county fair

Sam calls it the "fair-ya," and we had some great summertime fun just minutes from home. He went on his first roller coaster (and ferris wheel) with Daddy:

Visited some farm animals:

Ran around a barn while I checked out the old-timey home and garden contest entries:

And savored some classic fair foods:

We loved it!

phase 2

I am a total mommy-blogger cliche right now, posting about potty training, but it's a pretty big deal (I'm learning), so here I go! Our commitment to the process has yielded some surprisingly positive results (along with the darker results of an exhausted mommy and a week of dinner failure). Sam now will use his little potty almost unfailingly while at home and naked. He's been doing this since day 3 of serious training (about a week now). As of yesterday we are in Phase 2, transitioning to underwear at home. So far there have been a lot of wet underpants hanging on the clothesline, but we persevere! Stay tuned!

kickin it

Sam seems to have endless supplies of energy. Some days it is hard for me to give him enough physical activity. He rarely appears to be truly "worn out," and in fact he often has so much pent-up energy that he clenches his fists, chatters his teeth, and shakes his entire body! I do what I can with parks and walks, but strangely, in those situations he often just wants to sit near me or be picked up. Sadly, we haven't found our exercise rhythm together these last many months. So imagine my happiness when we found we both enjoyed kicking the soccer ball around the backyard last week. I was never much into sports as a kid, preferring reading or wandering around the woods, but I think with such an energetic child I will have to start learning a few things. Turns out, kicking a ball around isn't so bad, especially when Sam squeals with glee as if all my kicks are awesome, and always volunteers to retrieve the ball from the bushes. And even if 45 minutes of hard playing didn't slow him down one bit, it's a start.

here we go

Yes it's true, potty training has begun in earnest. We are still within the first 24 hours of serious commitment. Despite Sam's past refusals to try to use the potty, I am making the effort now because preschool is right around the corner. Once we start on that schedule, we won't have continuous days when we can stay home to focus on the process. I am hoping that making a big push now will get Sam at least "potty-learned" for preschool. We will be staying home as much as possible, armed with a stack of kids' potty books from the library, a boy baby-doll who can pee in his own tiny potty, calming music (right now, Iron and Wine's Our Endless Numbered Days--haha), doorlocks to lock off the carpeted rooms of the house, nakedness (for him), rags and towels (already in use), and, hopefully for both of us, giant quantities of patience. I cajole the nakedness, but otherwise I am mostly letting Sam take the lead.

So far, he is most interested in giving his baby doll the water bottle so that babydoll will pee. As for Sam's own pee, well, he keeps saying, "I already peed!" and then shows me where to clean it up.

It's almost 10am, and I've had 4 interruptions writing this post. I am exhausted already! But positive, and determined.

beautiful redwoods

It had been feeling like a long time since we'd gone on a fun summer outing as a family. So many other things beckon: swim lessons, naps, the garden, the sewing machine, the dirty bathrooms, the cluttered garage, "unstructured time." This past Sunday we set all that aside and finally got ourselves out to a new place: Armstrong Redwoods near the Russian River. Above is the obligatory heads-up shot of these majestic trees, the tallest trees in the world.

Even after living in this area for 10+ years these trees still amaze me. Even after I lived down the road from Muir Woods and snuck into the groves in moonlight after hours, or pitched a tent on a ridge nearby (also illegally) and spent the night, or visited on rainy days when the crowds were elsewhere staying dry, redwoods have not lost their power.


It was a hot day at home, but we planned (and hoped) for possible cool fog in the coastal redwoods. We were sweating in our tshirts though, as it was hot there too, with hot-bright patches of sun surrounded by very warm shade. We let Sam run freely as much as possible on our easy hike, explore the picnic area, point to and identify letters on the signage, and climb into fire-hollowed bases of huge redwoods. My favorite part was asking Sam who might sleep in the burrows of these trees. Below he is wondering if a bunny is in there. The hat Sam is wearing was picked out by himself and his Daddy, and has a basketball on the front (not something I would choose myself). All day I was loving how his blonde hair curls up from under that cap.

making things

I love the new look of our closet door with this simple curtain I made with fabric from one of my favorite fabric designers. Our bedroom has beautiful blue walls and crisp white trim, and this new curtain adds the perfect touch of pattern. It replaces a wooden folding door that was just too loud and bulky for my tastes. I'd still like to add some weights to the bottom hem to help it hang a bit better, but I love it already.



I whipped up these baby bibs for a playgroup mom friend expecting a baby girl. (Excuse the ugly fake wood background; I had to take this picture in a hurry before the baby shower brunch yesterday.) This was a fun project because it was quite easy and I learned how to use a snap setter. The pattern came from this awesome book.



I made these dresses for another playgroup mom friend who just had a baby girl. The pink one is for the newborn and the green one is for her older sister, Sam's friend Sadie, and I like that they are the same style without matching. I used a great free pattern found here. I loved making these because they were actually my first garments ever, and I think they turned out beautifully. I learned a few new skills here: making gathers and attaching piping and bias binding.




I made this felt board awhile ago, using this free tutorial. At the time, Sam was very interested in learning letters, but alas, since I made this, his interest has waned a bit. He knows all the letters pictured here and a few more, but I can't really say that he has used this felt board and learned anything. Maybe in the future!

this chair

It's just a cheap lounge chair, not pretty, not even particularly comfortable. We bought it at Fred Meyer in Boise when I was pregnant with Sam three years ago, and this past weekend we dusted off the cobwebs in preparation for our first summer bbq.

Yesterday during Sam's naptime I pulled it into the sun for a few minutes of reading. I couldn't help thinking about those early summer days three years ago, when I was just coming out of the worst of my debilitating morning sickness, during which I lived prostrate on the couch trying not to hurl the single piece of peanut butter toast which was the only food I could bear to eat each day. But I was feeling a bit better, and I requested from Denis that we buy a chair so that I could recline outdoors and enjoy the warmer weather. I was eating a slightly bigger and more varied single meal each day, and I would lie on this chair, still too nauseous to read, so grateful that I could eat more and that it wasn't nose-biting cold anymore and that I could even see buds on our lilac bush. Sitting in this chair three years ago I started to feel like myself again.

Yesterday I sat here for the first time in three years, and felt gratitude again. For the successful 5th of July bbq we had, the wonderful family who came and had such fun together, for the comfortable yard in our new house, for the perfect sunny day, and for the opportunity to read (without nausea) a great book (The Liars Club) while my not-quite-three-year-old (finally) napped inside.

Sam's lens

That round steel object in Sam's hands is the lid to a nutchopper kitchen gadget (to us). To him, it is a camera. This is a picture of Sam taking a picture of me. Usually he just carries his camera around, after pulling it out of the kitchen cupboard, occasionally announcing its presence to me, and plays with it on his own. I love hearing about his imaginings. Lately, he has been going to various stores in the backyard on his tricycle. Over by the shed is Macy's, the side yard houses the ice cream store (the site of a booboo), and his favorite store TJ Max (or as he puts it, "ChayChainNax") seems to be located in the front yard some days, and down the street other days. Lots of little things become keys and doors (longtime favorite objects finding new ways to amuse him). Backyard gravel becomes salad for dinner. Many months ago, soon after we moved here, Sam even alerted me to the presence of imaginary people, usually "the lady," who would sit with us at the table, but who have not appeared lately. We encourage all of this of course, which is why I asked Sam to take a picture of me today. It's not a request I normally find myself making, but for my little dreamer-with-a-camera I'll do it.

preschool bound

We have just confirmed Sam's enrollment in a wonderful preschool beginning in late August. This curious, active, loving little guy will now have more stimulation, space, and people in his happy life. I could not be more excited. I visited the school twice, including two classroom observations, and I literally got chills imagining Sam's world expanding to include this lovely preschool. Sam himself kept talking about going back to school after we left. The time is right for me too---I have been craving more time to work on my own projects, which hopefully will help bring in some money to help pay Sam's tuition.

the garden

We have been getting much interest in our front-yard garden lately, so I thought I'd share our progress with some evening-light photos. Above is some bolting cilantro, and below is our pole bean teepee with basil in the background.

Tiny leeks.

A long trellis with 4 varieties of cucumber. Hello pickles!

Ground cherry, dill, butternut squash, and french green beans. Cal poppy and lavender too.

And in the backyard, Seascape strawberries ripen in the sun.

loving sprouts

I love eating sprouts but what pass for sprouts at the grocery store are sad plastic boxes of thin, pale, dirt-tasting strings. So, I usually make my own. The best method, I've found, is the simplest. Although I've tried sprouting systems engineered specifically for this process, I now use just a canning jar and some flexible screening. The key is to able to rinse the sprouts every few hours, and I've been known to carry my sprout jar along in my car and fill it from a water bottle on the side of the road. With my stay-at-home-mom gig these days, it's pretty easy. Goodness knows I am in the kitchen every couple of hours anyway preparing snacks and whatnot!

So here's what I do: Measure 2Tablespoons alfalfa (or other sprout-able) seeds into a 2-quart canning jar. Use the metal ring to secure a piece of flexible screening over the opening. Cover seeds with cool water and soak overnight. Empty the next morning, and proceed with rinsing the seeds/sprouts every few hours for several days. It helps me to put a sticky note on my bathroom mirror reminding me to rinse them right before I go to bed. Rinsing entails filling the jar, through the screen, with enough cool water to get all of the seeds/sprouts nice and soaked, then emptying the water right away. With our drought here, I actually walk out to the garden with the rinse water and use it on my landscape plants.

When the sprouts begin developing leaves, around day 3 or 4, it helps to rotate the jar each time you rinse it so that all of the sprouts get sun exposure. This helps to get them nice and green, which is not only prettier but I'm guessing more nutritious as well. The sprouts are usually mature enough to my liking around day 5 or 6. At this point I remove them from the jar and soak in a big bowl of water to separate out the seed hulls and unsprouted seeds from the good sprouts. Strain and store in a wrung-out cloth in plastic in the fridge; I use a plain white flour-sack dishtowel that I get real wet, wring out, and use to wrap the sprouts completely within a tupperware-type container. This keeps the sprouts succulent rather than dried-out, and they can keep over a week this way.

I've been eating them for breakfast every morning on a piece of whole wheat toast with mustard, red onion, and melted smoked cheddar cheese. My favorite sandwich is a combination of avocado, smoked mozzarella cheese, mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, and sprouts.

We also eat a lot of salad, including this one below (pictured before the addition of homemade dressing and sprouts though) with home-grown red and green lettuces, cooked quinoa, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, home-grown baby carrots, home-grown fresh dill and cilantro, avocado, and fresh mozzarella cheese. Yum! And yes, Sam ate every bite!

hello molars

We have a few nicknames for our little guy: Sweetpea, Lovebug, Sunshine, Cuddle Muffin, Cute Boy...but lately we've been referring to him (out of earshot) with some entirely new monikers: Mr Aggro, Hair Trigger, Wave of Destruction. Despite our very best efforts at prevention, we've had way more than our share of tantrums, vigorous refusals, emotional reversals of opinion, material damages, embarrassments in public, and even bruises. One night Sam woke up six times between 10pm and 6am, and then the next night took two-and-a-half hours to fall asleep. We've all been saying No more than we'd like and taking a lot of deep breaths. A few days ago, desperate for an explanation, I poked around his upper gums and noticed the tiniest sharp points poking through. I felt immediately justified in dosing my little land mine with baby tylenol in a desperate hope for relief. Today, finally, it appears that the storm has passed. Meltdowns, refusals, tears?...oh yes, but in manageable proportions. Hello molars, so glad you are here. All the better to munch on our early summer garden harvest of baby carrots and sugar snap peas. We are so happy our human sweetpea is feeling a bit better.

random sweet stories

We had my little 12-month-old niece visiting last week. A few times she cried, and Sam ran to get a washcloth to wipe the "water" off her face.

When she would drop something, Sam would pick it up and say "That's ok!"

Yesterday before nap, Sam and I were saying nightnight, and we hugged and I said "I love you Sam." Then, for the first time, Sam said "I lub you Mommy." (This was the first time it really seemed to come from the heart rather than just repeating what I said to him, which he has done before.)

Tonight at dinner I bumped the table and jostled the glasses. Startled, I said "Oh! I am so sorry!" Sam said, "That's ok Mommy!"

Also at dinner tonight, Sam said to me,
Know what Mommy?
Me: What?
Sam: Know what?
Me: What Sam?
Sam: Know what?
Me: What?
Sam: Know what?
Me: Sam, when you say Know what? and then I say What? then you're supposed to tell me something cool.
Sam: (...thinking...)
Sam: Know what Mommy?
Me: What Sam?
Sam: Daddy's here.
Me: Oh! That is cool! We like it when Daddy's here, don't we.
Sam: Know what?
Me: What?
Sam: Daddy's right over there.

Alaska: Nature

The scenery on our cruise was stunning, particuarly since we had sunny skies every day. We saw a couple of glaciers. As for wildlife, Denis spotted lots of eagles, a mink, and a humpback whale while kayaking. The only wildlife Sam and I saw were a couple of bald eagles, including this one.

We visited an amazing raptor center in Juneau, where they rehabilitate birds of prey to return to the wild. Some are so injured they must remain in captivity. I was mesmerized by the close-up view I had of this owl.

I was also very impressed with the bird enclosures, such as this one, for being so integrated with the natural rain forest landscape.

We treated ourselves to a guided rainforest nature hike to learn about the local flora. It was just like when we first got to know each other...except for the 3-foot-tall person running and chattering around our feet. There was no note-taking on this hike, but I loved the delicacy of these ferns.

I see more Alaskan hikes in our future for sure.

someone likes posing

We've entered a new stage of picture taking, and I don't know if the video camera, Skype, or our beautiful flowers deserve the credit. Sam will now stand still and look at the camera for a picture! Not always of course, but it is less of a monumental struggle than it used to be. Which allows us to behold a beautiful boy standing at a lovely spot in our yard, side by side with a purple bearded iris and a dark pink rhododendron (or azalea, not sure). In his hand is a tiny watering can that he uses to help water the strawberries and raspberries we recently planted. Then sometimes he waters the patio. So along the way we talk about drought, responsible water usage, and the properties of straw mulch.

happy birthday sofia!!

My sweet niece Sofia, Sam's cousin, is turning ONE today! Over the weekend Sam excitedly packed up some of his old toys and drew a card for his much-loved "Too-paia" (Sofia). Then he wanted to send his "burpday" wishes in song:


We need to do this for all the family birthdays that we can't celebrate in person, though I'm not sure how Sam is going to feel about these videos when he's a teenager. To the parents, two of my favorite people, from me: I am so happy for you guys! Excited to see you soon!

dirty fingernails

Once upon a time I had perpetual dirty fingernails and hardly ever used a computer or talked to kids. Right now I am happily typing into the blogosphere, pausing every couple of minutes to wind up my toddler's train (and just had to calm tears when I distractedly let the train go before he said "ready set go!"), and noticing my lovely dirt-filled fingernails.

Earlier today we were outside, enjoying the fresh humid air and soaked soil after days of rain, and pulling weeds. Actually I pulled weeds while Sam played a game of "get me." This involves Sam removing himself to a distance about 12 feet from my weeding position, yelling "Mommy do 'get me'!", which prompts me to yell back "you can't get me!", and then he runs full-force towards me while laughing and screeching, and thrusts a big sloppy kiss on my face. Then we do it again about 20 times, while I somehow manage to get the whole sidewalk and more weeded, and every time he rushes towards me, his eyes and smile are the very picture of glee.

More good things:
*carrots, peas, cilantro, and 3 beets sprouting in our first garden bed of the season (see photo above, and yes, they need thinning)
*artichokes, homemade aioli, and veggie chili from the freezer for dinner
*bouquet of yellow roses on my windowsill and burgundy roses on my dining room table, both hand-picked from our yard
*fresh baked whole-wheat-molasses bread from our new thrift store bread machine (once upon a time I baked my own bread sans machine, but I really appreciate this convenient fresh-baked goodness now)
*Sam 'discovering' his crayons and easily spending a half hour drawing in his sketchbook
*ten-day vacation in Alaska and Seattle coming up!

now blooming

Right now we have a potato vine in full flower; yellow, pink, white, and gorgeous burgundy roses; my favorite type of tiny-bloomed dark purple lavender; alyssum; and two flowers, a white one and a pink one, that I don't know the name of yet. California poppies are still abundant and bright; pink and red camellias are still hanging on; and the low-growing ceanothus is just going by. On their way very soon are a couple of purple irises and a dark pink azalea. I'm still picking the blooms off our strawberries to encourage vegetative growth. I can't wait for the hydrangea!

easter

We celebrated a secular Easter this year, with some egg dyeing...



backyard egg hunt...



and strawberry planting.

rainboot afternoon

On rainy days, I love how my child is more interested in going outside, putting on his own rainboots, wearing a hood, and exploring the yard by himself. I love that our newly planted raspberries and vegetable seeds will get a nice long drink from the sky. I love the light when the afternoon sun peeks back out, and makes our humble yard feel like a wonderland.

patchwork

I finally finished this patchwork duvet cover for Sam's crib. I purchased a crib-sized washable comforter from Ikea, and then pieced squares of cotton flannel for the duvet cover. The flannel is mostly blues and greens and includes some animal prints. This was my first patchwork attempt, and the squares don't line up perfectly everywhere, but even with flaws it managed to come together fairly easily. The back is a bright green super-soft lofty polyester knit, I think they call it minky fabric, which was not fun to sew but feels very soft and comfortable. As a closure on the bottom I put in 3 snaps (since I didn't want to attempt making buttonholes). The comforter fits like a glove!

Sam has been waiting for this blanket for a couple of months now. Just in time for summer! *cringe* He worked alongside me as I cut out the squares and did some of the sewing, but anytime I hit a challenge, I had to put the project away for another time by myself. It was nice that he could anticipate getting it, because this morning when I showed it to him, all complete, he was quite excited. He's sleeping soundly under it right now.

sew a little something

In my free time, I've gotten back into sewing and other crafts. I have a 50's era Singer sewing machine that I bought for $25 about 10 years ago, as well as a very small stash of fabric from around that time. Until last spring I hadn't done much sewing since then. Now it is my favorite non-parenting activity, and I think about my projects all the time. I've been lucky to have a husband who supports my habit by doing a lot of Sam-care on the weekends. I don't have as much time as I would like for my crafty pursuits, but I still manage to make something every month or two. My most recent completed project was a curtain for our kitchen window. I spent quite awhile looking for the perfect sunny yellow fabric and never did find it, but I settled for this, and still managed to get the look I was going for with that cute crocheted trim on the bottom (click on photo). Making the curtain would have been much simpler and easier without that trim, as I had to hand-sew it, taking several days, but it was well worth it I think.

Works in progress: A patchwork duvet cover for Sam, a way-overdue birthday gift, and some embroidered flour-sack dishtowels

library time

Our local library branch has a nice storytime on Wednesdays for the 18-36month set with songs, rhymes, stuffed animals, and stories. For some reason it really chokes me up to see Sam get so excited as each song begins. I become that grinning mom with tears in her eyes trying desperately not to explode with sputtering pride and quite unable to get out the words "If You're Happy and You Know It" with the rest of the group.

Last week Sam brought his stuffed bunny with him and ventured a step or two from my lap to participate in the hand motions of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" (more teary eyes and overwhelming happiness in my shoes). A cute girl about his age sat down beside him and he became interested. They exchanged looks a few times and then Sam inched his stuffed bunny towards her knee. She looked at it but didn't respond at all. A few seconds later he inched it closer so that it was actually touching her leg. The girl looked at the bunny, looked at Sam, looked back at her grandmother, then forward at the story being read. Sam pushed the bunny closer so that it was slightly squished against her leg. Again the girl didn't touch it, just looked at the bunny, at Sam, back at her grandmother, then forward again. Sam tried again and pushed the bunny closer. Again the girl looked down at the bunny, at Sam, her grandmother, then back to the story ahead. I could barely contain myself with feelings of pride at his affection and generosity combined with a painful empathy that she was not receiving his advances. I leaned over and whispered to him that perhaps she didn't want the bunny. He tried again though, and soon after that the girl's grandmother suggested that they move to another open spot away from us. I was crushed, but Sam took it in stride. When the group had a period of free play, Sam kept picking up stuffed animals and offering them to other kids. My little sweetheart!

Sam is also quite enamored with the 'wadey' who leads the songs, rhymes, and stories. She is young and has pretty tatoos and bookish eyeglasses, and I think she projects a really nice balance of sweetness and fun without being cheesy. When she smiles and says "Yay!" after the kids sing each song I can see precisely why Sam likes her so much. Once a month they do a craft instead of songs and stories, so this morning we walked in and the Wadey gave us a paper cup to decorate with markers, fill with soil, plant with grass seeds, and water with a little watering can. We went through the motions, but I could tell that Sam wasn't exactly satisfied with this change in routine. To compensate, as we were leaving, I stopped to say something to the lady (must learn her name next time). Using a voice that Sam could hear, and barely able to get the words out with choking up again, I told her, "Sam was excited to see you today." She smiled, bent down, and addressed Sam's shyly bowed head, "Would you like to bring these watering cans back outside?" He grabbed the cans and practically ran to bring them outside as she had asked. I think the smiling lady was saying something like "Good helper!" but I had to turn my own gigantic smile away or else I was going to lose it in a fit of proud giggles.

This library is dangerous. It slays me every time.

milestone update

Sam's language is progressing quickly with some fun updates the last couple of weeks.

Sam is no longer Pam-- he pronounces his name with a perfect "S" sound now, and is transitioning from referring to himself as "Baby" or "You" to "Sam" or "Me."

He recognizably sings several songs now, either with us or on his own. It has become a custom lately to have a little family sing-along at the table after dinner. Along with Row Row Row Your Boat, which he's been singing for awhile, he now also sings Itsy Bitsy Spider, Baa Baa Black Sheep, ABC's, and You Are My Sunshine. My favorite line to hear him singing to himself very accurately is "now I know my abc's, next time won't you sing with me." And I get choked up to the point of not being able to sing anymore when he pipes in with parts of You Are My Sunshine.

Sentences are more complex, containing more of the little words like the, my, to, his, etc.

Colors have really clicked. For awhile everything was gaween, but now he is pointing out red cars, wewoe flowers, bue pants, white trucks, puhple markers, tan houses, and gaween shirts.

Interest is peaking about letters. He can id the capital "wetter A."

He can count 1-2-3 and identify when there are two of something (as well as one of something). He knows some other numbers by name as well and will "count" when prompted.

He still loves to read, and will recognizably "read" (from memory) his books (he's been doing this for awhile). When we read books together before nap and bedtime, he gets to pick 3 books. With each one, Denis or I read it first, and then Sam reads it by himself ("read it telf" or "Sam read it").

Phrase of the month: "That's siwwy!"

feeding the soil

I started this blog last year with the intention of integrating some of my old self, soil, with my new self, mama. We had started a community garden plot after two seasons not gardening (pregnant, moving, baby). With a 1-year old I felt life beyond baby opening up a little. We had a sweet little season last year, and we're still eating the pickles, relish, pesto, and tomatoes that we grew. Although I ended up feeling disenchanted with the community garden model, it was pretty cool watching Sam run around the compost pile and pop sungold tomatoes into his mouth.

This year, I have a dream come true: our own land. It's tiny, it's suburban, it's a front yard on a cul-de-sac. But it's ours! This past weekend, we broke ground. It was a family effort: examining the space with its existing plantings and mulch (a "street tree," no-maintenance shrubs and perennials, self-sowing Cal poppy, a few bulbs, weedcloth, and gravel), determining the best spot for our first bed, stringing out a 4'x8' bed oriented north-south, removing 3 or so inches of gravel and weeds (woohoo), peeling up the weed barrier (no longer functioning), and prepping the bed.




Denis borrowed a truck from work to pick up a load of county compost. Eleven years ago I was regularly hauling loads of Berkeley city compost in the back of a rusty yellow Toyota pickup. I'd stand on that giant pile of converted city yardwaste and shovel it all in, and then shovel it all out again back at the farm, wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow. Well, I did have help usually, but I made it a point to do more than my share. I'd even compete against myself by trying to beat my own time loading the truck. I listened to a lot of Ani Difranco that year, what can I say.

For the next 4 years and a different job I kept shovelling and hauling that compost in pickups and trailers, until I finally reached compost-self-sufficiency and no longer needed it. The truck rides didn't end though; I still pitched and hauled horse manure from a mile away.




All this is to say that I've carried a lot of compost in my day. So when Denis and I disagreed about whether or not to tarp the truck, I came from the position of "I've driven on the highway with loads of dirt dozens of times and I've never needed to tarp it." Call me an ornery farmer if you will (I wish I were), but I underestimated myself. Dozens, yes, but actually over a hundred times. Did he listen? No, he tarped the truck, just like the good citizen he is.

As I watched him shovel our compost onto the driveway with Sam (I was digging the bed at the time), I thought of all the people I've shovelled compost with over the years. So many wonderful folks. There's nothing like getting to know people while moving (literally) a ton of dirt using the strengths of your backs together, and then doing it again and again. Now, here I am, a lot slower and soft-skinned than I used to be, but with the two most wonderful people I have ever known, hauling compost in our very own garden for the very first time. Bliss.

bon appetit recession

About 6 months ago, when the tanking economy and rising food prices still caused some surprise, I found myself on the playground with a bunch of other moms discussing our weekly grocery bills. I couldn't help thinking that I had hit the big time of suburban motherhood. Who knew how fascinating this topic could be!

At that point each of us estimated spending about $125/week on groceries for 2 parents and 1 or 2 little ones. It was surprising to me that we all came up with the same number, especially since some of us were spending this amount at discount stores, some at Costco, some at Safeway, and then me at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. I can only attribute this phenomenon to a difference in products purchased. Although I probably spend more for produce, dairy, and pantry staples, I do not buy meat, nor a lot of processed foods which tend to cost more than scratch ingredients.

Since that time things have changed. Sam is eating more and more (often as much as an adult! I don't know where it all goes, and we'd better start saving for his teenage diet now). We have also taken a huge personal hit due to the general economy and particularly the California budget crisis. Just when our grocery bill started to creep up, we needed to cut it way back.

Since I don't get performance reviews and I certainly don't get raises, I'm just going to toot my own horn here for any of you still reading this scintillating report. For the past three weeks and counting, I have managed to get our grocery bill well under $100/week. I still buy quality food and a large proportion organic and local. I've done it by cutting out some of our few processed items (and if this causes my favorite fresh salsa company to go out of business I will be very sad because I am dreaming of eating it again when times get better), buying a little less cheese and a little more beans and grains, picking produce carefully based on price, delaying each food shop as long as possible, and (most importantly) diligently menu-planning. The funny thing is that in some ways we are eating even better than before. Maybe being more conscious about our food choices makes me cook better. Or maybe food is the sole semi-discretionary spending we have left in our budget, so it's the only thing left to enjoy.

spring smiles

In the absence of cute photos here lately, I am pleased to share a link with you. Sam and I make an appearance over on Carrie's blog, in a post about a fun (and hot) day we shared with Amy, Miles, Carrie and Sadie recently. Check it out.

flower day

This blog may be on its deathbed, but the stories keep coming in our real world. I would like to remember today as the first day Sam picked flowers as a contribution to our dining room table bouquet. We've been having some great floral surprises in our new yard this spring, including my discovery of (gasp!) purple lilacs emerging from an unspectacular bush in the back corner of the yard. Back east lilacs don't bloom until May, and can be found everywhere, making their sweet-scented way into daily conversation and regionally famous lilac celebrations. Here in the promised land, lilacs show up much earlier, in March, but they are uncommon and not nearly as appreciated by the locals. It was certainly in the plan to plant a lilac bush at our new house; how fortunate that one is already here.

So today I picked some lilacs to replace the wilting bouquet of narcissus (another yard suprise and also beautifully scented) for our dining room table. I came back inside, found a vase, placed it on the table, and continued making dinner while Sam played outside. A little while later I hear him open the screen door and walk into the dining room. He's busy with something at the side of the table, and I peek over his shoulder to see what's going on. There on the tablecloth is a pile of red flower petals from our camellia bush. Sam looks at me and announces, "red flowers," as he dashes back to his wagon on the porch to get more handfuls. Some of them are brown and rotting, since he "picked" these flowers from the ground beneath the bush, and I definitely see an ant walking away from the pile (I relocate it outside), but I couldn't be happier. Lilacs and Sam's petals in one day! That's a lot of flower goodness.

good things to do with a 2-year-old on a Saturday

---walk in the rain and splash in puddles while giggling
---watch a leaf float downstream
---practice sticking out tongues to catch raindrops
---eat snack on the deck wearing rain boots while Mommy watches and washes dishes
---discover a purple lilac bush in bloom in our own yard
---arrange socks with their matching pairs
---sort buttons by hue as Mommy sews patchwork squares
---look through old magazines (National Geographic and New Yorker)
---read "new" books from the storage shed
---wait for Daddy at the window
---three-way family hug
---help Daddy make pizza
---eat yummy broccoli-onion pizza
---sing songs after dinner while "playing piano" on the edge of the table
---super silly soapy saturday bath
---moose bamas (moose pajamas)
---night-night kisses

the raunchy, the sweet, and the song

In toddler-speak, words may be known but mispronounced. Language acquisition is like that; vocabulary develops before pronunciation, totally normal. Occasionally there are some unfortunate (or fortunately hilarious) versions of common words.

Sam has a couple raunchy ones:

Talking about tunnels (one of his Favorite Things) sounds like: P*rno! P*rno!

Giving kisses, which he does often: Piss! Piss Mommy!

And some very sweet phrases:

Happy tee you! Happy tee you Mommy! Happy happy tee you Daddy!

Tank you bay much!

And a song:

Row row boat peet may may by beam (often while running circles around the couch).

I'm being watched

As Sam's verbal skills get better and better, I am treated to a running commentary on my every move. Tonight's dinner conversation is a perfect example of what we talk about 50 times a day:

I pop my last bite of garlic bread into my mouth, which Sam has been following with his eyes (his own piece is still on his plate). He immediately says: Mommy, garlic bread more?

Me: No, I think I've had enough.

Sam: Mommy, garlic bread more?

Me: Nope, no more garlic bread for me.

Sam: Mommy, garlic bread more?

Me: (sigh) No, I'm all done with garlic bread.

Sam (completely unfazed, mind you): Mommy, garlic bread more?

Me: Mommy's all done.

Sam: Mommy, garlic bread more?

Me: Why don't you eat your garlic bread, Sam.