Jet Lag and Parenthood

You are not allowed to feel jet lag as a mother of a toddler. I think it is some sort of unwritten rule. I am exhausted! It is 7:42 am here, so that makes it 12:42 am in Paris. I would just be getting to bed right now were I still on the trip. But here, well, I have been awake since 5:30, when Gabe so lovingly woke me up from the best sleep I have had in more than a week. Oh well. It is nice to be home, but I wish I were more awake.
My trip to Paris was really excellent. The kids were such fun, for the most part. There was certainly some drama, but nothing that Crystal and I couldn't manage. I loved watching the kids experience so many new things. I especially loved watching them gain independence while we were there. Watching these 8 teenagers grow and mature as they experienced new things, learned about history they haven't even studied in school yet, and grow as individuals was such an amazing experience for me.
I will post a few pictures from Paris now, but I will link to a Picasa album later, as I took 823 images and/or videos while on this trip! Not as many as last time, but... a fair amount considering we were only gone for 6 days. But, as a mom, I have to spend time with Gabe right now.

And We Ate Corn

The garden has been such a blessing this summer. Gabe and I have been eating from it for weeks now, but, a few days ago we ate the first ears of corn from our little patch. And oh my goodness! So good!!!
I thought that I would post a few images from the past week, including some harvested produce, some garden shots, and an image or so of Gabe.
My mom should be here sometime today, so I am really looking forward to that. I called her this morning and she was about 5 hours away at a little before noon, so I imagine she'll be here at dinnertime. Gabe and I ate corn on the cob (again) with lunch, but I think we should have some more with dinner!
That first helping of corn was actually on Friday, right before my final Paris meeting, and, well, Gabe ate his cob and then stole mine from my plate and finished that! And so, after eating all of that corn plus a grilled tuna steak (well, a piece of a steak), he promptly threw up. Overeating will do it, but, if you are to gather any pertinent info from that tale it is this; the corn is delish! Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!!!

Garden Update

Sorry! I realize this is upside-down, but Blogger is not allowing me to edit the images for some reason!




This post is primarily for Mike, as he is in Costa Rica, and hasn't asked much about the garden. I know he is curious and wants an update, so, I took a few pictures today of the garden as well as of a few freshly harvested veggies, including... da da da daaaa! Our first ear of corn!!! I was checking the corn,as I am uncertain of what markers to look for to know how the corn is doing. I was pleasantly surprised by the full pollination of the ear, though the kernals are a bit immature; I am still planning to eat it! Aside from that exciting development, our tomato plants are heavy with fruit, and still, knock on wood, free from worms! I was only able to harvest a few cherry tomatoes, but, I plan to cut back some of the sucker vines on our in-garden plants to help them ripen, as they are getting pretty large and have not changes from their acid green color yet.
What else? Well, I spent all day yesterday in the garden, pulling weeds, with a few friends and the missionaries (for those who do not know, we are LDS... Mormon... and the missionaries are a great asset to the community, providing not only wonderful gospel instruction for non-members, but hard work and sweat in service for members and non-members alike!)So, today I ran to Home Depot and picked up soil and mulch, the latter of which I will need to get more of, and this afternoon I spent burying onions a little deepre, and mulching around plants and between rows. I am trying to prevent repeating yesterday's task as much as I can!! Anyway, what I have finished looks great, and I look forward to completing the task and posting amny pictures.
So, enjoy the photos!!!

Gabe and the Frog, Part 2

Another video of Gabe and the frog. So fun!! He has been trying to find "his frog" all afternoon. If you mention the froggy, he'll run outside and try to get it.

Gabe's Froggy Friend

I awoke this morning, ready to get my hands dirty in my garden. I went outside to clean the pool first, since, well it was gross, and I had several people coming over to help out in the garden who have kids. Anyway, I found a frog in the pool! So, I ran inside to get Gabe to show him. He was really excited. I took several videos and some photos, too, but I wanted to post this video first. It takes so long to upload on YouTube that I am only posting this one for now. I will upload a few more later, but, since Gabe is sleeping right now, I must attend to my squash patch.
Enjoy!!!

I really love the way the sun creates these cool vertical lines! I was hoping it would show up, as I could see it through my camera, but wasn't certain it would translate to image.
Anyway...

Gabe Fell Down and Bumped His Head...

I went to the playground this morning with two friends and their kids. It was a new experience for Gabe, since this playground has a fake boulder, pint-sized climbing wall, and this cool spinny thing...
Anyway, I was spinning, showing Gabe the cool spinny thing, when he decided that he should jump off of the platform and into my otherwise-occupied arms, without saying a word to me! He jumped and I saw him out of the corner of my eye, as he fell about 3 feet, landing on his forehead on the plastic pedestal I was spinning on. He is a freakin' daredevil! I kinda fell off of the platform (it is hard to stop it while you are spinning), lifted him up as he is screaming and rubbing his little head, and cradled his little body in my arms. I was terrified of what might have happened, but, lucky for him, he inherited his dad's thick skull and his uncle's tolerance for pain ( I should say uncles', as many of the males in both mine and Mike's families are blessed with this high pain tolerance). He cried for about 15 minutes, though, which is extremely long for him, and wanted to leave immediately, even though his best bud, Max was there. Poor Gabe.
So, not wanting him to fall asleep so soon after suffering a blow to the head, I gave him a Coke when we returned home, some ibuprofen, and held him while we watched Toy Story. Within the span of the movie, he was back to his usual self, with hardly even a bruise, but, he was unable to fall asleep even 4 hours later! He has only now, at 4:30, fallen asleep for his noon-time nap! And that only because I put him in the car and drove into Marion and back. He fell asleep when we were about 1.5 miles into our 3.5 mile drive.
And now, I can try to weed, but I think I will spray for bugs and slugs first, and try to weed again in the morning. It is H-O-T outside!!!!!

Friday!

So, it is Friday. Mike called last night from Costa Rica, where he is taking a few classes as prerequisites for his Masters which he is starting in August. He is, unfortunately, at least an hour from the beach, has to take a bus twice daily for classes, and feels a bit like he is in prison. Hopefully it starts to get better. They don't sell bus passes there (!!??!?!?!?!) and so he has to pay $2 a day just to get to and from his classes. That is ridiculous!
I tried to weed this morning. I thought that I could get a good deal done, as Gabe was engaged in Sesame Street, and since he has not seen that since he was at daycare (I finally pulled out the rabbit ears and attached them to our 32" HDTV--we got rid of the satellite since we had to cut expenses). He was really happy to watch Super Why and Clifford this morning. But, alas, he saw me out in the garden, pulling green things, and decided to help. He took a culled carrot (I was thinning and weeding them, even though the onions need it more, simply because I watered late last night, and the onion rows were really muddy) and ran inside singing "Rabbit! Rabbit" Kangaroo!" and I found him in the sink, trying to use the sprayer! It could have been much worse than it wound up being, since I caught him just before he solved the sprayer dilemma.
SO... although he naps during the hottest part of the day, I guess I will work in the garden during his naptime. I don't think Mike realizes that watching Gabe and weeding are not compatible. Nah...he does, but he cannot do anything about it while he is in Costa Rica. So I will do what I can and hope that I don't get too terribly burnt.
I have not felt comfortable weeding while the Olsens were staying with us, since I get really hot when I am working so hard out there, and don either my bathing suit or a tank top and a pair of Mike's swim trunks. Not really very modest. So, now that they have moved into their own home, I feel like I can weed once more. Boy do I have a lot of catching up to do!
Anyway... I will definitely be outside today pulling weeds while Gabe sleeps. I had plans to go to the park with a few women from church, but I wasn't able to get anything done this morning (like I had planned) so I think I will save gas and stay in. I have so much to do here that leaving doesn't sound like a very good idea. I do need to get my tire patched (got a flat the night Mike left) and pick up a few things from work (I am starting to give art leesons to a friend's kids one day a week) and, hopefully, go to the bank. I say hopefully because I am expecting a paycheck that, most likely, won't be deposited electronically. I hope that it gets here today. We are B-R-O-K-E!
Until next time...

It has been a while...

I cannot believe that I have not written a post in such a long time!

The garden is amazing! We have had several salads from our little patch and I have made a few dinners using zucchini and basil from what we have planted. Now we have quite a number of squash, gourds, cucumbers, and watermelon that I am eager to bite into, though admittedly it will still be weeks before the latter is ready. I do do enjoy walking around and checking on the progress.

Our corn is about as tall as Mike and is pollinating, which, for me, is kinda exciting! I know... what a dork! But, I am eager to have fresh corn on the cob that we grew ourselves, ya know? I think it will be really nice. I was talking with my mom a few days ago, and she was reminiscing about having entire meals on our table created from what we grew and raised on our tiny hobby farm. With all of the genetically engineered garbage that stocks our grocery stores today, I would love to return to that lifestyle. Perhaps someday Mike and I can have several acres on which we can raise our own food, but, for now, I am happy with our little garden.

I have to take more photos ASAP, but today Gabe and I are hanging our, lamenting the fact that Mike is now in Costa Rica (he left yesterday morning... I began this entry several days ago, but couldn't upload images for some reason, and am only now completing it). Anyway, tomorrow I will spend as long as I can bear in the garden, pulling weeds and stuff. Today, I am playing with Gabe and checking my inbox for some word from Mike.

This little guy was fluttering among our many flowers in the garden. We don't get many pollinaters these days, so I had to get a few pictures of him before he flew off. Since his (or her) little visit, we have had several more zucchini and watermelon, as well as a few canteloupe enlarge within our little patch. Perhaps it brought some friends?!

Until next time... adieu. I will try to be more regular in my blogging!

Why I Want Gabe to be a Scout

Would you know what to do if a tornado struck where you were? We have tornado drills annually at my school and during the drills we are instructed on how to do all we can to protect our students, from moving them away from windows and into an enclosed, interior portion of the building, to the proper position of the kids , facing the wall, toes against wall, knees up, head tucked, with arms folded across their heads. But, in the event an actual tornado rips through our building, I do not know what I should do. I am not prepared well enough for such a catastrophe.

At a Scount campin Iowa, just outside of Omaha, Nebraska, a group of about 100 Scouts were put through such a test. And, sad as it is, 4 were killed in the collapse of a chimney. But, as I cried while reading this article, I felt inspired, too. The Scouts went into full action, even after the tornado left several lying in blood, covered in rocks and wood, the survivors, boys of 13 and 14 years old, performed CPR, applied emergency medical support, and even cut away debris that blocked the path of emergency rescue teams. These children became the heroes of the day, and their heroic actions need to be celebrated.

As a parent with a son I hope will join the Scouts, I am grieved by the loss. I am sad for the parents of the children who were lost, but I am also lifted up by the courage shown by the surviving Scouts. Their strength and courage should demonstrate to us all the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity and do what is right and nobel. These ninety-plus boys should be applauded for their ability to shine in a moment wrought with fear and loss.

To them, their leaders who trained them well, and to their parents, congratulations (for I cannot think of something more fitting at the moment). To those who lost a child, I send my deepest condolences. To everyone else, if you have not already done so, read the story I linked to. It is inspiring. And in the world of today, that is an amazing thing.

Blossom End Rot

Blossom End Rot is a malady which affects many vegetable plants. Basically, when pollination fails, the vegetable that is on the vine that went unpollinated whithers and dies. Unfortunately I have had to remove 6 or 7 zucchini due to this. It is due, primarily, to a shortage of bees. One can "hand pollinate," which is something of a temporary fix, since how can a large farm sustain it's crops on hand pollination? I want to look into the bee shortage further before I comment too much on it, but there is a little that I do know. There is a virus of some type, or something like that, that attacks bees and causes confusion so that millions of bees lose their way, never to return to their hives. That is bad. But, there is another problem which causes a similar fate to the bees that is linked directly to cellular phone signals. Man! I really like the convenience of a cell phone, but, at what expense are we allowing ourselves this luxury?

Like I said, I need to look into it further. For now, I reallly miss the honey bees.

Here is a link that gives a brief story about the bees and Colony Collapse Disorder.

Depression

No, I am not depressed. I am actually in a very good mood. My son is wonderful, my husband is great, I have the very best dog that ever lived, and our garden is growing and growing. So, why the title "Depression?" I am worried about several members of my family right now. My dad suffers from PTSD (who served in the Vietnam "conflict"... erm... WAR... that doesn't?) and has had bouts of depression in the past. Right now he has many very excellent reasons for feeling glum. One, his wife has cancer. Not something manageable, like, I don't know... thyroid cancer. Nope. She has cancer of several regions; brain, liver, lung, bone, and throat, to name the few that I believe I remember correctly. She has come to terms with her cancer and knows that she hasn't much time remaining in the mortal existence, but, my dad... he hasn't. He says that he has, but I do not believe him. He is not good at being alone. I am very concerned about him. He lives in a very small town in northern Minnesota, where it gets really cold and grey in the winter, and they are still waiting for summer right now. Heck, spring would be nice! And to add some more to that, he just had spinal surgery and is recovering from that, after having been laid up since December 26th. Since the stinkin' insurance waited so long, he has irreparable nerve damage in his leg, and the surgery was more complex than it should have been, so recovery is more difficult. I hate that I am so far away from him. I know that he needs his family near him. I am glad that his sister is there right now, as is his brother, helping with housework and taking care of his some-35 thoroughbreds. He is a very active and busy man; he is the hardest working person I have ever met. Sitting still doesn't go over well with him, and he has had to do too much of it recently.
But... he is not my only concern. I worry that my sister-in-law is too isolated, that my mom has made bad decisions lately, and that my best friend is waiting around for a proposal that is slow to come (though, if the guy is as smart as I believe he is, it is forthcoming). I love them all so much, and I desire for them all to be happy. But, like so often is the case, I am powerless in their matters. They have to make good decisions and do what is right for them. I am certain that they have worried about their loved ones at times, as well. We all have. I am not saying that they all keep me up at night. No. But I have had many restless nights regarding at least one of them and no amount of wishing will put me close enough to him to give him a hug and tell him how much he means to me, to his face, so that he can see for himself just how very much I mean it.
Now... I have an incredible son to play with.
Good day!

Garden Update

Here is a picture of our squash, gourd, and various pumpkin plants. We think that the ground holds too much moisture for these little fellas.
Corn. Obvious, right? It is tall, mostly, though a few have been knocked over by bad weather and a few more are rather stunted. We are not certain why that is.
Most of our garden, but the ends are cut abrupt. To the left there are peas and green beans (well, the plants... not the beans, yet). To the right (top) is the squash, melons, etc..

The garden is really taking off! Unfortunately, we have had a few good storms that have pummeled our corn, so that looks a bit rough. Too bad it couldn't have done a number on the weeds, but those seem to withstand all of our attempts to vanquish them. Perhaps we should try a page from 'Dubya's book and do a little "shock and awe."

Anway, I thought that I would post a few pics and tell a bit about what you are seeing.

Our cucumbers are beginnig to come in nicely. There are many blossoms, but I can only see one littel cucumber beginning it's life. It is small but pokey, and Gabe finds it fascinating.

Then we have several basil plants that are doing very well. One is a sweet basil (larger leaves) and the smaller leaves are globe basil plants. They both are very tasty as I put some leaves in my salad today. Yummy!There are several pepper plants hosting a few peppers each, with one lone jalepeno ready to harvest on our bucket plant in the rear of our garden. These tiny peppers are fairly recent additions. Aren't they cute?

Overall, I think the garden looks great and the produce we have eaten from it has had great flavor and a long shelf-life in the fridge. It is a wonderful addition to our lives and I am glad we planted it. Unfortunately, I am working with Gabe on Potty training for a few days, so my attention needs to be more on him than anything else, so I was not able to get into the dirt much at all today, though Mike weeded a row after he returned from classes today.

Potty Training 101

I don't know what I am doing and neither does Gabe.

We are not operating on the same wavelength here! I am attempting to potty train my son, and he has a different idea. He wants to wear his "big boy" underwear, but says "No potty!" whenever I put him on the potty. He refuses to do anything in the potty, but will freely go whenever and wherever else he feels the urge. I think I need to be more of a dictator where this is concerned, since I have now found him cleaning up in the living room after he has had an accident, and you'd think that might be stimulus enough to just go in the potty. No! Not my boy!

But, I am going to stick with it. Gabe really loves to ride the pig on the carousel at a mall about 20 miles from here, so I am trying to communicate the idea that he will get a special outing to ride the pig after he stops using diapers and pull-ups (though I will most likely let him wear pull-ups on outings for a while).

Any ideas (besides the "Use a doll and let him teach it" method, as I am not able to buy one that does all that fancy business on our present budget) are appreciated! At any rate, your prayers are certainly appreciated. I will keep posting as we keep moving forward in this new and exciting chapter in child-(and parent-)hood!!

Back to it

Went out for a run this morning. I have been pretty bad about keeping up with it lately, but, this morning, I had a personal best. Something like 31:30. My best by a full minute thirty! I feel pretty good, but I am also really tired.
My friend, Maria, sent an email to me with a list of local 5K runs for the summer. There is one sponsored by Gibson Guitars that I am certainly aiming for, as well as the Race for the Cure at the end of the summer. There was also one in Graceland that I imagine would be fun.
Anyway... I am boring right now. I have a lot of housework to do today and a pre-trip meeting tonight, here at my house, for the trip I am leading to Paris in 33 days. I am not all that excited about my upcoming trip as we are really broke, and it is kind of stressing me out, knowing that I have little to no money for this trip. Oh well. I will eat crepes a lot, I assume, as they are pretty cheap.

Tigers!

I wish I had had my camera today when we went to the zoo. We were on our way home from Home Depot and decided to drop in to the zoo for a quick visit. While we were there we checked in with the tigers (Gabe loves the big cats) and... OH MY GOODNESS! Such excitement! One of the cats was tracking Gabe. I kid you not. It got into the water and followed him from one side of the exhibit to the other! It was very unsettling (thoughts of San Francisco Zoo flashed through my mind, and visions of me trying to protect my son from an escaped tiger forced me to take him down below, where you can view the tigers through glass).
It flippin' followed him down there! And then it jumped against the window more than a half-dozen times!! Gabe thought it was terrific! He kept looking at the people who were staring at him and this enormous tiger and saying, "Mine tiger!" (translation: "That is MY tiger!")
Anyway, I really wish I had thought to bring the camera along, but who needs a camera at the bank and Home Depot? Really??
On another note; I submitted my "Black History Micrography" project to my favorite art lessons website and heard back today with a resounding "WOW!!" That made me feel really great. I mean, I think the pieces are exceptional, but, to hear from IAD that she thinks that they are wonderful (she went on to tell me how much she LOVES the pieces...)... well, that just made my day!

Gabe Learns About Tomatoes

So, I went out to take some pictures of Gabe and the garden, aiming to get several shots of Gabe in the garden.

After several minutes in the squash and melon patch, we meandered over toward the tomato plants (there are several on the plants now, and Gabe seemed fascinated by them). But, as I was recording images of several plants, Gabe walked up to me and showed me a small grape tomato (in his hand) and said triumphantly, "TA DAAA!" (He has been using this expressive little noise often recently) I told him that it was not good to pick the green tomatoes and that he was not to do it again. Then I sent him in to show Mike.

When Gabe returned I was busily trying to use my auto-focus camera to shoot close-ups of some jalepenos (not easy as the camera preferred focusing on anything but the jalepenos), and I heard the distinct sound of a tomato being popped from it's location on a plant. Lo and behold Gabe had pulled the very nicest, blemish-free, large and very green tomato from a plant a few feet from where I stood. I couldn't help it. I yelled at him. Yep. Sue me! I was upset. I told him in a very stern voice how very bad it is to pluck the tomatoes while they are green. I guess he feels Southern, as he finds it perfectly okay to pick the green ones! But it was even too green for fried green tomatoes. Bummer! So... here is what we did with it.

We played catch with it, of course! Now... where is that tomato??