On Sunday, Craig and I were casually discussing what to do with the day while Gavin was at the table eating his morning cereal. We tossed around a few ideas and then Gavin chimed in:
Gavin: Colonnade might be pretty quiet today! (Colonnade is the gnarlier bike park with stunts in Seattle.)
Craig and I: No, Gavin we're not going today... (reasons, reasons, reasons...)
But a few minutes later...
Gavin: Is there a gas station at Colonnade? Because we should go to that gas station.
Us: Why?
Gavin: Because I want to go to Colonnade!
And, again, a few minutes more...
Gavin: Colonnade is good for rainy days!
He's persistent that one.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Garden Wrap Up
I haven't really posted anything about the garden this year, so my apologies for those who enjoy those updates. Even though we had a pretty wet summer, the veggies and flowers turned out alright. And it's still going! The boys and I planted lettuce and peas a few weeks ago, so we have those coming up for the cooler weather. I'm also trying to save seeds this year for the following: nasturtiums, zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers, tomatoes, dill, cilantro (but saved as coriander to use), and maybe peppers if they turn out.
Pictures are absent from this post too, because we had a computer glitch. (Read: old computer died and we had to buy a new one.) So I don't have access to the most recent photos yet. I will take a few, however, because my trumpet vine is actually flowering this year (about which I'm very excited). Maybe next post.
In the meantime, I thought I'd run down a few things I've learned this year.
1) Tomato seeds in compost do, indeed, result in tomato plants throughout your garden. I suppose this depends on the efficiency of your compost system. Mine? Maybe not so good. I had a lot of volunteer plants, and most of them gave a lot of fruit. I'm good with that.
2) Don't discount a tomato plant because it doesn't look quite right. If it doesn't have blight, it might be ok. The Roma plant I bought didn't look that good, but it was the best producer this year. I froze probably five small Ziplocs of tomatoes. (I had so many cherry tomatoes I froze all the Roma.)
3) Carrots actually get bigger if you leave them in long enough! Revelation. In previous years, the boys pulled up the carrots quite early. We were away so much this summer that we had plenty of good size carrots all summer. Totally cool. And yummy.
4) Swiss chard and kale. Yummy, good for you, and easy to grow. You can sneak it into just about anything.
5) Burlap sacks as pots for tomatoes? Completely successful. I would do that again next year, as it is easy and inexpensive. The bags go in compost or yard waste after the tomatoes (or any plant for that matter) finish for the season.
6) Pole beans are still more fun than bush beans. They produce more, they are prettier, but they are itchy to pick. I relearned that lesson this year.
7) One zucchini plant is enough.
8) Much to the boys' dismay, it isn't hot enough here to grow a proper watermelon. We got one that was about 2 inches wide before it died. Not so exciting on a hot summer day.
9) I'm doing my best to come up with ten things... Not officially true, but I think peppers like strawberries. I planted a lot of peppers this year only because I had left over seeds from last year. I knew most wouldn't grow because, again, it isn't really hot enough here. However, I have two pepper plants that shared a pot with a strawberry plant (that I just plopped in there for space). These two plants are rockin' tons of little peppers! None of the others are really doing much, but this plant went wild. Not sure why, so that's my best guess. They like strawberries. We may even get to eat some of these peppers, as they are mini and seem to be changing colors.
10) Size doesn't matter. (Snicker.) Of tomato plants, that is. The plants I started from seed ended up producing just about as much as the plants that I bought. They grow so fast if the conditions are right - buy the smaller plants.
That's it. I know when I sign off, I'll think of something else. Overall, it was a fun, low maintenance year. Maybe next year we'll have more consistent sunshine. Watermelon potential, perhaps??
Pictures are absent from this post too, because we had a computer glitch. (Read: old computer died and we had to buy a new one.) So I don't have access to the most recent photos yet. I will take a few, however, because my trumpet vine is actually flowering this year (about which I'm very excited). Maybe next post.
In the meantime, I thought I'd run down a few things I've learned this year.
1) Tomato seeds in compost do, indeed, result in tomato plants throughout your garden. I suppose this depends on the efficiency of your compost system. Mine? Maybe not so good. I had a lot of volunteer plants, and most of them gave a lot of fruit. I'm good with that.
2) Don't discount a tomato plant because it doesn't look quite right. If it doesn't have blight, it might be ok. The Roma plant I bought didn't look that good, but it was the best producer this year. I froze probably five small Ziplocs of tomatoes. (I had so many cherry tomatoes I froze all the Roma.)
3) Carrots actually get bigger if you leave them in long enough! Revelation. In previous years, the boys pulled up the carrots quite early. We were away so much this summer that we had plenty of good size carrots all summer. Totally cool. And yummy.
4) Swiss chard and kale. Yummy, good for you, and easy to grow. You can sneak it into just about anything.
5) Burlap sacks as pots for tomatoes? Completely successful. I would do that again next year, as it is easy and inexpensive. The bags go in compost or yard waste after the tomatoes (or any plant for that matter) finish for the season.
6) Pole beans are still more fun than bush beans. They produce more, they are prettier, but they are itchy to pick. I relearned that lesson this year.
7) One zucchini plant is enough.
8) Much to the boys' dismay, it isn't hot enough here to grow a proper watermelon. We got one that was about 2 inches wide before it died. Not so exciting on a hot summer day.
9) I'm doing my best to come up with ten things... Not officially true, but I think peppers like strawberries. I planted a lot of peppers this year only because I had left over seeds from last year. I knew most wouldn't grow because, again, it isn't really hot enough here. However, I have two pepper plants that shared a pot with a strawberry plant (that I just plopped in there for space). These two plants are rockin' tons of little peppers! None of the others are really doing much, but this plant went wild. Not sure why, so that's my best guess. They like strawberries. We may even get to eat some of these peppers, as they are mini and seem to be changing colors.
10) Size doesn't matter. (Snicker.) Of tomato plants, that is. The plants I started from seed ended up producing just about as much as the plants that I bought. They grow so fast if the conditions are right - buy the smaller plants.
That's it. I know when I sign off, I'll think of something else. Overall, it was a fun, low maintenance year. Maybe next year we'll have more consistent sunshine. Watermelon potential, perhaps??
New Family Endeavor
Since they see Craig practicing his swing everyday, Gavin and Graeme developed an interest in golf. And I did to. They boys are ready to try anything new, as long as its fun. My interest stems from two things 1) everyone in our family pretty much knows how to play, and 2) if you don't know how to play, you get to babysit the kids while everyone else plays. (For the record, I've done that enough.) So, off we went to the driving range.
The boys are really cute (imagine that) at the course, and they do a pretty good job being quiet. Well, ok, maybe not that good of a job. But it is usually not so busy when we go, and it is a more casual place. Craig has taken Gavin a few times on his own, so he can actually hit the ball. He needs to slow down a little, though, as he just wants to whack it as hard as he can. Just to show you how serious Gavin is about golf, check out his comment to Craig: "Daddy, can you hold my seed pod while I hit the ball?" (We had picked up a maple tree seed pod on our way to the golf course.) But, you know, that shows he's really got to focus.
Graeme, on the other hand, hits a few balls here and there. He is more interested in exploring the scene. What's under this mat? What are these things? How many buckets can I stack up? How many balls can I collect from the grass before - why are you yelling at me? (As he's wandered out into the range.) Hey, look, there's a bug? (That gets Gavin's attention still too.) At one point, Graeme took the balls he'd been allotted and began to plunk them into a small garbage can.
Craig: Graeme, don't do that! That's a garbage can.
Graeme (sing song voice): Why is it a garbage can?
It might be a while before Graeme feels the need to focus on his swing.
In any case, we have a new family endeavor. It's pretty fun and I can see where, if you were any good, it would be addicting. I'm not addicted yet, however. I hit a few good shots that went straight, but it all feels quite awkward to me at this point. More practice.
The boys are really cute (imagine that) at the course, and they do a pretty good job being quiet. Well, ok, maybe not that good of a job. But it is usually not so busy when we go, and it is a more casual place. Craig has taken Gavin a few times on his own, so he can actually hit the ball. He needs to slow down a little, though, as he just wants to whack it as hard as he can. Just to show you how serious Gavin is about golf, check out his comment to Craig: "Daddy, can you hold my seed pod while I hit the ball?" (We had picked up a maple tree seed pod on our way to the golf course.) But, you know, that shows he's really got to focus.
Graeme, on the other hand, hits a few balls here and there. He is more interested in exploring the scene. What's under this mat? What are these things? How many buckets can I stack up? How many balls can I collect from the grass before - why are you yelling at me? (As he's wandered out into the range.) Hey, look, there's a bug? (That gets Gavin's attention still too.) At one point, Graeme took the balls he'd been allotted and began to plunk them into a small garbage can.
Craig: Graeme, don't do that! That's a garbage can.
Graeme (sing song voice): Why is it a garbage can?
It might be a while before Graeme feels the need to focus on his swing.
In any case, we have a new family endeavor. It's pretty fun and I can see where, if you were any good, it would be addicting. I'm not addicted yet, however. I hit a few good shots that went straight, but it all feels quite awkward to me at this point. More practice.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Gavin's First Trophy
This weekend was the first weekend we've had at home as a family for a very long time. It was refreshing to do a little yard work, finish house projects, and take a nap on the couch. Even if it was only 10 minutes. (Gavin woke me up with a very sweet kiss on the cheek. And then a dog lick.)
We decided it would be fun to try something new: BMX biking. Graeme is still too young, which was hard for him to take, but Gavin is right about the age where kids can start racing. Even though we were unprepared in terms of gear, Gavin had fun and did fairly well. Craig helped him at the gate, and then the rest of the crew along the track cheered him on. (Gavin is in the yellow-orange shirt second from left.)
"Keeping pedaling!" everyone kept cheering to their respective kids, but Gavin couldn't pedal any faster! The bike we have for him maxed out and his little legs were spinning as fast as they could. All the kids had race bikes and BMX outfits, so Gavin was clearly the newbie. And, for his first race, he got a trophy.
We decided it would be fun to try something new: BMX biking. Graeme is still too young, which was hard for him to take, but Gavin is right about the age where kids can start racing. Even though we were unprepared in terms of gear, Gavin had fun and did fairly well. Craig helped him at the gate, and then the rest of the crew along the track cheered him on. (Gavin is in the yellow-orange shirt second from left.)
"Keeping pedaling!" everyone kept cheering to their respective kids, but Gavin couldn't pedal any faster! The bike we have for him maxed out and his little legs were spinning as fast as they could. All the kids had race bikes and BMX outfits, so Gavin was clearly the newbie. And, for his first race, he got a trophy.
(He's wearing my full face helmet, by the way.)
Gavin loves his new trophy. Even though it says he got 3rd place in a race in Port Angeles. (Not where we were.) And Graeme wants one. More incentive for him to start riding a pedal bike. (Now if those legs would just grow faster!)
(OCD note: My first thought about the trophy? If we get into this where am I going to house all the trophies? They were pretty big... and if you race every weekend... there's not that many young kids. Chances are you'd come away with a trophy. Eek. Organizational nightmare!)
Backyard Warning
Hopefully this will be the last pee or poo related post. Too funny not to mention. After an afternoon of bike riding in the backyard, the boys came in to get ready for dinner. (Go to the bathroom and wash hands.) Graeme created a shortcut: "I peed off the deck!" He was so proud of himself, peeing off the deck onto the garden side of the yard. Luckily, 1) I was in the kitchen instead of the garden, and 2) he was aiming for the sunflower along the stairs and hit mostly gravel.
I asked him what would happen if someone was down below: "They would get wet." Right, but totally gross... to which he responded his sign-song, "Why?" (He did say that he wouldn't want someone to pee on his head.)
There you have it, however, a new warning for our backyard guests. He knows he's not suppose to do it again, but I can see where the temptation comes from. What or who could you aim for? Endless possibilities.
I asked him what would happen if someone was down below: "They would get wet." Right, but totally gross... to which he responded his sign-song, "Why?" (He did say that he wouldn't want someone to pee on his head.)
There you have it, however, a new warning for our backyard guests. He knows he's not suppose to do it again, but I can see where the temptation comes from. What or who could you aim for? Endless possibilities.
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