And Then There Were...: May 2013

I realize it hasn't been a month, but the Midget fell asleep during tummy time and I have a couple minutes.... Sunday, we went to the drive-in again. However, it rained almost right until the movie began, so we got a little damp (see pic). After the back of the truck was soaked, I decided to watch from the comfort of my car with Cat and Cali. It was truly the way to go. If the concession stand had served decaf, it would have been pretty perfect.

About the only thing I've accomplished since my last post is to hook up my rain barrels. I went to check on the garden after a week of rain and discovered the empty one had fallen on my biggest broccoli head and broke it off. So, I fixed the rain barrels. They should both be full now because it has been so wet the last week. I hope it stays dry for a few days. And, this Spring breeze is awfully nice.

New on the to-do list is developing an identity (logo) for Cat's new business idea. She has been offered a job and starts June 3rd. However, it is as a PRN Companion Homemaker, so she will still have the flexibility to get this off the ground and do some traveling.

I also need to track down some windchimes. There is a young woodpecker who recently discovered our (cedar) house. The final straw was this morning when he decided to tap out a wake-up call right outside our open window at 5:45 am. Cheeky little devil!

I'm also pretty stoked about my Father's Day project. P really outdid himself this year, and I've been struggling to come up with something on the same level. However, we only have room for so many framed pictures and ceramic whoozits, so I had to come up with a different idea. Check back next month to see how it went.

A genuine smile. Cali is shaping up to be a more demonstrative baby than (stoneface) Ellie.

Our silent auction basket. Worth $400, it went for $200 :(

Soggy drive-in with makeshift umbrella.

Sisters, just hanging out together.

Always a lady with ankles crossed.

Wearing a diaper cloth chapeau by Dad.

Communing with Dad.

Oh really, Dad? Tell me more....

Napping on the job.

Our first *official* family pic with Cali.

Currently, Cali is a little over 2 months. She weighed 10 lbs. 13 oz. at her 2 month check-up. Incidentally, Ellie weighed 10 lbs. 14 oz. at her FOUR month appointment. The younger one has settled in to a nice little routine. She has her last feed of the night around 8 and then sleeps for 6-9 hours. It's kind of awesome. I hope it lasts. I can't tell you how long it took Ellie to sleep that long, but I know it was at least 15 months before she did that regularly.

Overall, life is flowing along nicely. Since Aunt Cat has been with us, I don't stress quite so much. She takes care of cooking dinners most nights and is usually around during the day so I can run out to the yard or get on the computer with both hands to take care of Tri Kappa publicity (Like our page!) I'm anxiously awaiting Friday since that will mean that The Taste is behind me for another year.

I'm behind on weeding and pruning this year, and I still have to hook up my rain barrels properly, but the garden is planted and mostly looking pretty good. I'm excited to be trying kale, rhubarb, celery, beets, broccoli (purple and green), and beans this year in addition to my standard peppers (I'm giving them one more shot), okra, tomatoes, tomatillos, herbs, romaine, cucumbers, zucchini, lots of new strawberries, and raspberries. I'm trying a lazy square foot gardening technique (which means I just cleaned out my seed stash and then panicked trying to squeeze everything in). My purple asparagus rose from the dead this year. I've had 5 stalks, 4 of which are now 3 feet high and lying down in full leaf. I need to get a cage. Next year, I'm hoping for a full bunch. For insurance, I planted two more Mary Washington asparagus plants this year. I'm a little scared what the garden will look like by mid-July. With luck, it'll be a lush maze of green. I'd love to plant some fall squash and pumpkins, but I don't think I have room. And, since I can't manage to weed my current garden or containers, perhaps it's better if I don't create another bed for now.

Aunt Cat has had a couple of good interviews in the last week and keeps thinking up new possibilities for business ideas. Her latest is pretty good (IMHO). She is in the process of joining a local church and has been volunteering a couple shifts per week at the local organic farm. Because of her, P has been running more regularly. And, we've been shamed into more recycling and more timely dishwashing. If she gets hired soon, I'll be scrambling to fill the void.

We went to the drive-in Saturday with both girls and Aunt Cat. It was quite cozy in the truck bed, but miraculously the patch P adhered to the air mattress last year held and our derrieres stayed nicely off the truck bed through both feature films (The Croods and Iron Man 3). The new digital projector was delightful, however, the biggest news was in the concession stand. We discovered that the 49er carries funnel cakes, which may be reason enough to head back soon regardless of the film. Ellie was a little wired and bounced all over the truck bed through most of the first movie. Although P took her early to get a good spot and they played with other kids for a good hour, she stayed up until Iron Man 3 was underway (about 10). Luckily, she slept in Sunday like the rest of us.

P has been really enjoying his birthday present to himself. He bought a MakerBot (home 3D printer) and has been running it nearly 20 hours a day since it arrived. (That may or may not be an exaggeration.) Thus far, he has printed a flock of owls, a tiny model of the new plant, a few Yodas, a Darth Vader head, a cup holder change organizer that fits under his sliding armrests, a retro rocket model for Cali's room, a few things for Ellie's "sound of the day" at school, avocado pit holders, and a watering spike attachment for a 2 liter bottle. I'm sure I'm forgetting several others. There have been several misfires due to technical limitations and design flaws, but he's having a blast working through them.

He and Ellie have been going to swimming lessons on Saturday mornings. Ellie loves the water. I honestly believe that half-hour class is the highlight of her week. We've had some warm days already, but I'll have to break out the wading pool soon. We may even make it to the lakeshore sometime this summer.