Summer Days

Jason and Leif fly their newly made box kite.

This past weekend was a lovely lazy summer weekend - the kind where you have nothing else to do but have fun as a family. So, that's exactly what we did.

On Sunday, Jason and Leif worked (while I catnapped) on building a box kite, something they'd been wanting to do for a long time.

I came in at the tail end (haha!) and helped with the final steps.

Then, they took their kite to the back field and tried to fly it, but alas, the wind was not cooperating (no wind!) so the kite only went upupup a few times right before dinner.

I took the camera to take pictures, but the weather here has been soooo hot and humid that the camera lens fogged right up and wouldn't unfog for 20 minutes or so.  I still took a few hundred photos - I like the foggy look in my pictures! :)

So, it's box kite love for those two - they study at night how to make new and improved kites and I think they must dream of them, too.  They wake up in the morning talking about kites.

Leif has finally learned to like ice cream.  He eats an ice cream cone after dinner.  This one he loved a little too much! :) I can't seem to get anything but a frown or cheeseball smile outta this guy lately, though.  Sigh.

I'm currently making up a list of projects to do before baby comes (and before we move).  Because moving during the third trimester isn't enough chaos for me.  I need more.  Leif is going to help me make some homemade mobiles, armoire organizers, and a few other things.

Baby is doing well, by the by.  All kicky and rolly.  I have only gained 4 pounds and I'm in my 6th month, but no worries on that score yet! :)  I still don't have any baby bump pictures (bummer being the photographer of the family, eh?) but I'm working on that, too.

Leify whispers secrets into Maddy's ear while they gallop into the sunset on Rocky, the rocking horse.

We've put an offer in on a house (not sure if I blogged that before or not - it has been a while) but the house is a short sale, so we're waiting on the bank to approve the offer.  That could take a month.  I hope they approve quickly, though, because I want to get moving!  I don't care if we move in the August heat - I just want to get moved in and settled before BabyMania begins (with 2p's baby in early Sept., then mine in Early Nov.)  To that end, I am sorting out things that have become combined (Leif's books and Grandmom's kids' books, etc.) so that it will be easy and quick packing when that time comes.  Why is it that when I have next to nothing to pack (95% of our stuff is in storage) I have 6 weeks notice to move?  But when I have a whole house to pack up and move, I have two weeks or less?  But I digress. ;)

Anyway, say some prayers for us that everything works out!

Leif stands next to the pattypan squash in the garden.  I wanted a picture of him next to the squash to show how big they were, and I chose the day he pulled his socks up like that.  He woke up in the morning, heard Grandmom mowing the lawn, rushed into me (groggy in bed) and asked where his work clothes were, rushed back to his room, put on his workclothes (old ratty clothes that we don't care what happens to them!) and ran outside to help.  HeeHee.  He's such a little helper!

Radishii

A freshly plucked Radish from the Garden.

The first round of radishes are coming to an end (I just planted a second crop, but a bit late, so we'll run out of radishes, or radishii as I call them, before the new ones come in).  I thought I might finally take a picture or two of them, since we've been enjoying them for over a month now.

The squash are going crazy up here.  We have two plants, and they are double the size of the same plants I grew down South.  They are way more prolific, these two plants producing in two weeks what four plants produced in two seasons down there.  Ca-razy. 

For some reason, the tomatoes took a long time to start growing after being transplanted.  Like, 6 weeks.  It was weird.  So, they're a bit behind, but I've also heard that others around here had the same issue with tomatoes not growing once transplanted.  The first little green orbs have just started to show on the bushes.  So, hopefully, we can keep the watering even and the blossom end rot away and have a bumper crop of tomatoes in August and September.

We also had a "mystery" plant growing in the garden.  It kinda looked like a pepper leaf, and it kinda looked like a tomato leaf.  I finally figured it out yesterday...they were the Tomatillos I planted!  I'd never actually grown them before, so I'd never seen the plant.  But it too has little green husked orbs growing on it.  Bring on the Salsa Verde...in September. ;)

These radishes are destined to become roasted radishes and greens - a recipe I found but have never made that uses both the radish root and the green - both roasted in the oven with salt and olive oil.  Mm...sounds good!

It's funny how much easier gardening is here - things grow!  Whereas they hated that southern humidity, they love the sun here (with only the occasional humidity).  I must say, plants aren't the only ones that like the weather better! ;)

I could never grow radishes down south...I tried, but they hated the heat.  Ditto lettuce, cauliflower, etc. etc. etc.  Tomatoes did well, though. 

Anyway, I'm getting all excited to start my Fall garden...if only we could get a house and soon!

Happy Days.

Aren't they pretty?