Mary, Mary...

How does your garden grow?
LOOK, we have peas! I have never grown peas before and I have to admit I am pretty excited. Otto ate one last night because he couldn't wait any longer. He declared it delicious.


And by the looks of it, there are more to come.


Yes, it needs to be weeded, but I swear I just weeded two days ago!! Check out our carrots. In addition to the carrots and peas we have beets, onions and watermelon in the ground. Then in pots we have basil, lots so we can make pesto, tomatoes and peppers that we started from seeds this winter. Otto has been really interested in the whole process of growing vegetables and is very excited for our harvest.


Otto and I both really love beets and we are very excited to taste the ones we are growing.


We also are growing cucumbers which I want to make into pickles, but I have a feeling they might be eaten before they get into the jars. Oh, well.


Blurry, I know, but you can see a little cucumber growing.


Our garden is a perfect example of what you can do with limited space. We have a pretty tiny yard (which is the perfect size to take care of) and most of our yard is very shady. But we have carved out a few little zones of sun and are looking forward to enjoying our tasty treasures. Since we obviously can't grow too much in our own yard we are splitting two shares from local CSA's (community supported agriculture) which have just started delivering yummy goodness. It is a good time of year.

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May this be the first of many

This weekend we had our first visit to our local family run amusement park. We brought with us some friends who somehow had never managed to make it there. It was a hot, crowded opening weekend, and it was marvelous. Otto was so excited he could hardly contain himself on the ride there. He kept asking, "is this the way?", somehow concerned that we were going to change our minds half way there and suddenly go somewhere else that would not be as much fun. I wasn't sure how much he would remember from last summer, but clearly it was enough to have him pressed forward against his car seats straps the whole way there. This is my kind of amusement park. There is no entrance fee, or fee to park. In fact you just park in a big open field. There are large shade giving trees throughout the park so you are not left to blister in the sun, aaahhh. The food is top quality fair food at it's best. We got there around 3:30 and by 4:15 we were eating funnel cake. It doesn't get much better than that. Mette who continues to be a picky eater wolfed down pizza and tri-tators (think triangle hash browns) while Otto put away a hot dog and pizza. Even though it really won't be until next year that Mette can ride on rides, she seemed to really have a good time. Otto who has been a bit hesitant in the past with going on rides by himself was running from one to the next wanting to ride them all. We will definitely be going back a few more times this summer. We also need to go with some other adults during the day (we went after nap time so we couldn't stay too long) so eric and I can ride some of the roller coasters together. It has been forever since I have not either been pregnant or had a tiny little baby to tend to, but this year if someone could watch the kids, we could do a few rides together. Heck, that sounds like a date almost!

Mette and I did ride the helicopter together. She really liked it, even when we went up high!



The firetrucks was one of the rides Otto remembered from last time. He was very excited to ride the this time. When you enter the park you have to walk around to the back section to get to where the kids rides are, the entire walk there he kept wanting to know if the firetrucks would be there. He seemed quite relieved to finally get to go for a drive.


Eric took each of the kids on the cars where they can "drive". Mette went first and was all smiles so I have to think she liked it.


Of course, I didn't think to charge the camera battery before we left and it is getting old and doesn't hold a charge like it used to. As a result of that many of these pictures were taken with eric's iPhone. It takes good photos, just not the same as the camera, sorry.


These two are so cute together!


Next it was Otto's turn. He took driving very seriously.


So did eric.


Having a BLAST!


Eric's mad photo skills. He managed to get Otto waving to Mette and I while riding on a spinning ride!


This is the joy of children, watching them in awe of the things around them. Trying to see the world through their eyes. Remembering to slow down and appreciate all of the little things in each day.


I hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day Weekend. It is good and hot here and we are doing our best to keep cool and enjoy our good fortune.

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Look, someone lives here!

We live in an amazing 1916 Colonial Revival in one of the most darling small towns ever. Darling really is the best way to describe this town. A friend once described the tree lighting ceremony in December as "something straight out of _The Gilmore Girls_". She was totally right. In this darling little town we live on the main street which is quite lovely. However we never use our front door, we are a backdoor kind of family, so the front of the house is often neglected. A few years ago I bought plants for the front planters and managed to kill them in record time by forgetting to ever water them. Last summer I toyed with the idea of buying new plants but with a two year old and a three month old that seemed like a really dumb idea. This year I am determined to do better. After all, if I can keep a vegetable garden, and herb garden and two small children alive, I ought to be able to keep three planters alive. HA! So on that note this morning we all headed to the garden store and I picked out plants that could handle the northern shade, late day sun location that our front porch is and came home to set up shop. Being as today is the first day in their new home and I have not even had a chance to forget to water them they are looking very happy. The best part is it actually makes it look like people who care live in our house!






Our house came with some amazing planters which may be original. It really was a crime for me to be growing weeds in them for as long as I did.





The moss on this one is so beautiful. The plant you see here is a sweet potato variety that will grow down over the edge of the pot.





Certain little people were very interested in helping. Despite the many days of predicted thunderstorms, it has not rained here in a while. No matter, my children can find water anywhere. Looks like the neighbors must have been watering their garden and some ran off to the sidewalk.






This has been a good start to what should be a lovely weekend. After naptime today we are headed to a local small amusement park. I can almost taste the fried food and lemonade now.

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Curtains

I have spent a fair amount of time on this blog talking about things that I make and or do, and I think it is only fair that I share some pictures of those things. Besides, this is a nice way to show off some of the amazing material I have purchased at the amazing Japanese Fabric store in our town, The Beckoning Cat.

This first curtain is in our back hallway which I also just finished painting. It is almost impossible to take a good picture of this window and curtain so please excuse the photos. The sun streams through which is lovely, but bad for a photo, plus the angle of the stairs is tricky to navigate.



I painted the risers of the stairs to match the material and they look so bright and cheery. They still need a few more coats of paint, but I just add them here and there.


The next curtain is also in the back hallyway. It is the door to my laundry room. It is the sunniest part of the house and now when the door is closed and the light is pouring through the new curtain the whole hallway is awash with color. It makes me very happy.






Mette also likes it as you can see from her excited gesturing in the foreground. With the painting of the back hallway, making the new curtains and finally hanging photos in the guest bedroom (door on the right by laundry room) the back section of the house is really coming along. I still need to put up a new ceiling in the bathroom and paint the bathroom, but that is a project that requires help. I am so pleased with the results. It looks fresh, modern and inviting. It is amazing what some paint and a little material will do to a space.

Speaking of projects, this morning I had a babysitter come to watch the kids and I powerwashed the deck. I think you know me well enough that I don't have to be embarrassed about how much I loved it. I borrowed the power washer from our neighbors and it was glorious. It looks so much better. No, that's isn't really true. It looks worse, but it is on it's way to looking better. Once it dries I am going to patch the places where the concrete is flaking and sand the wood deck. Then I am going to paint it. THEN, it will look so much better. But now, even though it looks like a mess because the layer of dirt and mold that was covering the chipping paint is gone, it is at least clean.

While I am working on that I am also going to make covers for the four director chairs we inherited with the house and paint them. All of this combined with the new lights I mentioned in the post about the herbs will mean that we have a really lovely spot to sit out and enjoy the evenings, or afternoons as the case may be.

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These boots were made for walking

This evening Mette picked out her outfit. She heard boots were in this year and pulled this ensemble together.










Otto, aka Fernando, also insisted on wearing boots and having his picture taken.



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The times they are a changin'

Last night eric, Mette and I embarked on a new journey. I am no longer going to nurse Mette during the night. For the first 14 months of her life Mette got up to eat every two to three, sometimes four, hours a night. Then she started getting up maybe once, but usually twice. I kept thinking that if I just hung in there she would start stretching out. I have come to the conclusion that it is never going to happen if I don't help. I am also going to start down the weaning path. She will be 16 months old next week and I think it is time. For the past 4 years with the exception of 6 weeks I have either been pregnant or nursing. Which is fine, I have been happy to do it and I am so glad I did, but the time has come for me to have my body back. I don't want to think twice about having more coffee, drinks with dinner, going out and getting back in time for her to nurse. It has been a wonderful run, with both kids, but they are strong healthy well bonded children who no longer need substance from my physical body. I don't expect or want to wean to quickly. Judging by how I felt this morning after her not nursing all night I think that would be VERY painful for me. I do want to start moving in that direction though. So, we are staring with nights. I have to say it went pretty well last night. She nursed before she went to bed and slept until 1, a long stretch for her. At 1 I went in and instead of nursing her I told her it was time to go back to bed. She was not too pleased, but not hysterical like I thought might be the case. I asked her if she wanted any water, she nodded yes so I offered her a sippy cup. She took two tiny sips and pushed it away in a true moody 16 year old maneuver. She asked to nurse (she signs it) and I told her we weren't nursing in the night and it was time to go back to sleep. She was very tired and I could tell wanted to go back to sleep but was annoyed I wasn't going to pick her up and nurse her. I went back to bed and she fussed. Eric went in to comfort her later on and it took her until almost 3 to really go back to sleep, but she did eventually go back to sleep. She also never really lost it. She was pissed, but also really tired and the tired won out. She slept until 5:20 at which point I nursed her, (boy did that feel good!) and she went back to sleep!! She slept until 7:15. If she can start sleeping through the night until 5ish then nursing and going back to sleep I will keep that up for a bit. Nothing before 5, but after 5 if she will go back to sleep I'll cut a deal with her. Pre-6 is just WAY too early to get up and if I don't nurse her she is up for the day. When I went in a 5:20 she was standing up bright eyed saying hi. Nursing and more sleep works so much better for all members of the family at that point.

I have no idea how tonight will go. It seems that sometimes these things get worse before they get better but I am sticking to it. While she may want to nurse in the night, she does not need to. What she needs to do is to learn how to sleep through the night, and that is our goal here. Then we will start working on getting her down to just a couple nursings a day. I think I am going to shoot for once in the morning, once before nap, and MAYBE once after nap, then once before bed. This will of course require she eats more food, but I think the only way to get her to eat more is to not nurse her as much. Now this part is really not going to fly. She will scream and throw fits if I offer her food when she is hungry instead of nursing her, but I am determined. I have an aresenol of yummy snacks she likes at the ready and I am mastering a yogurt smoothie she likes that I can offer when she really just wants to nurse. This is where Otto liking milk made it so much easier. Mette won't drink milk so there is no substitute. But the yogurt smoothies may just work. Milkshakes would work too since she sucks those right down but I am not that desperate yet. I really do feel that if I don't take the initiative with Mette to wean that she will happily nurse until she goes to Kindergarden which I am not cool with. I am all about extended breast feeding, baby wearing, co-sleeping when it works, but there is a line for everyone and we are getting close to crossing my line. I would like Mette to be weaned by later this summer. We'll see how that goes.

Wish us luck!

A new voice

I have toyed with the idea of a second blog for a long time. Heck i have three blogger sites in my account for that reason. I have finally done it. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to advertise it here. I added it to the blog roll on the side over the weekend, but said nothing about it. I wasn't sure if I was ready for everyone to know about it. But I thought about and realized that was stupid. If I am ready to click publish and sent it out into the world, I am ready for anyone to read it, right? Right. So check the blog roll, it is linked there. I'll let you figure out which one it is. It is a place for me to be. Share what inspires me, makes me laugh, causes me to pause and think and hopefully a place where you can go to be inspired. Feel free to stop by and say hello, I love knowing you are out there. That goes for this blog too, comments make me smile and remind me why I enjoy the whole blogging world. Sometimes being married to a man who challenges the limits of media, online communication, copyright, electronic rights, who pushes boundaries and fights for change makes me chuckle at my own blogs and Facebook accounts. There is something to this whole word of sharing and a release I get from clicking post or comment that I am becoming addicted to.


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I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream

Eric and I have a slightly different view of the importance of being clean. He values it above most things, I think while it is important, being dirty is also a lot of fun. Since he is out of town for the weekend I thought this would be a good time to let Otto have have a stab at an ice cream cone. We have a babysitter coming in the evenings to help out with dinner, bath and bedtime so the two of us took the kids over the bridge to get some ice cream after dinner. Let's just say that it is just as well Eric missed the spectacle! It was a fantastic time to be sure.





got the end of my cone and was delighted to have her own to hold. It should also be said that the stroller is now cleaner than it was earlier as it was a bit sticky after the whole ordeal!



























Where does the ice cream go?







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This is for you, Ben

I have always been a girl who loves shoes, but with four little feet that grow while you blink, it has not been my shoe closet that has been expanding in the past few years. However, in order for those feet to grow so much, there is a lot of food to be consumed which means my love of cooking is put to good use. Now I have a way to tie the two together. Check out my new herb garden hanging outside by kitchen door.









An old shoe organizer put to good use. And it makes use of the tiny bit of full sun in this part of the yard. The large hanging lantern was a gift from my BIL Matt and the small hanging lanterns are from IKEA and are solar powered. All in all this is my new favorite hang out.








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Sleep

Ha ha. You thought this would be about Mette. No, I am still not talking about that. This is about Otto. Today at nap time he wanted to wear his construction goggles to bed and who was I to stop him? I snuck in a few minutes ago and got this...



Doesn't look comfortable to me, but he is sound asleep.

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Productive

I am not trying to brag, but I just want to share that the entire family (including me with a shower!!!) and all of our recycling was loaded in our car and backing out of the garage at 7:56 this morning. We dropped off recycling, went to market, dropped off Eric at work, went home changed mette's diaper, hit some yard sales, scored big, went to playgroup, came home and had lunch. While the kids were napping I put up two shelves in the laundry room, scrubbed the back bathroom, wiped down the back hall and stairs, cleaned the laundry room and moved wash along. When the kids woke up we went to the hardware store and got more potting soil and I planted all the herbs I got at market, (pictures to follow) I rotated the compost and weeded the veggie garden. The kids played while I made an easy dinner. After getting mette to sleep I moved more wash along and deep cleaned otto's room.

Now Iam exhausted and am making some chocolate chip cookies from batter I had in the fridge which I plan to eat while still warm on the couch with a big glass of milk and a good mystery novel.

As for yard sale scores, I got a brand new Columbia winter coat for Otto for $7. A doll stroller for mette $2, some long sleeves shirts for Otto $0.50 each, a bowling set for the kids $2 and a backhoe for Otto who was a complete angel all morning and totally deserved a gift. It was a good unexpected haul.

Days like today make me feel better about the days where it feels like I got zero accomplished.


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Team Ferrari

I have mentioned in the past how when ever Otto does something, Mette wants to do it too, well dress-up is no different. She is so specific that when Otto wears his Ferrari outfit, she has to wear one too. Luckily we have his from last year which really is way too big on her, but she doesn't seem to mind at all. She insists on a helmet too but luckily she settles for a bike helmut. The racing helmet is too big for her and we only have one.






To be honest, they really are starting to play together. Two days ago they kept themselves busy playing a version of baseball with foam bats and balls for close to half and hour. Mette is very good at taking the very toy Otto is playing with and when you try to get it back she clutches it tight and makes for the hills laughing all the way. So far Otto has not hit her in reaction to this, but it is going to happen any day now. This weekend I saw him with fist raised about to cream her on the head, I caught his attention and his response was "I wasn't going to hit her, I was checking out my back like this...". Cue fake back scratching. So, it is only a matter of time but to be honest, she has it coming. Spoken like the true oldest child I am.

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Tricky

I am figuring out how this whole iPad thing works. This looks like a fabulous place to sit and work out all the questions I have.





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It's the little things

In all the craziness that is the end of the semester and deadlines for two commercials, we have managed to have a delightful weekend, helped by some beautiful weather. Yesterday I got out the door by eight to hit the yard sales with Rachel where I scored some Nascar trucks for Otto and two cars which will come in handy as treats for Otto when he has allergy testing next month. I also got some great jammies and t-shirts for him. When I got home the kids and I played outside in the yard enjoying the beautiful weather until Grandmom, Grandpa and ever growing Hugo arrived. Soon after that my uncle Alan and aunt Lee arrived. With children tucked into beds for naps, my mom, aunt and I headed out for lunch and girls day of shopping at the Japanese fabric store in town. That store is amazing!!! Really that already is a fabulous day but it was made even better by a fun dinner at the local burger/shake/fish sandwich joint and a romp in the park to wear out the kids.

Today is race day in the F1 world and it is Monanco which always makes for a good day. Top that off with lunch at the park where we ran into friends and yummy local goodness for dinner planned with strawberry rhubarb crisp for dessert. It doesn't get much better than this.

Hope your weekend was as good as ours!


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Circles or stripes?

I have always been a circles kind of girl. My wedding dress was white with black polka dots for crying out loud. I like how they can be very whimsical in bright colors scattered about, or serious all lined up in rows. They are geometric without being to ridged.

That being said, I am completely taken with these stripes http://designismine.blogspot.com/2010/05/interior-inspiration-stripes-in-home.html

They are however the perfect compliment to dots.


Hmmm must figure out how to hotlink.....


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Location:Market St,Lewisburg,United States

New Toy

Checking to see how this works. Today my iPad arrived and I have just jumped to new levels of coolness!

Heck, I can even add pictures!


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Circus

This room is so enchanting and fun! Can you imagine how much fun it would be to wake up in such a wonderful space?? Are you picturing pure childhood glee?? Great, then you must think like the designer and not a person who actually lives with a child. While wonderful both of my children would have this toppled immediataly as they tried to scale it in an attempt to see how fast they could spin around.

I am willing to admit that there might be children for whom this room would work, I just haven't met one yet!

Philly!!!

Remember how I was mentioning how excited I was to head to Philly this past weekend? Well we got home yesterday from a wonderful weekend. We got to see the new house, visit with family, eat way too much good food and visit museums. It was action packed and adventure filled. Otto started to reach his tipping point Sunday afternoon but more or less he held it together for the rest of the weekend. He did only eat a few bites of dinner and a piece of lettuce for dinner after which we took him out for a sundae, but when you see where we went, you will know why!! Stellar parenting at it's finest. It was a wonderful Mother's Day for me and a fabulous visit for everyone.

We started the weekend with a visit from Nonna Jen's parents, brother, sister-in-law and nephew. Otto stole Jen away to the front porch to eat a cupcake. Smart boy!

On Sunday we went to the Philadelphia Please Touch Museum. It is possibly the most beautiful children's museum you will ever see. A few years ago they moved from the prior location to Memorial Hall in Fairmont Park. Even if you don't have children it is worth making a trip here.

Few, if any, entries can compare to this!

A small eating nook...

The tyranny of choice!

Otto this year riding the Vespa...

Otto last year riding the Vespa.

Daddy and Mette riding the train

Nonna Jen too

The play grocery store was a HUGE hit with Mette. She spent a lot of time picking out food to fill her cart. She also helped a few others fill their carts.

Gotta have the BIG one!

Mette riding the Dodo bird in the Alice and Wonderland exhibit.

The Please Touch Museum is home to a truly amazing carousel. It is from Woodside Park in New Jersey. I didn't know how much Mette would like riding on it, so she stayed with me to watch. As soon as it stared moving she was very excited!!

Otto managed to scoop up some balls with the diggers. Mette just wanted the balls, and told everyone by yelling "BALL".

Each lilly pad made a new sound when you jumped on it. Mette was quite taken with this.

Pit crew Faden

How can you not stop to admire this amazing floor.... I see a quilt pattern in my future.

Lollipops work well to keep children awake in the car.

Reading with Grandpa

Just boys in the city

Our family...

On our way to the best ice cream ever. Franklin Fountain. It is amazing.

Otto and I shared what I think was the best hot fudge sundae I have ever had.

Reading with Nonna Jen and Daddy

There will be more stories, but the girl is awake so I must run. It was a great visit and I can't wait to go back.