lub you." He loves to talk. He absorbs and uses every word he has ever heard. He used to call his Grandparents, mawmaw and pawpaw, but has graduated to Grandma and Grandpa. He is unusually clumsy, but comes by that honestly. His poor noggin seems to catch every corner he encounters. In so much, that he has come to me on many occasions, rubbing his head with tears, saying, "I caught the corner." He loves to help in the kitchen and INSISTS on being my assistant.

He can turn anything in front of him into a big, destructive mess...quickly. He adores his sister. He is aware of his dairy allergy, and often reminds those around him, "I can't have cow milk. It makes my tummy hurt" or can be found asking, "does it have dairy in it?" He is athletic and recently has been practicing frisbee. He has one volume, loud. He can count to 20. He knows his colors and shapes. He loves all things birthday and is very serious about telling everyone the steps for presenting and eating birthday cake.

He loves to sing and dance. Literally, he feels the music in his soul!!! At 5 months, he surprised me by humming with his lullaby and has always automatically started to dance when he hears a good beat. He plays a mean air guitar. He knows the definition of a slow jam and dances accordingly.

A little air guitar before breakfast

His interpretation of the pediatrician's office on hold music

He loves to draw, mostly fishies, strawberries, or circles. Everyday is opposite day for Sam. Up is down, off is on, in is out. His favorite animal is a zebra. He laughs a ton and enjoys telling knock, knock jokes. His favorite is told in one breath, "Knock, knock, who's there, interruffting cow, boo!"

He is an early riser and always has been. He loves to eat. He usually has about 3 breakfasts. His favorite foods are clif bars, waffles, pancakes, chicken nuggets and asparagus. His favorite desserts are cake, suckers, jellybeans, and "black and white cookies". He looks handsome in a tie. He pretends to go to work like daddy. He rarely asks a question once. In fact, now that I think about it, it is possible he has never done this. He prefers repeating himself. Right now, he especially likes asking repeatedly, "Whatchya say? What'd ya say? Whatchya say?" He likes reading books and doing puzzles. His favorite books are The Foot Book, "The Owl Sammy Book", and Goodnight Moon. He likes to point out that the bowl of mush "is just like oatmeal."

Sam, you are more than we could have ever imagined! We enjoy you everyday and are thankful you are here! Happy 2nd Birthday!

Finally!

Ok...so by "I resolve to be more committed to this blog", apparently I meant starting 4 months into the new year. I apologize for all of the broken promises and will leave you with only one more. I promise not to make promises. No more forecasting what I am going to blog. It doesn't work, and apparently makes me avoid blogging.... so no more promises, for now.

My absence can also probably be explained by the time period between November through February, also known as the Plague-That-Was-Our-Life. From what I can recall it went a little something like this: flu viruses, rsv for everyone, a week in Children's Hospital during an ice storm, followed by a few more emergency room visits, 100 popsicles (or according to Sam "possibles") consumed, 105.7 fevers that last 9 days, ear infections, pneumonias, chest x-rays, strep cultures, blood tests, destruction of any kind of sleeping routine we have ever had, food logs, medication diaries, diaper documentaion, daily visits to the pediatrician, asthma treatments every 4 hours around the clock, pink eye for everyone, and allergic reactions to antibiotics. Yep, that about covers it.

in good spirits despite the plague

sending Emma picture emails because we were snowed in away from her

But, most of you reading already know this because you were there for us every step of the way. Thank you. Thank you! We never forget how lucky we are to have all of this support. SOOOO..... FINALLY....spring has sprung, and we are mostly healthy, and a little more informed. Sam does not have an IgA immune deficiency, which I was suspecting. Emma is allergic to both fall and spring allergens, compliments of me. And apparently, the viruses lurking this season, were NOT messing around. I was ready to put those two in bubbles.

But yahoo, it is April. We haven't seen our pediatrician or her staff in quite a while, and I'm pretty sure we are not going to experience any more freakish spring snow storms. Also, gardening season is here! I've been drawing out my plans and studying up on companion gardening and organic pest control.

So far, I have not been able to stop myself from planting cool weather veggies like broccoli, swiss chard, spinach, and a red leaf salad mix. I installed a strawberry pyramid and moved our transplants. Seeds have been started for heirloom pole beans, purple bush beans, snap peas, rainbow colored carrots, chives, more spinach, and salad mixes. I'm hoping to get a salad out of the back yard. We'll see what happens. Right now, all I'm getting out of the backyard gardening is two very muddy lil' ones and a new tradition where it is required to take off all of their clothes at the door and immediately carry them to the bath. But despite the mess, I do appreciate their help, most of the time.

So, to wrap it up, my apologies for the hiatus, many thank yous for helping us through the plague, and stay tuned for updates on all things growing around these parts.

All better!