Garden time!

We're hoping to head out into the back yard and start work in the dirt this weekend. Top of the list is to get the Peanut's butterfly garden started.

Last weekend the bunny brought her a little garden set and a packet of pumpkin and wildflower seeds suited to bring butterflies into our yard. she's pretty excited about it and I'm hoping that being able to dig into her own dirt will make her want to help out in the kitchen garden. She's nearly five and I'll be honest in my expectations of that. They are low, very low, but I'm not too worried about it. having her own space is a good start.

A Thousand Words

It feels like a long time coming and going outside without a warm coat and a hat is still a risk here but spring is arriving, better late than never...

If you ask me, the light cast through new leaves is
the epitome of spring time heraldry

And of course nothing says, "I love you Mommy"
as much as fist full of dandelions

In other news; the Peanut, the Husband and I have managed between the three of us to make a pretty Mothers Day gift for the Grandma's and Great Grandma for next month. In the process I've learned that working around the Bean is going to require lots of Teamwork and patience.

Itching- in more ways than one

if it wasn't that my last insect kerfuffle in this house happened two years ago; I'd start to worry that I'm some sort of bug magnet.

So what's the latest you ask?

Wolf Spider bites, while we sleep.

Thankfully not on the girls, unfortunately in the worst possible places on us, (ie. on the back of my ankle and on the husband's butt). On the positive side I think we found the little jerk and disposed of him/her outside. Also a plus is that my white blood count must be up because the welts are starting to go away much faster than bites usually do for me (two to three weeks is about an average time for me to get rid of a mosquito bite). So I've got some itchy bites but they are going away.

On a less literal note I'm also itching to write. Oh, to have the time to post regularily again. Don't get me wrong I'm taking full joy in the Bean and my Peanut. Right now my girls are playing together in the living room. The Bean has just treated us to her first laugh and the Peanut is going out of her way to get another one. But I wish to write about the way the Bean's lashes remind me of hoar frost, how they seem to lie on her cheeks like lacy black snowflakes, you know the kind, the big ones that envelope you in sense of awe in the silence of a winter night. I wish to write about how the quiet moments I get to spend with my Peanut are becoming even more special to me since they come so few and far between. I wish to write about how the Peanut has begun to sing loudly and with gusto as she runs around the house when the Bean naps.

The thing about taking joy in this time with my girls is that I have very little time for writing. Case in point: it's taken me three days to write this post up to this point. My spider bites are currently red welts with very little itch right now.

I'm also feeling an itch to make. I've been trying to grab a moment here and there to make more stamps, I've been trying to make notes of any ideas I have. Once the cycle of feeding, burping, change the diaper, slip in some time with the Peanut, have a nap and start all over again ends I'll be ready to go

Pouts and Drool

make up a large part of my day to day. Well that and the diaper changing, burping and feeding but not necessarily in that order. Did I mention the drool? Because the Bean is drooling us a river.

And then there's the sleep. The last time I found falling asleep this easily was when the Peanut was keeping me up at all hours of the night and day. As soon as the lights go off I do too. I don't even remember my head hitting the pillow most nights.

Such are the joys of parenting an infant.

As for the preschooler (soon to be big kid); well, so far we don't have her asking to take the Bean back, and she hasn't tried to fob the Bean off on the neighbors or perfect strangers when we aren't looking. She hasn't taken it into her head to hit, pinch or harm the Bean. And we are so grateful for that. In fact she's incorporated the Bean into her play. Mostly by sitting directly in front of the Bean and loudly singing, "Hella sista Bean, hella sista Bean, Hella sista Bean, hella sista Bean, Hella sista Bean, hella sista Bean, Hella sista Bean, hella sista Bean, Hella sista Bean, hella sista Bean," or sitting beside the Bean and asking, "Hello sister Bean, what's heading today (patting her head), Hello sister Bean what's footing today (patting her foot) Hello sister Bean what's ..." I think you get the picture. The Peanut has also been a huge help with the Bean; happily doing diaper runs at bum changing time, making sure to bring at least 3 diapers in case the Bean poops all over me which is big time entertainment.

What we also have is a lot of little miss bossy pants behavior, complete with foot stomping, whining and full on bottom lip protrusions. Trying to steer the Peanut in the direction of positive attention is as much a full time job as feeding burping and changing the Bean. It helps that she's started to ask for attention when she's starting to feel left out. And it also helps that she's willing to be patient if the Bean is in the middle of a meal or bum change.

So that's what's been going on around here. I'll be continuing with the music meme when I get a chance, since the Bean's awake from her nap it's time to get going. Today we're headed to the Peanut's school to drop off some information for registration for kindergarten next year. Did I mention that the Peanut starts kindergarten next year? I'm only left to wonder what happened; where did the last four years go?