blogger neglects blog for weeks {and other headlines}

PREGNANT MOMMA PASSES GLUCOSE SCREEN
(and there was much rejoicing in the land)

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NEWEST NASCAR FAN BUILDS RACE TRACK

 (construction paper, cardboard, and yards of scotch tape)

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SPRING ARRIVES

(and laundry suddenly increases...)

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KITTEN MANIA STRIKES AGAIN

(he then went home and built a dozen kittens out of LEGOS...)

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In other news, Kiddo moved to his "big brother" bedroom this weekend and, while the move went well, we are all a little sleep-deprived as a result.  While he really likes his room, he's not yet comfortable enough there to sleep very well.

I am having a hard time with the move, which is unexpected (my emotions, not the move).  Our master bedroom and the nursery are downstairs, while Kiddo's new room is upstairs.  I don't like it that he is so far away and up there all by himself.  I almost cried when I walked by his dark and empty old room last night on my way to bed.  I miss peeking in on him whenever I walk by, watching him sleep and stealing kisses in the middle of the night ("but at night time, when he was asleep, the mother quietly opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor and looked up over the side of the bed...")

Lots of moms cry when their babies go off to kindergarten.  I didn't - he was excited to go, and I knew he was more than ready (and on some days, so was I).  For me, this is a far more momentous milestone than the first day of school.  He's growing up and becoming more independent every day.  As someone reminded me this morning, he's halfway to his driver's license already.  But tonight, he still wanted to curl up in my (shrinking) lap and settle in for a snuggle.  I'm going to soak up those snuggles for as long as they last ("...and she sang:  I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be.")

itty bitty

This little one was born during Hurricane Irene...we think maybe a little prematurely.  He is tiny!

I'm hesitant to pick him up too much, but when I do, he snuggles right in to the palm of my hand.  Makes me want to melt.

(And no, we're not bringing this one home, either).

Linking up to the Live Every Moment photo challenge {animals}.

because you haven't seen enough kitten pictures yet

 "I'm surrounded by kitties, Mommy!"

They are still wobbly and awkward on their feet.  We giggle as we watch them trip over things like sidewalk cracks, their own feet, and sometimes nothing at all.

This is "Teddy" (I was voting for "Ollie," but since I don't want to take him home, my vote didn't count):

Teddy is a polydactyl - he has 6 toes on his front feet.  His sister, Callie, does too.  They make me think of that commercial...

Don't you want to take him home with you now?

kindergardens - week 14

Kiddo and I were watching an episode of The Cat in the Hat on PBS Kids this week (about rainbows) over a bowl of rainbow-colored Froot Loops (yes, I am that mother.  There were dirty dishes in the sink, too). We've been finding rainbows everywhere this week, particularly in the garden, thanks to our KinderGARDEN homework assignment this week.

We came pretty close to finding the entire rainbow on one vegetable.

Red, orange, yellow, green, bl- ...I mean, purple.  Just missing one color!  Drat.

BUT...we carried it in a blue bucket.

With a few friends.

Salsa time is upon us.  And then some.  Anyone want to come over for a veggie feast?  Please?

We put Kiddo to work pulling onions and peppers.

He wrestled and heaved and pulled barely exerted himself for the onions.  They are all halfway out of the ground already.  A gentle tug and out they come!

They are huge again this year.  We can't seem to grow red or yellow onions, but we can grow Walla Wallas like nobody's business.

His interest waned pretty rapidly, but he did manage to get enough onions and peppers for a batch of salsa before calling it quits.  Mommy and Daddy were then enlisted to pick the tomatoes.

I managed to scorch my first batch of salsa a few days ago (fortunately salvageable, or there would have been much wailing and gnashing of teeth), but we will see if I can avoid such excitement with the next round later this week.

Here's a few more random pics from our rainbow hunt...

begonia(?)

(grape tomatoes)

(mexican sunflower)

(marigolds)

Sunflowers are such happy flowers...

(cantaloupe(?) flower)

(watermelon...drooling as I wait for this one)

(hydrangea)

(morning glory)

Kiddo's favorite colors we found?  Black and white.

(We continue to resist the urge to bring one home, but we have been visiting them almost daily)

Oh.  We found some bugs and creepy crawlies for Captain Pajamas, too.

 

(Finally!  A beneficial!)

Linking up to The Inadvertent Farmer, where you'll find lots more KinderGARDEN goodness!

more

He found more kittens in the neighbor's barn yesterday. 

Weird crop, but I love this pic.  He is so gentle and sweet with them.

the kittens

We are NOT, I repeat, NOT adopting any kittens.

I mean it.

Absolutely, positively NOT.

kindergardens - week 13

Our kinder hasn't been in our kinderGARDEN much this week.  He's been a little distracted.

I'm afraid the garden doesn't hold a candle to the newborn kittens next door.  I've already been informed by our neighbor that they will be available for adoption.  I'm trying very hard to resist the adorableness of the gray calico on the right.  We have two cats already - we don't really need a third.  But oh, she's cute.

The big gardening news this week was this:

Wonderful, blessed rain!

After three dry weeks, we were more than happy to have a big thunderstorm roll through.  Now we don't have to do this for a few days:

Kiddo's zinnia bed.  So pretty.

We picked green beans this week!

(I obviously didn't plan on picking them until I got down 

to the garden...I should have brought a bucket).  

I threw a handful in a pot and steamed them for dinner the other night.  Kiddo gagged on the first bite and refused to eat any more.  Gardening Mom fail.  There are pounds and pounds of beans still out on the teepee...I guess we will be donating some beans to the food bank!

Fortunately, there are a few other things that Kiddo is willing to eat from the garden.

We'll see if we can get him out there a little more this week.  I found our first ripe roma tomato last night, and our peppers and onions are getting big.  Salsa time is coming!

More kinderGARDEN fun can be found over at The Inadvertent Farmer.