Progressive Tackle: Flowerbed around the mailbox

This tackle began over 3 weeks ago, when hubby sprayed grass and weed killer around the base of my mailbox per my request. Ok, nagging.

The weed/grass killer did not quite do the trick, so I sprayed straight white vinegar on it about a week ago. This past Saturday, after yet more begging, hubby tilled the patch using his Mom & Dad's Mantis:


So this morning, as the sun peeked out, y'all know I became rather stir crazy. I had to give Bear a bath to get her finger paint off of both of her forearms and hands. I did not wash her hair, knowing full well that we would be headed outside and another bath would be inevitable.

First I donned my trusty garden gloves which were a stocking stuffer from my parents at Christmas. Next, I dumped a previously purchased bag of compost over the area and roughed it up with a hand cultivator (rake-looking hand tool, for the non-gardeners). I pulled out clumps of grass/roots as I could, using the weed poker tool thingy (long pointy tool with two short fork-like prongs on the ends). I also chucked rocks onto the sidewalk as I encountered them.

Yesterday, a dear woman at our church who had taken us young Moms under her wing decorated our Mom's fellowship with flowers (along with the decorating coordinator for next year, I believe). I was able to take 11 impatien plants home, and they were the first flowers to be put into the flowerbed. I lined the street and driveway with them. Next, I dug up 3 of the acidanthera bulbs that I planted a few weeks ago. I had decided I did not like where they were placed. So I transplanted them to a new home around the mailbox, and planted the remaining 5 bulbs nearby. I also transplanted 4 or 5 daffodil bulbs, with greenery still attached to feed the bulbs with sunlight. I hope they take well. They were at LEAST 2 inches in diameter!!!! After the daffodils, I planted the iris rhizomes which a neighbor had dug up from her flowerbed well over a week ago.

By this point, Bear had grown tired of being outside and was not listening to anything I said. She picked off all the pansy flowers (thankfully they'll rebloom).

She kept playing hide and seek by running to the back patio. She refused to obey when I asked her to clean up her chalk that she had dumped all over the sidewalk. I tried a time out on the front porch, where her reflection occupied her for a bit. She finally helped me pick up the chalk, but then she refused to carry the box back to the garage where it belonged. So I stuck her inside the house, cleaned up as much of my mess as I could, and went inside to deal with a hungry little Bear. I put some Dora chicken noodle soup to simmer on the stove, then convinced Bear to help me water the newly planted flowers. I'm not sure if any of the water from her watering can made it to the flowerbed, but she was happy to "help", and stayed out of my way.

After lunch, Bear took another bath and got ready for nap time. I turned on her piano music CD (Jim Brickman), and she settled right down.

So back outside I went. I had one last little task. Well, three tasks, I guess. First, I planted some cosmos seeds in between the irises. I marked the seed locations with wooden toothpicks. Next, I planted a row of shasta daisy seeds along the sidewalk. I marked those with toothpicks as well. FINALLY, I sprinkled the remaining top soil (which I had mixed in with every plant, bulb, and rhizome I planted) over the flowerbed, mixed a final batch of fertilizer into my watering can, and watered my newly planted bed. The only thing left to do is mulch. If the HOA complains that it's not mulched yet, I'll ask them when they plan to have the landscapers mulch the front entrance to our neighborhood.

I really hope the irises are not planted too deep, and all the vinegar is out of the soil by now. It would be a shame to kill my plants after all this hard work. Hopefully the almost 80 lbs I added of compost and top soil will make up for any bad dirt.

The highlight of my day? While I was outside with Bear, a neighbor stopped by and asked if I wanted anything from her husband's deli across town. She gave me a few options, and I chose.
As I was planting the seeds after lunch (if Dora chicken noodle soup counts as a valid lunch, anyway), enjoying not having a toddler under foot, she returned with my order.... a chicken caesar wrap in a Spinach tortilla and a mango smoothie. I asked how much I owed her. "Nothing. You're our best neighbor." Now that's a way to make a pregnant woman cry. And I did not even have to share my smoothie with Bear!!!

BELLY SHOTS
21 weeks 4 days pregnant
Sunday, April 13, 2008
(warning- stretch mark/flesh alert)

Shh.... these pants aren't maternity pants. But they have TONS of stretch in them. Although they are starting to feel too tight. I think I got them from a home show at least 3 years ago at a neighbor's for Weekender's clothing. I have a matching jacket, too. I do have to say that they may have been pricey, but the return on investment has paid off. And the top.... well, that's a hand-me- down from crt. I can't wait til it's warm enough to wear the cute outfit my sis and her family gave me for Christmas.

My next appointment is the 17th, so I'll post another pregnancy update then.

FREE Concerts at CCC

Our church is hosting a "Worship of God" Conference later this week, and the Thursday and Friday evening concerts are open to the public.

I'm not sure if we'll make it to either of them yet, but both should be really good. Click on the link above for more info!

No veggie garden for me
See that dead patch? It was a great idea in theory. The Mantis did ok breaking up the grass and root system around the mail box, but when it came time to do the veggie patch... it didn't happen. Hubby tried, God bless him, but it's just too hard and clay-like back there. So it looks like it'll just be me and my pots for cherry tomatoes, herbs, and cantaloupe, if the seeds even sprout after the cold spell that's supposed to hit this weekend. And if the HOA Board doesn't tell me I have to get rid of the pots. If they do... I'll politely ask them them to come dump the dirt out for me, because they weigh at least 100 pounds a piece. Giving up on the whole veggie patch dream is probably not a bad idea since I will be very pregnant during the hottest part of the summer. And right now we are not willing to invest the money, time or effort into building a good raised bed. Hubby has already reseeded, since he had some extra seed and there were spots that were roughed up enough for the seed to get below the grass and weeds.

I'm not actually putting good dirt into the flowerbed until after this forecast cold snap. I am hoping the cold goes away quickly, so I can plant the iris corms which my neighbor Katrin gave me from her yard. I really hope they don't die on me. So far it looks like I'll plant the iris & my remaining acidanthera bulbs around the mailbox for height... I'm not sure what else, yet.

Before I go back to bed from my insomniac spell...

... when you wake up to use the bathroom and can't get back to sleep, sometimes you start thinking. At least I do. I've been wondering why I like gardening so much. I mean, it's dirty work. There are worms, slugs and all sorts of creepy crawlies to deal with.

As I felt Little Guy move around, it hit me. There are a couple of reasons. First of all , gardening is like being a parent. (Hence the reason I talk about my flowers more than my kids on this blog.) While I can't see the little one inside me, I CAN feel him move now, and my excitement grows. I can't wait to meet him. Similarly, I can't wait to see the pretty flowers that will bloom if all goes well. In gardening, you can do your best to tend the plants, weed, fertilize, etc..., and leave the rest to the Lord. Same with parenting. Second, both are reflections of our Heavenly Father. Gardening reflects His glory through His creation, and gives us a glimpse of what the garden of Eden must have been like before the fall. (For some of us, we might feel like our gardens' are post-fall specimens, but that's ok, too.) Parenting gives me a small idea of what it must have been like to send your only Son to Earth, and then to do the most difficult thing in the world. To watch Him take on the pain and sins and punishment of the people you created.... my heart aches when my 2 1/2 year old gets a boo-boo or her feelings hurt. I cannot fathom having the mercy and grace to let go of my beloved baby in that kind of sacrifice.

Ok, back to bed now. I have a morning date at Starbucks with my neighbor in just a few short hours.

It's been a while since I visited their site, but Sara linked to this contest over at 5 Minutes for Mom, and I had to go check it out! You can't win if you don't enter, right?

Here comes Spring!

Tulips... either the purple ones are harder to grow, or tastier to the rodents,
because only 2 bloomed. (Unless I gave most of them to my sis-the bag was mixed.)

L-R: Black eyed susans & sedum from Gramma's yard, tulips from costco last fall
& shrubs planted by builder

chrysanthemum, ? (maybe calla lily or asiatic lily?), acidanthera spikes, hosta

sedum planted by my mom shortly after bear was born

another hosta, more tulips (and daffodils that never bloomed), and if you look closely you can see a couple of asiatic lily plants sprouting up in the background... they are only about 1 inch tall, but they look like really tight clusters of grass, or kind of like the "hen & chick" plants you see in rock gardens.

gladiola spikes hiding behind the boxwood

Daffodil fronds ( I will probably cut them back a little bit to trim them up, but I want the bulbs to get fed so they will bloom again next year, so I'm in no rush.), gold glow rose bush, more gladiola spikes.

I can't believe some of you are expecting SNOW this weekend! It's supposed to cool off some here, but hopefully we'll be able to get the bed around the mailbox & the veggie patch tilled. (Naughty me, not waiting on an answer from the management. I already killed the grass. Besides, a friend gave me some iris from her yard that need to get into the ground.)

April showers bring May flowers

Does anyone else remember that saying? Well, it's April and we already have some flowers. The daffodils are almost gone already, but the pansies and tulips are blooming. Plus, my late-spring/summer plants(gladioli, asiatic lilies, day lilies, sedum, hostas, black-eyed susans, acidantherea (peacock orchid, but it's really related to the glads) are popping through, except for the Calla lillies. I really hope they come back. They bloomed last year, but considering they are one of the flowers that aren't guaranteed to last the winter, I supposed I should be grateful for what I got. Some of the blanketflower seeds appear to have taken well, too. Thankfully, the HOA rules don't say anything about flowerbeds from what I could tell (and the president told me that I didn't need permission to extend my bed like I did last fall when I asked him about it a couple of days ago), though the rules do mention shrubs, bushes and trees. I did e-mail the management company to double check to make sure it's ok to put a flower bed around my mailbox, and that I don't have to remove the rose bushes I planted. That sounds extreme, but the verbiage in the rules makes it sound like that's what necessary, so I'm just covering my bases.

I let Bear pick one tulip today, and she helped herself to a second.

the meeting's over

They can't say nobody tried to voice their opinions in a rational manner. 2 other homeowners were at the meeting, too. I've e-mailed the Board members' e-mail addresses to every neighbor I know in the subdivision.


There's no way on earth I could ever be a politician.... or a HOA Board member, for that matter.

It's done. With the help of my wonderful neighbors, and some people I barely know, I have put together a 9-page document which addresses the concerns that I am aware of in our HOA. I have sent it to some of them for final review. The document also includes proactive suggestions.

I decided just griping was not going to help solve anything, and I don't know if this will, either, but it's worth the shot...

Pray that I don't get attacked at the HOA meeting tomorrow night. It's not a public meeting, but I have been invited to come.

Quotes of the week, thanks to someone's e-mail signature:

• "The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything they have!
• Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God."

(I have to work on the speak kindly part.)

I finally got full night's sleep last night!!

Perhaps the 2-hour vent to the HOA Prez helped. Having 2 of my best neighbors to talk to certainly did!

Today's "Tackle":

1. Finish my letter of complaints and suggestions, have trusted friends and neighbors look over it.
2. Work on finding donations for door prizes for A Mom's HEART at church.
3. Groceries
4. Find my old Finding Focus Project files on my hard drive.
5. Print out new potty chart for Bear.
   

Note to self:

God is bigger than the boogeyman! Or the power-hungry individuals who let agenda interfere with their responsibility to listen to neighbors. I initially tried to defend this person to neighbors who expressed the sentiments I shared in last night's ramblings. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, saying that he was just trying to enforce the letter of the "law". The problem is, a HOA President's responsibility is to try to look at things from the perspective of his neighbors as a group, not to make false promises that can't be kept and then later pass the buck. Anyway, enough of that.

God has a way of putting things into perspective when you need it most, and thankfully this morning's worship service did just that. We sang several of the verses to two classic hymns- "This Is My Father's World" and "How Firm a Foundation", not just the first and the last verses. The depth of the texts reminded me that petty issues like HOA dictatorship really aren't that significant in the grand scheme of things. Of course, the Pastors' message only added to that, as did our celebration of Communion as a church body.

I still can't sleep, though I desperately need a nap. Oh, well... one step at a time.

I want to move to the country to have space and freedom...

but be close to city conveniences. Then the only need I'll have for a stroller will be when I go to the mall or the zoo, because we'll have room to run around and get plenty of exercise. I won't have to worry about having to walk in the street because cars are blocking the sidewalks so their owners won't get warnings of being fined by a Nazi-like homeowners association for parking legally in the street. (Verbiage in the letter we received today said nothing about towing, just fines. They must have realized it is illegal to tow vehicles which are legally parked, as they did to at least one resident who parked on the street because his driveway is too steep for his big car to get up without scraping.) If I lived in the country, I could put a bird bath in my yard without getting it approved by the subjective rulers whose opinion apparently counts for more than homeowners' choices. I could leave up my Christmas lights until January 10th (THE date they are supposed to be down by) without getting a nasty letter that was written that same day telling me to take them down, or else. I could buy pretty fireworks and set then off without risk of setting a neighbors house on fire. I could make a bonfire out of HOA rules and regulations from my previous life in the suburbs.

In the meantime, I will plant a veggie patch on the adjoining property because said HOA will not take care of undeveloped land anyway, and the developer is "restructuring" so nothing's going to change back there anytime soon. There's nothing in the so-called covenants about borrowing land, and since they don't mow the weeds or trim the dead trees behind our house, anything I do is an improvement. (I actually like the woods and not having neighbors behind us yet, but don't tell them.) I will plant whatever flowers I want to because I like them, because thankfully there are no covenants that require me to get every single plant approved. I will not paint my front door turquoise just to make a statement, because I'm not fond of turquoise doors. I will not TP the HOA President's boring shrubs, though I may be tempted. (He probably has video surveillance set up, anyway.) I will resist the urge to call him Hitler, because apart from his so-called duties and tangents as HOA president, he seems like a nice person. I'd better resist the urge to have hubby shoot Mr. Woodchuck with his firearm (the actual woodchuck who had decided he likes our yard), since that's a sure-fire way to get us into trouble. Plus he's kinda cute. Not to mention I don't want to freak out the neighbors and cause HOA Prez to fuss. Forgive me, but I kinda like using that pseudonym. And it is (slightly) less mean than Judas.

Ok, time to scrub that kitchen floor. Yes, I know what time it is. But considering the fact that I have woken up to pee and not been able to get back to sleep for 3 nights in a row, I am hoping that I will sleep well when I finally finish the disgusting task that I've put off all day. Bear is healthy because she has ample opportunity to build immunity in our house, you know.

I could really use a ride on that motorcycle right now.

hubby and his new toy

last night

today

random tidbits & news

tidbits:
The Memory Keeper's Daughter is going to be on TV April 12th. Too bad I have no way of watching it at home! If you have not read the book, it is a MUST read.

We are supposed to have 2-3 days break from the Spring rains. While I'm thankful God has been watering my garden for me, I'm looking forward to spending some time outside.

news:
Hubby's new "baby" is here! A work buddy offered to help him transport it with his truck and trailer, and they retrieved it last night. I think I scared Bear a little when I warned her not to touch it unless Daddy sets her on top and holds her, but the last thing I want is a motorcycle crushing my precious daughter. She's pretty perceptive, I think she connects the fact that something that's so loud can also be dangerous. (And it's quieter than a Harley.)

This means it's time for me to shop for the new car seats and stroller, right? I think the Graco Nautilus looks good for Bear and the Joovy Caboose Ultralight Stroller or Baby Trend Elite Sit n' Stand look good for both kiddos.... the Graco Quattro Tour Duo I'm still debating whether the higher price on the Joovy is worth it... we'll have to check them out in person side-by-side, if possible.) And then to find an infant carrier that is compatible with the new stroller. And lightweight. Consumer Reports seems pretty worthless in this shopping research, as they lack variety in their reviews, especially for 2-kid strollers.

Hubby felt this baby kick for the first time tonight!
Unfortunately, I couldn't get to sleep, so I got back out of bed.

Wordless Wednesday

Contest results are in!!!!


Congrats to Kristi, a friend I met on Baby Bear's birth board. I'll be sending her a $10 gift card to use at her nearest Starbucks.

While I would have been glad for anyone's name to be drawn, there couldn't be anyone he deserves a day brightener more than Kristi. She's been through so much the last few months, and I will always wish her precious Eli and our little guy would have been able to meet here on earth. So I am especially glad to send her a little something to brighten her day, though nothing could ever replace what she's lost. The faith and strength God has given her through her grief has been phenomenal.

Congratulations, again, Kristi! E-mail me your address, please!

Thank you to everyone who participated. It was fun!

gender prediction fun

pendant test:
1st try- swung back and forth= boy
2nd & 3rd tries- swung in circle= girl
I held my mustard seed marble necklace by the clasp and dangled it above my belly. I tried to hold it the exact same way each time.

Chinese calendar gender prediction: girl (a couple of days later would have been boy)

older sibling's prediction as of today:
me: "Is the baby in Mommy's belly a boy or girl?"
Bear: "Boy or girl."
me: "Which is it... are you going to have a brother or a sister?"
Bear: "sister."

blog poll
boy- 37% (12 votes, including mine)
girl- 62% (20 votes)

2-D Ultrasound at OB/Gyn office:

full profile with knees bent and right hand up by face

the goods- way different than what we saw at bear's u/s

"I'm doing great in here, mom!" (baby boy waves at us)

*******

I am breathing many sighs of relief tonight. Apparently the placenta is in front, cushioning me from our little guy's jabs and kicks. I think it was in the same position with Bear, too. We saw plenty of them this afternoon... he is definitely alive and kickin'. The tech said everything looked good. I guess if she saw something alarming, she would have to call the doc in. He was moving around, waving his arms and legs to cast shadows over in-opportune places... but our tech was able to get all the shots she needed to, and there was no mistaking the extra "limb" that we did not see 3 years ago at Bear's ultrasound. Or else God is playing a really good April fool's joke on us. His weight estimate is about 11 oz., heartbeat was around 136 bpm, and his estimated arrival date is 8/20. He's the first grandson on both sides. (Unless what we thought was an extra part was really the umbilical cord all bunched up just in the wrong spot. )

We're excited. We think we have a name picked out, but we reserve the right to change our minds so I'm not posting it yet. It is something that Bear can pronounce and she sounds so sweet saying it. Of course, we would have been excited either way, but I had a hunch this one might be a boy (I even cast one of the boy votes in the poll.) This pregnancy started out SO different, and I know that's not a definite indication, but I couldn't help but guess... even though I did have a girl's name I was growing more and more fond of.

Thanks for all your prayers... I'll post the winner of my drawing tonight or tomorrow.

FYI...

a couple of people commented that I did not share what the Chinese prediction calendar predicts for baby's gender. That's because I want to know my friends' guesses, without influence. I didn't share the results of the pendant swinging test or drano test either... but then again, I haven't taken those yet. I don't think we even have drano in the house.

The poll closes tomorrow at 3:15! I'll post the ultrasound results after I call the grandparents and maybe a few other people. ;) Please don't take it personally if you have to read it on here first...

growth spurt?

I have felt even more tired and light headed than usual the last couple of days. I wonder if Sweet Pea is having a major growth spurt or something in there. My belly feels tighter, and I have felt more movement.

I like it.

meet my immediate family

I put this on my facebook profile, and decided to share it here. I wish they had an image of a guy on a motorcycle for dh. I thought about making his figure a cop, but he's not one anymore so I couldn't bring myself to do it. (Though to a certain extent, once a cop, always a cop.)

New Poll AND contest!

Contest closes Tuesday, at the beginning of my ultrasound appointment, 3:15. Leave a comment (click on "wandered along") with your prediction here after you vote in the sidebar and I will do a drawing from those of you whose guess matches what the sonographer sees on the ultrasound. The lucky winner will win a $10 Starbucks gift card. So if you participated in my little informal survey a while back, play again! (You may have even changed your mind, and that's ok!) This time you could get something for it!

If you post "anonymously", be sure to leave your name... anyone could claim to be the anonymous winner.

The wives of hubby's coworkers are going to want to kill me

We put down a deposit on a new toy for hubby today. And yes, I plan to ride on the back of it.
It looks something like this:
I think it's a very pretty bike. I trust him to choose a bike he can handle, good quality, and all that, but I insisted on going along for the shopping experience. He's been itching to get one of his own for as long as I can remember, especially since his Dad and brother got their bikes a couple of years ago. We looked at another one earlier this week, but the one we are purchasing has not had as rough of a life. Hubby said he likes the contrast of the black with the silver on the one we're getting, too. And his new red helmet looks good with it, too.

It didn't hurt that I really liked the woman we are buying it from. We drove a decent distance to look at it, but it was worth the drive.

minor milestones

One of the other mommies at kindermusik noticed my belly today. :) If I had previously told her I was pregnant, she did not seem to remember.

Yes, I need a hair cut. And no, my top is not a maternity top. (The jeans are.) Gotta love last season's fashion trends!

I also had my first and worst headache that I can remember in a long time tonight. I don't get headaches very often now that my hair is shorter. Thankfully, Tylenol finally kicked in.

"blue girl" rose bush

soon-to-be-purple tulip

soon-to-be-white tulip

daffodils, day lily peeking through, and "gold glow" rose bush

sunflower sprout, wildflowers or maiden pinks, another sunflower sprout

no self control here....

of course, that should not come as a surprise to anybody. i went to pick up bread, lunch meat and a hot wheels car for baby bear, who has been doing really well telling us when she needs to use the potty lately. i parked where the best spaces are available... at the entrance to the garden center. i should have known better. here's what i came home with (in addition to the things i went in for):


baby bear helped me plant the "blue girl" rose bush next to our back patio. i fell in love with it the last time i fell prey to temptation in the garden department. as for the "gold glow", yellow roses are my all-time favorite color rose. i'm still trying to decide where to plant it (by the mail box or on the side of the house, near the current daffodil bed.) but the price was right for both of these and i just couldn't resist...

by the way, i want my rose bush to do well so badly that i used the whole 40 lb bag of potting soil plus at 5 lbs of coffee grounds to improve the rocky, clay-like soil we were stuck with by the builders. (they were oh so generous to add extra gravel for us).

3:52 p.m. I decided to plant the yellow rose bush in the side bed while Bear napped (she went down late, around 3 p.m.) I spent a lot of effort digging it up and improving the soil last fall, so I hoped that would make it easier for me dig a hole deep enough. The ground by the mailbox really needs to be tilled; hubby has agreed to do that part for me, and it hasn't been long enough since we used round up there to mess with it just yet.

I broke through the mulch to find at least 3 HUGE earthworms within a square foot area. Who knew that earthworms would ever make me smile? Two of them burrowed away quickly, and I picked up the third (I was wearing gardening gloves)and moved it to another part of the bed.

Of course, I observed the mess as I entered the interior of our home and realized I am going to have to ground myself from adding to the garden for a couple of weeks until it's time to plant the veggie patch and mailbox bed. I do intend to water the seeds and new plants, but the interior needs as much TLC as I've been giving to my plants, if not more. I'll just have to open the windows to let the fresh air in more often!

1st seedlings....

The seedlings I planted over a week ago have begun to sprout. So far it looks like some of the maiden pinks, wildflower mix, and a couple of tomato seeds have peeked out. I'm hoping to plant the maiden pinks on the part of our hill where the grass refuses to grow. The tomatoes will eventually be planted in a veggie pot if they make it... right now they look a little bit weak, but they are still young. ;)

In addition, some of my tulips are budding. I can't wait to see some more color, and what blend of purple and white will bloom from the bulbs I planted!

It's not official, yet...

my diagnosis of webaholic, that is. But the article doesn't say anything about blogaholic...

TP Tuesday

3/25/2008

I'm measuring 10 1/2 sheets around, and I'm almost almost 19 weeks pregnant.

Who's playing along? Zann? Anyone else? You could also play along if your goal is to shrink instead of grow right now!!!

Piano for sale

I'm interrupting this blog to deliver a commercial or my parents.

My parents have a 1917 Lauter baby grand piano (5 or 6 ft, not sure which) for sale, they are asking $500 or best offer. It holds tune well, and is a dark cherry finish. Or maybe it's walnut. One of those dark brown woods. They are in the process of thinking about downsizing, and simply won't have room wherever they end up. Contact me if you are interested and I'll give you my Dad's e-mail address or cell #. It does have some scars behind the keys from when my finger nails were too long growing up, but it is a great piano for learning to play on. They live in Middle Tennessee.

Garden Implementation... phase one

Hopefully my garden implementation will be more successful and far less stressful than the system implementations I went through at three of my previous jobs. (Computer Guy was obviously not involved in any of them).

Hubby sprayed round up where the new flower bed will be around the mailbox. We also roped off our vegetable patch using those metal spikes you put into a turkey at Thanksgiving and clothesline from the $1 store. Baby Bear thought the red and white edged rectangle in the yard was pretty cool. He also applied round up there. I really should have tried the natural tricks, and I might still, since it my have been too cool today for the poison to be effective. I made the mistake of planting some things too early last year, only to have to replant after the late frost, so I figure I can wait 3 weeks like Gramma M. does to actually plant in the garden after weed killing... and it will still be earlier than she plants in WI. Anyway, hubby was fertilizing the lawn, anyway.

So far, seeds are only sprouting in one of the pots I started last week... grr... Thankfully I didn't use all my seeds. I'm not giving up hope yet, I've moved the pots inside where it is warmer.

I spied strawberry and asparagus starts at Lowe's, as well as lots of pretty flower bulbs and rose bushes. But I abstained from buying anything else.... for now. See what happens when you shop with your hubby? Bear loved sitting on the big John-Deere lawn mowers and ordering her daddy to sit on and get off each one. And hubby found the replacement part for our toilet and we can now flush without lifting up th tank lid again!!!

My garden patch... in theory

Dimensions: 6' x 10' + 3 big pots

Seeds purchased so far: cherry tomatoes, green beans, yellow squash, cucumbers, cantaloupe, basil, parsley

Hubby plans to work on the yard some this weekend, including initial prep for my little garden patch. I've collected some grounds from Starbucks (and will hit them up for more), and of course we'll have to buy compost and soil, as our ground is not exactly the best.

Anyway, it looks good to me on paper... we'll see a) if we get it together b) if things grow and c) if we can keep pests from eating everything down to nubs.

Sigh... According to the Helpful Gardener, broccoli and tomatoes should not be planted next to eachother. Guess I'll be rearranging.


Any tips from experienced gardeners are welcome.

Not-so-wordless Wednesday:
Desperate times call for desperate measures

Notice: the cover to Bear's little potty is down. I am not too lazy to go down to the bathroom when I have to pee. The replacement cord for our other computer has not arrived yet, and I got tired of staring up to the monitor at a 50 degree angle since the screen on the old computer is busted.... my neck still hurts a bit, but not nearly as bad. I think we need to invest in a better chair for the desk if we plan to use this computer here for much longer. Preferrably a really cushie one with adjustable height.

Go ahead, laugh. Oh, and consider this my 17 week pregnancy photo!

Tackle It Tuesday: Operation Nursery, Phase Two

It's been a while since I tackled something other than dishes, laundry, or gardening. In case you are wondering, Phase One was turning the office into the nursery, which happened before I became a blogger. With child #2 on the way, we made the decision that Baby Bear will share her room with her new sibling. Most of our family lives out of town, so we need that guest bedroom. Plus, I need the place to dump Mt. Laundry until I get around to folding it or hubby gets exasperated with me and folds it himself. (That happens a lot.) Hubby also uses it as his office when he works from home. As you can see, we simply do not have a spare room. Well, my parents had a twin mattress, boxspring and frame to get rid of. Since we decided to keep the guest bedroom in tact, Baby Bear needed a big girl bed. This tackle started yesterday morning, and today I moved the stack of boxes of clothes into the not-so-spare room. The quilt was made by hubby's gramma for his high school graduation. I think it's too flowery for him, but it looks great in Bear's room!

Before:

During:

After:

Just don't ask me to show you what the inside of the closet looks like. That will be a future tackle, or series of tackles.

have seeds (or bulbs)... must plant
(and dreams of what's to come....)


It seems that seeds and bulbs burn a hole in my pocket faster than money. okay, as fast as cash.
I found some acidanthera bulbs at wal-mart, and couldn't resist... I probably should have waited another month to plant them, since they are supposed to be late summer bloomers. But since when have i been a patient person?

A few days ago, I planted some seeds for gaillardia aristata, which should look something like this if they come up:


i had originally planned to just fertilize some of my flowers with the free grounds from starbucks, but then the neighbor girls got so excited about helping me, i just had to let them. ;) they certainly saved me from having to squat so much.

of course, we currently have a couple of these daffodils
in bloom, with more coming.

Tulips like these are on their way:

I'm hoping these firecracker gladiolas and asiatic lillies will come up again, or at least the bulbs that I lifted last fall and plan to re-plant in a month or two (if i can wait that long). We're in zone 6b, so even non-perennial bulbs sometimes survive the winter, but it's a matter of luck:


The black-eyed susans from Gramma's farm in WI are showing signs of life
(not this much... another old pic),

as are my mums, which baby bear was watering in this pic from last fall:

I'll have to continue this virtual tour of what I'm looking forward to for this growing season, as I just received word that Baby Bear's big girl bed is coming from Grandaddy and GranWendy's house, and between the mountains of laundry and the mess in her room, I am not ready. :)

my hero

today may be hubby's day off, but don't let that fool you. he's been my fix-it man today. apparently our old dell laptop (the one with the broken monitor which we hooked up to an old monitor that tech mom and dad had), was just being ornery at startup. when the "override" message came up on the monitor, he pressed "escape" and it finished booting. makes me mad the fix was something that simple.

our new external hard drive arrived today. so he's been a busy man, running disc defrag, clearing unwanted files off the computer, and then saving my picture files on the external drive. i am so relieved that i have not lost my pics of baby bear's first year and a half forever.

as if that wasn't enough, hubby took the vaccum apart and replaced the belt. it works like new! the thing had been doing a mediocre job at best, and the carpet pad has bounce to it again.. PLUS, he took the carpet cleaner and scrubbed a bunch of spots in the main traffic area. we plan to rent a carpet cleaner sometime, but it's a huge improvement.

yesterday was so pretty (74'), and bear and i had a fun time perusing the garden section of our neighborhood superstore. we bought lots of seeds, some new bulbs, and dirt. my parents revealed the sad news that they will not plant a big garden this year, so the free veggies i was counting on mooching off them in order to satisfy my veggie cravings will be out of the question.
so i have attempted to start some seeds from scratch and hope to see sprouts in a couple of weeks. in addition to my pots of herbs, cherry tomatoes, and green beans (which led some neigbborhood kids to ask about the trash cans in my back yard), i hope to plant some yellow squash, cantaloupe, cukes. hopefully they won't cross pollinate. i may be crazy for attempting to plant a garden the same summer i'm expecting, but the grocery stores rape you financially, and my appetite certainly won't get any smaller. plus, it makes great "home-schooling" for my baby bear. (when we were in wal-mart, she saw tulip leaves sprouting out of some trays and exclaimed, "look mom! tulips!" she recognized them from the leaves coming up in our flower bed.

well,those are my daily adventures, minus the chores i completed while hubby was enslaved today. i haven't dared to open my e-mail yet... bare with me while i get back into the groove, but i do plan to not spend the same obsessive amounts of time online as i have enjoyed smelling the flowers and chasing baby bear around the yard.

disconnected

my computer is dead... battery is dead, and the cord's short which required us to position it "just so" in order to use or charge the thing turned into a full fledged fire hazard when it sparked just after monday's post. i'm glad to see the post went through.

if you need to reach me, hopefully you have my phone #. i may try to go to the library, but i'm not sure if checking e-mail there will really happen with a 2 year old..


so.... quick baby update. HB was 144 BPM at today's visit. My OB had to rush off to deliver a baby. I forget she does do that for other women, too. ;) U/S has been scheduled for April Fool's Day (no joke). I gained 3 lbs since my last appt. Baby Bear got to hear the heartbeat, too. She was more impressed by the toys in the waiting room. But for the past 3 days she has been saying there is a brother in mommy's belly. Is God telling her something we don't know... we'll find out. She had previously been consitently switching between predicting boy or girl, but for 3 days her prediction has been the same. Hopefully she won't be too diappointed if it's a sister. She'll get over it, if she is.

So, see you when I get back. If you need to reach me,e-mail my sis, sis's in law, or mil if you don't have my phone # already. Hopefully I won't be offline for too long.

hasta luego...

you might be a mom (or mom to be) if....

• you're working at the check in table for a gathering of moms and you immediately think of the woman's child's name
• you see someone with a stroller you've been drooling over online and have to stop and ask their opinion of it
• after previous conversation, you know what stroller you have to get "this time around

those are just today's "mommy moments", or the ones i can remember off the top of my head.... feel free to add to the list in the comments!

let's compare

1st pregnancy (baby bear)

• beef aversion
• puked several times a day during the 1st 2 trimesters
• lost weight before gaining ANY
• sis predicted a boy

this pregnancy

• beef cravings
• chicken aversion comes and goes
• morning sickness began around 8 weeks, but (so far) has hit no more than 3 times a day, usually just once or twice
• gaining slowly
• predictions, anyone? ;-)
  

It's not really Spring yet.
We might get snow tonight,
so I rescued these daffodils from the garden.

They smell as pretty as they look.

Psalm 139- ESV

Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

139:1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. [1]
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.

19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
20 They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain! [2]
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts! [3]
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting! [4]

***

Ok, yankees... do you want a laugh?

The biggest snowfall of the season has been forecast... 2-4" in our area, 6" just north of here. It should start tomorrow, but it's been so warm, if it accumulates at all, it will not be until tomorrow night.

I will confess, I cut my daffodil blossoms because I planted flowers to be able to enjoy them, and if they get too cold, they will wilt. I don't get dirt under my fingernails just because it's fun. They look pretty on my mantle, and smell pretty, too. I wonder how long it will take Bear to notice them in the morning and ask to smell them.

I'm trying not to get too excited. It's not like meteorology is an exact science, and it's not like the weather people have always been right. But it sure would be nice to use bear's snow boots and snow pants... maybe show her how to make an actual snow man. Of course, there was that big snowfall about 7 years ago, the one where the forecast was not all that big and we ended up with 7 inches and complete chaos on the roads.

I thought about taking a picture of the toilet for my Wordless Wednesday post, but I decided nobody else needs to see what I've been looking at the past 2 mornings.

The smell of Bear's play dough is not helping, but she's been begging to play with the stuff lately.

TP Tuesday 3/2/08

9 3/4 sheets

the excitement is growing faster than my belly

yesterday, the boys (hubby and grandpa) went out and about to do guy stuff. they test drove vehicles and went for a motorcycle ride.

meanwhile, tech mom, bear and i went out for some girls' shopping. we checked out a couple of baby/kids boutiques here in the memphis area. our favorite was mango street baby.

they had a ring sling i tried on. bear did NOT like having her mommy messed with, and kept yelling "take it off!" i liked the sling a lot, but not the price tag... the brand was something like rock star baby, probably because most of us don't have the rock-star money required to buy it. it was good to compare to the pouch style hotsling, which i liked at another shop but the salesperson was unknowledgable and only knew how to get it back in the package. and i think as a soon-to-be attempting first time sling-wearer, i like the adjustablity however, she LOVED their classic pedal cars and trikes, as well as their toys. we ate lunch near that shop after church today, and hubby even tried on a toddler backpack which would be perfect for hiking with bear. he found it all by himself. somehow, i am nervous about taking her on some of the trails around Fall Creek Falls without some type of restraint, and strollers are so darn awkward. we'll see if we actually get it, but i think it was one that inkling and henry david might even approve of! (if i can find it online i'll get their opinion, as they are our expert outdoorsmen.)

after dream shopping at the expensive shops, we headed on a mission to find fabric. tech mom looked at the $120 sling I tried on and decided she could and would like to try to make one. so after perusing hancock's she found a sweet pattern at hobby lobby which we think is gender neutral enough. we also found a coordinating solid, so she'll make it reversible:

I've been doing some research on line and found the following helpful sites:

www.mammasmilk.com
www.slingrings.com
Jan Andrea (lots of patterns to make your own)
Pretty Momma Sling

Cute Slings

Hot Slings
The Sling Station

They have links to patterns for making your own slings, if you are so inclined or know someone who will do it for you! And lots of good info for us ignorant people who don't know much about baby wearing.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm exploring my "crunchy" side...

• eating at wild oats/whole foods AND buying sesame sticks to bring home for a healthy snack

• considering natural childbirth (or normal childbirth options as NCB proponents call it

• babywearing options
  

I found link to a site that has patterns for making your own baby slings. Too bad I don't sew.