Gardening, Growing, and Goofiness

It seems like it has been a really long time since I last gave a really loooong update, so here goes...a really, really loooooong update.

Last weekend we went to the park for a baby shower. Both of my brothers' wives are expecting. They are both due next month, just a couple weeks apart from one another. Of course Ryan was less than interested in all of the "baby shower excitement" and more interested in the food, swings, rocks, sticks, grass, and his grandpa.
Last weekend we also went to see Mimi and Grampie and the family in Yukon. I, in one of my *finer* moments (said with much sarcasm) forgot my purse and *gasp* my camera!

Mimi gave Ryan some legos. Now this...
is a boat load of legos. I...I mean Ryan...is going to have so much fun. And to answer your question, yes the legos are in the bathtub because...yes, this preemie mommy still washes every hand-me-down toy regardless of where it came.

We've been doing a lot of gardening lately. Ryan loves, loves, loves to be outside, and there have been a few mornings when the first thing out of his mouth in the morning was "outside". He loves it, and, quite frankly, I love being outside too. I'm a bit surprised by myself this year. I have really been enjoying being outside regardless of how warm it is. I guess I was just so tired of the cold of winter that I am soaking up the warm of summer. Usually I'm tired of the hot, muggy, summer weather by this time and would rather bask in the coolness of the air conditioned house, but not this year. I've been about as eager to get outside each day as Ryan. His endurance is a little better than mine. I think he could stay outside all day. I, on the other hand, like to take the outdoors in short, frequent bursts.

Now I know this might completely bore some of you, but I know of at least one special person who will enjoy the following: Our Gardens.
This is the front of our house. In my planting buckets are our pumpkin plants. One looks pretty good. The other...not so hot. I've already had one small pumpkin, but it didn't last.
This is chocolate mint. It smells fabulous...like mint peppermint patties. I've used it in home-made juices, and to make teas. I even like to just chew on the leaves. The stragglers that make it in the yard create a wonderful aroma when mowed over. I might try making some mint jelly with this chocolate mint sometime this year. That might be good. I planted this last year from one small plant. It has...shall we say...taken over!
This is a plant that Mimi gave me last year. I don't recall the name. It is doing quite well. It and the mint will be battling for the flower bed space soon. Ooo...and...don't look!...evidence that I need weed this bed.
Strawberries! This is my "Brandy Memorial Garden". Strawberries adorn the back side and are fighting to take over the entire thing. I'm gradually turning the front of this bed into an herb garden. This decision was made after Ryan picked one of my beautiful flowers last year and ATE IT resulting in a call to the poison control center. No harm done, but I'm not up on my "harmful plants" list, so I figured edible herbs to be the best. Ryan loves strawberries and thoroughly enjoys digging through this bed searching for a juicy red morsel...or green...or white...whatever looks like a berry.
Lavender. Smells beaitiful. Looks elegant. I'd love to learn how to use it to make soaps and lotions and such. This is another plant that was started with a rather tiny plant and has just grown wild. I'd love to plant lavender along the side of our house (between the house and fence) and just let it take over that area. Hmmm...now that I think about it...I think I might just do that!
Dill. I love to cook with dill. It's great in salmon patties and today I made a creamy dill dressing for my lunch-time salad.
Parsley. I cook with it on occasion. I'm gradually learning how to better use herbs in my cooking.
Rosemary. Smells good. Don't yet know how to cook with it.
Basil. Believe it or not, but I like to put a leaf or two in my bottle of water. Think of it as herbal tea in a bottle.

Now to the backyard...

Our vegetable garden. Growing on the arches are my tomato plants...2 on each side. The front two plants are squash plants (mixed variety). In the back is a cucumber plant and eggplant. Along the side (front) are two watermelon plants. They don't look too good, though. I've never had much success with growing watermelons. Behind the white fence is asparagus. My asparagus bed needs a lot of TLC.

I already have several green tomatoes, and at the rate I'm going I'll never have any red tomatoes. Ryan has discovered the green tomatoes and likes to pick them and EAT THEM! He eats them like grapes! Goofy kid. This evening Ryan was eating green tomatoes...one in each hand. Daddy told him they were yucky. Of course Daddy would tell him that the red ones are yucky too. Daddy took his green tomatoes away and tossed them over the fence. After a bit of a protest Ryan took off running toward the garden and yelled, "I can get more!" It was just as plain as day. I just died laughing! (I know it's not that great, but for this preemie mom...with a language delayed kid...that was awesome! Especially a big long sentence like that...complete with A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E!)

Oh yeah...the fence. Ryan loves to help me in the garden, and he's actually a really good helper. He does a great job picking weeds, but sometimes he doesn't quite see the difference between a good plant and a bad. He usually sits on my lap or right beside me while I'm pulling weeds, so we have fun doing this together. It's fun to talk about the plants with him. The fence...it's not to keep him out. It's to keep his big Tonka truck out. He uses it run over my beautiful plants. Nana said he uses it to "harvest" the plants.

Before leaving the subject of gardening I have to tell one funny story. Ryan and I went over to Nana's house this morning. We decided to help her plant a tree. I dug the hole...big enough and deep enough for Nana's baby plum tree. After that we decided to fill the hole up with water. (I thought we were just going to fill it up with water and let it set for a few hours so the ground could soak up the water). Of course Ryan has to help with everything. As I'm standing there watching him stick his little shovel in and out of the water-filled hole I thought to myself, "I sure do wish I had my video camera". Well...sure enough...I really needed my camera. Ryan, crouching over the hole, splashing muddy water around, lost his balance and plunged head first into the hole. Of course I was standing right there and quickly snatched him up out of the muddy mess and comforted my precious little boy as he lovingly wiped his muddy hands on the back-side of my white shorts while burying his now dripping-muddy-water face into the front-side of my once-was white shorts. After that...well...what did it matter. I got on my hands and knees and we played in the mud together. He decided to crawl in the muddy-water-filled hole and stomp around in the greasy muddy sludge at the bottom of the hole. The hole was chest-deep on Ryan. We had so much fun...so much muddy, messy, fun!
Writing on walls is allowed in our house. Well...at least in this room!
Line up! Ryan has started lining everything up...especially his cars. SoonerStart says that's a developmental milestone.
Last, but not least. Something very exciting happened today. Daddy actually started on my storage building. WooHoo! Let me just say that it has been a loooooooooooong awaited dream of mine to have a storage building in my backyard. The place to start is the beginning. We've started...now we just need to keep at it and we'll have a building in no time!!!!! Speaking of my dear, sweet husband...he brought me a great gift today. Simple...really. But it meant so much and spoke so loudly. It's a bracelet/wristband that says "Simplify...Stress is a choice". I love it! I needed that gentle, precious reminder. Thanks Honey!