27 months & some change {wordless Wednesday}
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a late summer meal
There seems to be a steadily growing pile of tomatoes in our kitchen and my heartburn has really been feeling it. But it’s worth it (thanks, Tums) because fresh tomato season is too short. Last night I threw together some carrots and tomatoes from the garden, plus some of Grandpa Jon’s corn. Tossed on some cheese and some crunchy potato chip crumbs. Baked and enjoyed with friends. Perfect! What late summer meals have you been enjoying lately, lovelies?
soaking up summer
Even though the calendar says that summer will still be here for another month, I don’t trust it to stick around much longer. I’ve learned my lesson in the past. Sometimes we are blessed with a beautiful September, filled with water warm enough to welcome us until the leaves begin to cover the lawn. Other years, Labor Day hits, local stores begin to shorten their hours and boom, Lake Michigan turns frigid and summer is OVER. Sigh. Summer’s not even my favorite season, but it sure is fun to play at the water’s edge with the little birdie. And a husband who will swim no matter what the water brings. And the big belly. Swimming is one of the only times I feel a bit weightless; what a relief!
So we’re soaking it up while we can and enjoying the sand in our sheets for a little while longer.
Wrenegade
Toddlers. Just like the old adage warning you not to trust a skinny cook, do not trust anyone who says that they don’t remember their toddler being defiant, irrational and insane. They are probably insane themselves. Or have clearly selectively forgotten those harrowing minutes | days | years. Most likely a bit of both. It’s survival, lovelies!
It’s a funny thing with these feisty, chubby-wristed people. On the one hand, I admire how reckless and free-spirited they are. How they don’t give a f*** what you say, think or feel most of the time. How their raw, unpredictable emotions seemingly live on the surface of their perfect skin. How much energy they have and can easily wield at you when you feel like you’re just catching a break. How they can give you the wettest kisses and the tightest hugs. And mean it. How they’re completely uninhibited and will say anything, wear anything, and express themselves with complete wild abandon. It’s actually refreshing to be around this kind of chaotic energy after spending most of my adult life around inhibited adults in various work and social settings.
But sometimes after the third frustration tantrum in one morning because I started to peel the orange too much or didn’t serve the cereal in the correct bowl or had to wrestle the little birdie to yank the poopy panties off, well, I do it self, Mama!!! isn’t really all that charming anymore.
I know, I know. You say I will be grateful for this feisty independence and confidence when she’s older and I do agree with you, but I can’t help to wish for a bit more compliance from time to time. I wish someone had told me to relish the days when it was easy to get the little birdie dressed and out the door–in under 90 minutes of dawdling, negotiations and shenanigans. It didn’t seem like it at the time, but babies are EASY. I know this sentiment will come back to haunt me in a few months when I’m whining about never sleeping and how the world’s a blur of yellow diapers and lots of crying. Please just don’t say I told you so… I’ll probably say it myself.
Actually, today has been wonderful so far. I warned her that we had to leave the playground in a few minutes and when it was time to go, she actually followed my directions. No flailing tantrums, no running away, no screaming like it was the absolute end of the world. I’m not sure what created this or even what might have encouraged her more compliant behavior because I don’t think I did anything differently than the last time we went to the park and I ran into Meltdown City. Oh Wrenegade, how you baffle me. And inspire me too. XO
Happy weekend, lovelies. May you do something with reckless abandon like your inner two-year-old!
still summer (wordless Wednesday)
tomatoes, finally!
It seems that for the last couple of months our garden just kept getting greener, wilder and more overgrown, but wasn’t producing much of anything. I wondered if we would ever harvest anything but herbs, salad greens and peas. And then seemingly overnight we are giving away big ole brandywine tomatoes to friends, neighbors, even the appraiser who came by this morning. I noticed that we’ll have a head or two of broccoli this week and it got me wondering about the fingerling potatoes in the ground… The dark, leafy greens we planted last week are sprouting too. Pretty soon I’ll be complaining that we have too much to keep up with – be careful what you wish for, right? Make haste and get the canning jars out, lovelies! It’s tomato season. Finally!
What are you harvesting from your patches of green, lovelies? Any fun farmer’s market finds lately? Cheers!
30 weeks
Today we are 30 weeks pregnant! If the timing is about the same as with Wren, little birdie #2 will arrive in just about two months from now. I’m getting more excited and (a bit) less anxious. Checking lots of things off my list has helped me to feel more capable and less worried about how everything is going to go.
I’ve been looking for ways to cut expenses so that I don’t have to work as much when I know I realistically won’t be able to work as much. This has helped me to feel a bit more in control at a time when so much seems a bit out of my control. Such is life…
And my growing body has forced me to slow down and savor this relatively calm time before the storm of a routine turned upside down. It’s helped me to sit on the couch or the floor with the little birdie and play for as long as she wants or reread the same stories over and over. And over again.
This is indeed a precious time, the last couple months of just us, our routine, our rhythm. Someone told me recently that the best gift I could give Wren is a sibling and it will be a wonderful thing for her and while I know this will be true, I also feel some sadness as we move on. Such a mix of emotions – thanks, hormones. Geesh.
Lovelies, have you too experienced this veritable roller coaster of emotions as you expanded your family? Any thoughts to share? In the meantime, happy weekend to you. May you savor this time in YOUR nest. XO
wordless Wednesday: sandy toes
nesting: dark, leafy greens
The little birdie and I worked in the empty patches of our garden yesterday afternoon. Early summer’s bright greens and peas are only a healthy memory now. It was time to turn our minds and spades toward fall. We weeded, turned soil, dug trenches, planted seeds and watered. Hardy, healthy, robust, iron-rich kale and spinach will take up a couple rows. We threw in a couple rows of beans too because somehow I forgot to plant them earlier this year. We’ll see how they do…
It dawned on me as the little birdie was burying the seeds with soil (her favorite part of gardening so far) that–with a bit of luck–we’ll be harvesting these dark, leafy greens right around the time little birdie #2 is due to arrive. Must have been on my mind as I chose these particular things to plant. Probably what my body will need most. And, who am I kidding?, some halloween candy to balance things out…
creative movement
I registered the little birdie for a “Creative Movement” class this fall. Not that she seems to need much help in this area especially when she’s inspired by Lake Michigan’s crashing waves, but I think she’ll have a BLAST. She’s such a natural little dancer that I sometimes don’t want to dance in front of her in fear that she’ll be influenced by my movements… or lack of.
The class requires that she wear pink tights, a pink leotard, ballet shoes and pull her hair back. She is ridiculously excited about this part of the class. Who IS this girl again? Did she really come from me? Boggled.
How was your weekend, lovelies?