KinderGardens 2011, Week 16

It's so funny how June seems so slow, waiting for those seedlings to take root and start growing.
July is medium-speed, tending to insect damage and watering when necessary.
The third week of August hits, and it feels like the garden is going at the rate of a freight train!  Exciting, but very hard to slow down enough to get things picked and processed.

This week we had our potato harvest.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the potatoes we grew this year.  I kept the method the same---growing above-ground in containers---but I changed out two key variables:  the soil I used and the depth of material around the plants.

Todd has access to free aged horse manure at camp, so he brought bucket after bucket home.  We mixed that in with aged chicken manure and straw.  Apparently, the potatoes loved it.  We also did a better job this year of hilling the potatoes (by adding more material vertically inside the bins).  It did the trick.  We easily tripled our potato harvest from last year.  Altogether, we brought 32 pounds of potatoes in the other night.

While I harvested potatoes (and created another raised lasagna bed with newspaper and the material from around the potatoes), Juliana read comics from the paper.  That was her contribution.  Meanwhile, Micah grabbed my camera and did a little tour of the garden.

This is his shot of Juli's only apple on her tree.  Deer came and munched the other four, but this one's hanging in there.  It's a MacIntosh, so it should be ready pretty soon.

One of our many spaghetti squash, which are a deep yellow and more than ready to be picked.  I haven't decided yet how to store these.  We don't have an appropriate cellar space, humidity-wise.  I've considered baking them, scraping out the squash, and freezing it, but I'm not sure how that would work.  Any ideas?

One of Micah's many pictures of the sunflowers.  They're so, so tall, and I think they must seem like they reach the sky from his perspective.

His final stop is always to check on his watermelon.  We're guarding it closely to keep the groundhog from decimating it.  Hope it ripens enough for little guy to enjoy it.

Have you stopped by The Inadvertent Farmer to check on the other KinderGardens?  There are some amazing things growing out there!

Metamorphosis

On the edge of my random "in the sun" garden I am growing field corn for the chickens.  

It tops out around ten feet, reaching for the sky.

Milkweed inadvertently grows among the corn plants.
If I can avoid mowing down or pulling out milkweed, I do.
Milkweed provides a great reward---being able to study the Monarch caterpillars who use it for food.

Juli, Micah and I were excited to find this guy:

He's actually attached to the underside of a corn stalk leaf.  

We had seen him the day before, as long and as thick as my pinky finger.

Now he's made his "J".

Today or tomorrow, his skin will split and move toward his feet, and a shiny green chrysalis will remain around his body for two weeks during metamorphosis.

With any luck, he will emerge as an adult monarch and begin his migration journey.

(Only around 2-3% of monarch eggs will successfully hatch, grow and pupate into an adult.)

Once we saw him, we began examining the surrounding milkweed.  We found an array of tiny caterpilars---some just slightly bigger than an eyelash---that have found a home in my kitchen until I can take them in to live in the second and third grade classrooms next week.

(Note:  Raising monarchs can be a very exciting activity---but it is not for the fainthearted.  Monarch cats need daily attention---cleaning out their environment, providing fresh milkweed on a daily basis, spritzing them with water if the environment is dry.  Children also need to be made aware that caterpillars can (and do) die for a number of different reasons.  For excellent information on raising monarchs in a home or school environment, visit Monarch Watch.  A fantastic picture book on Monarchs is Monarch Butterfly, by Gail Gibbons.)

* * * * * * *

I love reliving the story of the Monarch butterfly each summer and fall---from egg, to larva, to pupa, to adult.

None of us are meant to stay where we are forever.  I was reminded of that last week as I attended a funeral for my friend's mom.  Each of us is on a journey---of growing up, learning new things, morphing into who we are intended to become.  In her case, returning home to where the journey began.

School starts one week from today, and Micah will be heading off to Kindergarten.  Boy, is he ready---and excited!  But at the same time, he is the boy who wraps his arms around me tightly and says, "Momma, I'll miss you when I'm gone."  He is poised on the edge of a brand new journey, and he feels it keenly.

Today I go into school for the first time.  This is a week of bringing in supplies and carving a tiny niche in a school where I've been previously known as "Juli's mom" and a substitute teacher.  Very exciting, and my heart beats a little quicker when I think of this new part of my life.  Change can be a little nerve-wracking.

But change is good.  And it's always a good measure to take a moment and ask:  Am I allowing my family members the freedom they need to morph into their newest selves?  Am I willing to welcome the uncertainly of the future and explore who I am meant to be?

The Ups and Downs of Pittsburgh

Have you ever been?

If you ever get to visit Pittsburgh, it's a "must do".  It said so in my cousin's book, 1,000 Things to Do Before You Die.  We were very excited that she and her family came to visit, and it was a great reason to ride the incline.

Juli had been before, but this was Micah's first time.  He was so excited!

So basically, the incline is a cable car on a track that is inclined up the hill to the top of Mount Washington.  It was originally built in 1877 as a conveyance for the people that were starting to build homes at the top of this steep hill, to make for easy access to work in the city.

For some in Pittsburgh, the incline is part of their daily commute to work.
For us, it's just plain fun.

Juli and Micah led the way to choose seats.
I'm really glad there were only about ten of us in the car.  Apparently, 23 people can fit inside!

The view from the bottom:

The giant freight train that roared underneath us as we ascended the steep terrain:

And a beautiful (if a bit foggy) view from the top of Mount Washington:

(For future visitors, current tourist information can be found at the Duquesne Incline website.  Of special note---you must bring cash.  There is a change machine in the lobby with which to make exact change.    One of my favorite things?  There is a free parking lot at the bottom.)

Life is always better with free parking.

One Man's Trash...

is maybe just another man's trash?  Really, I sometimes wonder about this.

I am a huge fan of Salvation Army / Goodwill / St. Vincent dePaul stores.  When I am ready for things to leave my home, they take my bags full of "treasures" with open arms, knowing that someone else will happily pay for the items inside.

Today was a "clean the bedrooms" day.  (Except for mine, because I cleaned mine from top to bottom last week.  Including washing off the ceiling fan blades, thank you very much.)

No, today was the day to excavate the kids' rooms.
And I don't so much mean excavate in terms of "Look at all the toys they left on the floor."
No, I'm talking about "the stuff".

(Seriously, could it get more random?  I see a ton of plastic jewelry, a Pirate bobblehead, a stuffed animal, a plastic blowup fish, a US flag from a parade, binoculars...)

I think if there's ever a sign of middle-class affluenza in America, it's not so much the BMW in the garage; it's the itsy-bitsy souvenirs we give our kids at each and every function they attend.  I'm not going to go on about it, because I don't even want to hear myself complain.  Suffice it to say, I'm pleased that the kids were able to eliminate the items in their rooms that they weren't using or weren't in love with.  May that be a skill that carries with them into adulthood.

I can now walk in Juli and Micah's rooms with a greater sense of peace, which is worth its weight in gold.  (I tried to convey to them the peace that comes with clear surfaces, but I'm pretty sure they just heard, "Once you go through and clean your rooms, you can go play Wii at Grandma's house.")

I feel like I'm nesting.  Not because a newborn is coming to live with us, but because change is on the horizon and I'm feeling a need for order.  Juli and Micah begin a new school year on the 29th, I start going in to school on the 22nd.  And while I am grateful for these part-time opportunities that are perfect for me in every way, I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I wasn't nervous about the changes that this schedule will bring for us.

Juli and Micah's teachers come tomorrow for their home visits, and Juli is having friends over to swim on Saturday.  For now I'll focus on getting ready for those visits, making our home a welcome place for visitors.

On Sunday we'll lose ourselves in worship and celebrate a birthday with close friends.

Monday, I'll tackle you when you arrive.

(In the meantime, would anyone like a random rainbow?  This one was given to us on the way home from Maryland this past weekend...)

Long Day

Another day, another hero.

I know all the words to the Spider Man theme song, so it fell to me to sing the song over and over while the webbed wonder ran about, flinging webs as he went.  At one point, he asked for the tape dispenser, so he could pull off large pieces of tape for use as his webs.  

He is one serious superhero pretender. 

* * * * * * *

It was a crazy-busy day.

Juli had a piano lesson while I talked science with a colleague.
Grandma watched the kids while I met with my tutoring supervisor.

We had a friend over for lunch.

I took Micah to the dentist to have two cavities filled.  (Need to remember the fluoride at night!)

And I had trouble staying awake for the drive home.  Darn narcolepsy...  

All stuff that needed to be done, but it made for a busy day.

I came home to this in my mailbox:

And no lie, my first thought was, "What did I order?  Todd's going to kill me!"

(We have entered the "property taxes are due next month...no unnecessary expenditures" season.)  

Curiosity got the better of me, and the packing tape was ripped off in the car.

Lo and behold...wrapping paper!

Presents from my sister, the most thoughtful girl in the Marshall Islands!

I'll show you the books she sent another day.
For today, let's admire the beautiful paper and ribbon.

I love gifts.  

Absolutely adore presents.

Gift giving (and receiving) is one of my top two love languages.

These were a fantastic surprise!

There was dinner---stuffed peppers that my mom made and shared.

There was an easy bedtime for kids.

And there were beans.

Which necessitated the canning equipment.

(For those of you who grew up with canned beans and still love them, let me tell you why.

Canned green beans require 1/2 tsp. of salt per pint of beans.

And yes, I imagine that can be changed.  But it won't be, at least until one of us needs a low-sodium diet.)

The ancient pressure cooker, which scares the daylights out of me every time I use it.

I always fear that this will be the time that the relief valve explodes open, hitting the ceiling in a burst of steam.

It's why I'm typing in the other room.

The beans are done.

Todd's made popcorn.

We're watching reruns of Star Trek.

A good reward for a long day.

: )

Rite of Passage

There's very little in life that can hold you back, if you have but an ounce of determination.

Juli is filled with determination; has been from the day she was born.

(Actually, when I was 39 weeks pregnant with a baby who would not turn and a cesarean scheduled for the following week, the only thing that could make me smile was the joke I heard about c-section babies:  "They just know what's in store for them, and they're determined to find another way out!")

Regardless, she's a girl who knows what she wants.  

And what she wanted yesterday was to get her ears pierced.

Which is really very funny, because when Juli was four, she asked me how earrings stayed in my ears.  When I took one out to show her, she declared that she would never, ever put holes in her ears.

What I've learned during eight years of loving Juli, is that she is very determined.  

And if she says she does not want to do something, it is very, very difficult to get her to change her mind.

Often (if you have the luxury of dropping the issue), she will come around in her own sweet time.

Such was the case with going to Kindergarten.

And such was the case with earrings.  

I dropped the issue.  Low-and-behold, four and a half years passed, and she asked me if she could get her ears pierced.

For whatever reason, it was incredibly important for her to have them done.

And even though my daughter hates anything that hurts, she sat as still as a statue and didn't flinch once.

Not one tear.

Determination carried her through.

* * * * * * *

The before picture:

(Pandy attended for moral support.)

The hours-later picture, after swimming:

And she's been grinning that way ever since.

She feels beautiful.  

: )

KinderGardens 2011, Week Fourteen

Hooray!  The beans are ready to be picked!

The beans are Juli's favorite edible in the garden, hands-down.  She's more than happy to help pick them, looking forward to seeing them on the table that evening.

She took this picture, to show how many beans she picked Wednesday morning:

Todd took the kids out tonight to measure their sunflowers, since they were tall enough to need Daddy's tape measure.

One hundred and twenty-eight inches---ten and a half feet of sunflower glory!    

Check out the other KinderGarden sunflowers---as well as lots of other garden goodies---over at The Inadvertent Farmer.

Happy gardening!
: )

Out to Save the World

There's a phenomena that's slowly permeated our household over the past few months years.
I'm talking about superheroes.

I'm not sure which superhero they were exposed to first, but I have a sneaking suspicion it was SuperGrover.



It was imperative that our early superhero costumes included capes...

(Juli, age 4---Micah, 9 months)

...which evolved to include a narrow mask:

(Micah, age 3---Juli, age 7)

This winter was the great awakening of all things superhero in our humble abode.  Micah received the Imaginext Batcave set for Christmas from Uncle Tim, and for a time Todd was required to play Superheroes every blessed evening.  

Batman was only the beginning.  Soon, Todd and the kids were on the computer daily, researching a new superhero/villain combination for the evening's play.

Superman, Spiderman, The Flash, Green Lantern, etc....each with their own origins, special abilities, and inevitable weaknesses.

We were in for a special treat at the Rochester Children's Museum this summer, which had a fantastic superhero exhibit.  Juli and her new cousin tried their hand at climbing the city walls just like Spiderman!

And I think the museum said it pretty well:

* * * * * * *

That brings us to yesterday and today.  The boy walks in to where I am working in the office, carrying a shoebox, tape, and string.  

"Mom, could you help me build an IronMan mask?"

"Can't you just pretend you're IronMan?"

"No!  I need to have a costume.  Please?  Like Andrew's?"

Andrew is a friend of mine from childhood days in Michigan, where we spent many fun times playing Star Wars and Superheroes at each other's homes and on the playground.  And unlike most "grownup" people I know, who get older and forget what they really like to do, Andrew's taken his love for creativity and superheroes to the next level.  Here's his IronMan costume, the one Micah is in love with:

And I get it.  As fantastic as it is to pretend that you are IronMan saving mankind from one another and random villains, it's so much better with the costume.  So we made it work as well as one can with cardboard, markers, and elastic.  Micah thought to wear his red t-shirt and use his sister's shinguards as part of his body armor.

Love this boy!

I'm glad he's out to save the world.    : )

* * * * * * *

And just for fun?

Check out this podcast from This American Life.