Odds and Ends

Planting Dahlia's with Daddy!

Since it's been so long since I've actually posted, I thought I would just post a few more recent pictures along with a few of the cute things that have happened around here.

 Olivia lost her first top tooth today!  It's been hanging by a thread for days!  She was SO excited!  This makes her 5th tooth that she's lost!  And she's only 5!  She is finishing up Kindergarten and has 1st grade orientation in a few weeks!

 Naomi turned 4 last month!  She's recognizing more and more letters and knows all her colors.  She "graduates" from her little home preschool program in two weeks!

 Timmy is totally boy and continues to be very active!  He had his first set of stitches a few weeks ago...smack dab on his forehead above his left eye!  Whenever you tell him to smile, he squints his eyes!

 Gabrielle is 2 1/2 months already!  How did that happen?!  She was 10lb 3 oz at her 2 month check up- a gain of 3 lb 6 oz. She is so smiley now and coos a lot as well.  The kids love to sit and make her smile!  She is settling down and not quite so fussy now.  We discovered that she loves being swaddled.  Thanks to The Happiest Baby on the Block we have discovered how to calm her down when she works herself up.  We all love her to death and she gets millions of kisses a day!

Garden Update!

These pictures were taken sometime last week. We got a new batch of seedlings in.

Broccoli

Lettuce and Parsley

Snap Peas, Lettuce, Carrots, Onions, Parsley, Cabbage, Swiss Chard, Kale, Spinach

Stakes! (Wish you could grow steaks!)
This kept Olivia and Naomi busy while our mentor Luci and I planted the plants in the correct spots!

Growing Places Garden Project

We were so excited this year to be accepted to participate in the Growing Places Garden Project- a local program helping families build, plant and learn how to grow a vegetable garden! A group of volunteers, including the president of the local garden club, her husband and their daughter, along with the leader Lisa, came early one Saturday morning and helped us put together this beautiful garden! We are given a mentor to mentor us through the growing season and walk us through the process! We are quite excited to see what we can grow!

Before the work begins!

The girls attempt to climb the garden frames before they are reminded that this is not a jungle gym and they are not allowed on top of them!

The dirt is delivered

"Wow! Look at all that dirt we can play in!"
In all seriousness, the dirt was beautiful dirt! Our plants should have no problem growing in this stuff!

Laying the frames in the correct spots

The girls lay each newspaper and shovel each shovelful of dirt in just.the.right.spot!

Newspapers are laid to prevent weeds from growing

Keeping Little Man out of trouble

Climbing Mount Dirt!

The girls have loads of fun filling their buckets with dirt and dumping it in the boxes!

Lisa, the head of our project, sprinkles in organic "Chickity Doo Doo" fertilizer and vermiculite

Mommy's little helper "raking!"

Raking out the dirt

Planting the seeds with our mentor!

All fenced in to keep the deer and rabbits out!

Finished product! We were able to plant:
Snap Peas
Swiss Chard
Lettuce
Kale
Cabbage
Carrots
Beets

We already are seeing some growth! When it stops raining out, I'll take a picture and post an update!