My Addiction

I have a knitting addiction, though the hot summer weather always makes me a little less motivated to sit and knit. This is my current work in progress, a simple cable patterned cardigan in a golden-mustard color.



Photo A Day challenge, inspired by Fat Mum Slim.

Golden Hour

Last evening, we loaded up the whole family and went to Curtis' work campus to give Ella a swimming lesson in the man-made pond. I was not really planning on all of us getting our feet (and more) wet, but it was really hard to resist such perfect temperature water on a warm and beautiful summer evening.

Noah liked dipping his toes from his own private rock and Ella turned out to be a pretty good swimmer. However, Noah got a 'wet dog shake' shower and a case of the giggles when Ella joined him on his rock.

Dandelions

“If dandelions were hard to grow, they would be most welcome on any lawn.” - Andrew Mason

Just what is it about dandelions that draw us to them? I have to admit, they are a pretty whimsical 'weed'. While at the park last evening, the boys found some dandelions just begging to be blown. Before long they were running around blowing them as fast as they could. Frankly, I was afraid one or both of them was going to pass out.
Noah seems to have become an expert dandelion blower. However, watching Isaac blow dandelions is like watching him blow out birthday candles. He huffs, and he puffs, and...

Nothing happens. Except lots of spittle flying through the air. But he is persistent and eventually...

Success! He was so proud of himself.

I am sure the park service would be glad to know that we have done our part to ensure that next year's dandelion crop will be a good one.

Favorite Color

Blue. Which is a good thing when you have two boys, whose favorite color also happens to be blue.

As a side note, I have found that when trying to take photos of Isaac (and probably toddlers in general) it is much better to just snap away while he does his own thing than it is to try to pose him in any way whatsoever. For example,  my vision of this picture was very boring (trying to get him to gaze straight into the camera), resulting in this:

while Isaac's take on it is anything but boring. Only he would think of dangling himself backwards over a ball. With his puppy, of course.

Photo A Day challenge, inspired by Fat Mum Slim.

Garden

Being gone the entire month of May put of bit of a crimp in my gardening this year. I did get a few things in as soon as possible after we got back, but pretty much missed out on the salad greens. There are herbs, lots of carrots (got those in before we left at the end of April), some sunflowers and cosmos that Noah helped me plant, a few varieties of heirloom tomatoes that I bought as transplants about one day after we got home at the end of May, and a really sad looking bush bean bed.

The first sunflower opened today.

Thyme and lavender.

Cherry tomato.

A wee bit of salad greens. Most of it bolted immediately in the heat.

This is the bean bed. We used seeds from previous years and germination was very poor. I think those tall things are weeds. They looked very much like beans when they sprouted, so neatly in a row, that I left them. And now I don't want to pull them out because the Japanese beetles (HATE those things) seem drawn to them. So, I figure, better for them to be eating the weeds than my beans. The neighbors are probably wondering what kind of new-fangled vegetables I am growing.

Basil, which I have been battling the Japanese beetles for. I will probably have to harvest soon or risk losing all of it to the nasty little critters.

Miss Ella loves sprinting in circles around the (fenced off) garden. Amazingly, when I was outside taking these pictures, it seemed that the temperature was dropping. I am crossing my fingers that this heatwave is finally ending.

Chair

Photo A Day challenge, inspired by Fat Mum Slim.

On The Floor

Car ramps on the living room floor entertain these boys for hours. Which is a good thing since it has been 100+  degrees outside!

Pots and baskets on the kitchen floor. I have been informed that the large basket is their puppy's bathtub.

Yes, we have a potty in the living room. Because this is one busy boy, and he will not have his play interrupted by having to go into the bathroom to sit on the potty. Heck, we are lucky to get him to use it when it is in the same room he is playing in.

Photo A Day challenge, inspired by Fat Mum Slim.

Fun

Watching my kids watch fireworks. Isaac lies down, sits up, lies down, sits up, apparently searching for the best viewpoint. Noah lies back and reaches his hands up, as if he can catch the lights streaming toward him.

Best Part Of My Day

 
Family meal time. Every night (except when I am at work!). Each night, we go around the table sharing what we are thankful for. Tonight's highlights: Nu-nos (aka noodles. Whatever we are eating usually is at the top of someone's list!), playing with cars, the fact that Isaac now enjoys raw carrots and salads, and that Mommy is home for dinner.

Photo A Day challenge, inspired by Fat Mum Slim.

Self Portrait

In an effort to take at least one new photo a day and resurrect our blog, I am joining the Photo A Day challenge, using the topics created by Fat Mum Slim. I cheated right from the start though. This photo was taken by Curtis, per my request.