He composed this all by himself.
30.4.09
29.4.09
Manwich
There are many, many things Bella won't eat. Among them: meat, bread, and vegetables. That leaves fruit, cheese, peanut butter, and sweets as her main source of sustenance.
But daycare has finally started to expand her palette. Today I got these photo from her teacher:
Yes, that's my darling girl chowing down on Manwich aka sloppy joes. The accompanying text said "This is to make up for the day I forgot to snap a photo of her eating fish sticks."
So the moral of the story is my child is growing and changing every day. And every day she becomes more and more like her father. The less recognizable a food is, the more they want to eat it!
But daycare has finally started to expand her palette. Today I got these photo from her teacher:
Yes, that's my darling girl chowing down on Manwich aka sloppy joes. The accompanying text said "This is to make up for the day I forgot to snap a photo of her eating fish sticks."So the moral of the story is my child is growing and changing every day. And every day she becomes more and more like her father. The less recognizable a food is, the more they want to eat it!
28.4.09
Community Garden Night 2
Javi and I had our second night of Community Garden class ... and he was not happy about it. His class had a field trip during the day ... to a park ... in 90-degree weather ... without much water or shade. Needless to say, Javi wasn't really interested in doing anything once he got home.
But he tried his best. When we got to the garden, he helped me find our plants and sort through them so we could follow the sketch I made after the last class. We ordered 4 tomato, 2 zucchini, 2 eggplant, 6 cucumber, and 8 basil. Unfortunately, we had to stop our little progress for the class, which was on soils.
I don't think anyone in that room really cared about soils, but I did learn some interesting stuff. For instance, the numbers on fertilizer bags (eg., 10-15-20) correspond to the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (respectively) in the bag. You add those numbers up to determine how many nutrients are in the bag. So, 10-15-20 is 45% nutrient ... and 55% sand. A bag of 10-10-10 has 30% nutrient and 70% sand. So you're getting a better deal buying the more expensive stuff because you can use less of it for the same effect. I never buy fertilizer, but that's really good to know!
We also got a sand sample kit that I can use to take samples of the soil in our yard. Once I know what our levels are, I can better plan a little garden right in our back yard ... especially after a summer of the community garden and associated classes.
So after the class, we headed back out to the beds. My mom had joined us by then, so the three of us made quick work of getting all the plants into the soil and well watered. Then we were off. But, I made another stop by this morning to water my beds again. The soil was so dry last night that I didn't want to risk waiting until tonight.
Basil, eggplant, and cucumbers:
But he tried his best. When we got to the garden, he helped me find our plants and sort through them so we could follow the sketch I made after the last class. We ordered 4 tomato, 2 zucchini, 2 eggplant, 6 cucumber, and 8 basil. Unfortunately, we had to stop our little progress for the class, which was on soils.
I don't think anyone in that room really cared about soils, but I did learn some interesting stuff. For instance, the numbers on fertilizer bags (eg., 10-15-20) correspond to the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (respectively) in the bag. You add those numbers up to determine how many nutrients are in the bag. So, 10-15-20 is 45% nutrient ... and 55% sand. A bag of 10-10-10 has 30% nutrient and 70% sand. So you're getting a better deal buying the more expensive stuff because you can use less of it for the same effect. I never buy fertilizer, but that's really good to know!
We also got a sand sample kit that I can use to take samples of the soil in our yard. Once I know what our levels are, I can better plan a little garden right in our back yard ... especially after a summer of the community garden and associated classes.
So after the class, we headed back out to the beds. My mom had joined us by then, so the three of us made quick work of getting all the plants into the soil and well watered. Then we were off. But, I made another stop by this morning to water my beds again. The soil was so dry last night that I didn't want to risk waiting until tonight.
Basil, eggplant, and cucumbers:
All the community beds:
Bella was with me (thanks to pink eye). She LOVED being out there. She immediately started playing in a pile of leftover soil/compost mixture and helped me hold the hose to soak the beds. She also checked out everyone else's beds and then threw a major tantrum when it was time to go. I guess I need to let her come out with us on non-class nights!
27.4.09
Camping
Who chooses to camp the weekend it's supposed to hit the mid-90s? More people than you'd probably guess if the jam-packed campground is any indication.
We got out to the lake in the still-early afternoon on Friday only to find that there were no water-front spots available and no side-by-side sites (we were camping with other people). But, Billy managed to find a somewhat shady spot to set up our pop-up camper for it's virgin outing.
Bella and I came out later after working the Jaycees' spaghetti supper. We did some socializing and then promptly went on to bed. Javi settled into camper sleeping without incident, but Bella is a different story. We thought everything would be fine once we got her to sleep, but that was only the beginning... the poor thing later FELL OUT of the camper!!! Apparently the flap on that side wasn't tight enough and our baby rolled right on out! Who does that happen to?
Luckily she barely had a scratch and we were able to comfort her enough to get her
back to sleep in a new (safer) bed and we all went back to sleep. That wasn't the end of the night-time battles though because the next night, Bella was being silly and tried to throw herself back on her pillow ... only she hit the frame ... hard! A big ol' knot formed on the back of her head as we calmed down the hysterics. And then she did it again. Needless to say, night time in the camper is not our friend.
But daytime was okay. On Sunday after a super-early start and breakfast, we headed down to the beach area. I put the kids in bathing suits just so they wouldn't be too hot, but lo and behold they ran straight into the water and stayed there -- despite the temperature hovering in the freezing range! It was hot as all get out on the shore, though.
Shannon and Bill came to hang out with us for awhile, so when it was naptime, we dumped out the men and the girls drove around so Bella could get some sleep in the a/c. It was such a nice break from the heat! After the Shueys left, we headed over to Camp Gordon for dinner and s'mores.
Tons of bubbles, a bag of marshmellows, and a campfire later, we tucked back in for the night. Billy had rearranged our beds, so we were all much more comfortable on Night 2 than Night 1. Afer some good, good sleep, I was up and at 'em early in the morning so I went ahead and packed everything up. We actually had to wake the kids up around 9 am lest they sleep all day!
After breakfast, we went down to the waterfront and let them play for a couple hours while we just relaxed and enjoyed the day. Then it was time to head home -- for me an dkids at least. Billy stayed another night by himself to fish and play Thoreau. ;)
By 3 pm on Sunday, we were home, Bella was in her bed taking a nap and my car was unpacked. However, it's a day later and I'm still not recovered. I'm not sure when we'll brave the wilds again ... but we are planning to take the boat out of the day next weekend. It was the only thing (besides civilization) that we missed this weekend!
We got out to the lake in the still-early afternoon on Friday only to find that there were no water-front spots available and no side-by-side sites (we were camping with other people). But, Billy managed to find a somewhat shady spot to set up our pop-up camper for it's virgin outing.Bella and I came out later after working the Jaycees' spaghetti supper. We did some socializing and then promptly went on to bed. Javi settled into camper sleeping without incident, but Bella is a different story. We thought everything would be fine once we got her to sleep, but that was only the beginning... the poor thing later FELL OUT of the camper!!! Apparently the flap on that side wasn't tight enough and our baby rolled right on out! Who does that happen to?
Luckily she barely had a scratch and we were able to comfort her enough to get her
back to sleep in a new (safer) bed and we all went back to sleep. That wasn't the end of the night-time battles though because the next night, Bella was being silly and tried to throw herself back on her pillow ... only she hit the frame ... hard! A big ol' knot formed on the back of her head as we calmed down the hysterics. And then she did it again. Needless to say, night time in the camper is not our friend.But daytime was okay. On Sunday after a super-early start and breakfast, we headed down to the beach area. I put the kids in bathing suits just so they wouldn't be too hot, but lo and behold they ran straight into the water and stayed there -- despite the temperature hovering in the freezing range! It was hot as all get out on the shore, though.
Shannon and Bill came to hang out with us for awhile, so when it was naptime, we dumped out the men and the girls drove around so Bella could get some sleep in the a/c. It was such a nice break from the heat! After the Shueys left, we headed over to Camp Gordon for dinner and s'mores.Tons of bubbles, a bag of marshmellows, and a campfire later, we tucked back in for the night. Billy had rearranged our beds, so we were all much more comfortable on Night 2 than Night 1. Afer some good, good sleep, I was up and at 'em early in the morning so I went ahead and packed everything up. We actually had to wake the kids up around 9 am lest they sleep all day!
After breakfast, we went down to the waterfront and let them play for a couple hours while we just relaxed and enjoyed the day. Then it was time to head home -- for me an dkids at least. Billy stayed another night by himself to fish and play Thoreau. ;)
By 3 pm on Sunday, we were home, Bella was in her bed taking a nap and my car was unpacked. However, it's a day later and I'm still not recovered. I'm not sure when we'll brave the wilds again ... but we are planning to take the boat out of the day next weekend. It was the only thing (besides civilization) that we missed this weekend!
24.4.09
Camping this weekend
We're camping this weekend. I cannot promise that my marriage won't end before it's over, but I do promise not to kill my husband. I may maim him slightly .... but I definitely won't kill him. Despite how frustrating he can be.
The kids will have fun regardless and that's the point, right?
The kids will have fun regardless and that's the point, right?
22.4.09
Happy Earth Day!
As a semi-environmentalist, I'd like to take the time to list out the ways I live greenly every day:
- I buy items in bulk rather individually packaged.
- I eat a meatless meal at least 2x per week. (Research shows that if everyone ate 20% less meat it would have the same effect on the environment as everyone switching to hybrid vehicles.)
- I work from home.
- I drive a fuel efficient vehicle.
- I walk instead of drive when possible. This was easier when I lived in a city.
- I carpool when possible.
- I recycle paper, plastics and aluminum.
- I reuse and repurpose everything I can (including my aluminum foil!).
- I compost everything I can.
- I bring my own bags when shopping. When I forget my bags, I go bag-less.
- I keep the temperature around 65 degrees year round. I add layers if I'm cold and remove layers if I'm hot rather than adjusting the temperature.
- I participate in a community garden.
- I support local growers when possible.
- I use compact fluorescent light bulbs.
- I use energy efficient household appliances, namely the dish washer, washer and dryer.
- I only run the dish washer when full, which is usually every other day.
- I re-wear clothes as much as possible.
- I don't eat seafood. (See why.)
- I borrow books from the library instead of buying them.
- I make cleaning products from vinegar, baking soda, and lemon.
- I filter tap water and drink it from a BPA-free water bottle rather than buying bottled water.
- I turn off water when I'm not using it (such as when I'm brushing my teeth or shaving my legs).
- I turn off lights and fans in rooms I'm not using.
- I close the fridge door rather than leaving it open when making snacks or meals.
- I turn off the oven about 10 minutes before a recipe calls for. The heat will continue cooking the item until it's done.
- I collect rain water for watering our plants and the compost.
- I purchase recycled toilet paper.
- I limit paper towels and try to use cloth towels instead.
- I donate or re-sell all our used items rather than throwing anything away.
- I used BPA-free bottles for Bella rather than ones with disposable liners.
- I purchase carbon offsets when I buy travel or accomodations.
What I could do better:
- I don't buy locally grown meat and produce as often as I could or should. I plan to rectify this by shopping the Farmer's Market regularly and finding local sources for meat.
- I still eat more meat than I'd like. I would like to cut meat out of four meals each week.
- I sometimes take away plastic bags if I forgot mine and I'm in a rush, etc. However, I always recycle the bags I take.
- I don't eat organically. I can't afford to.
- I own two cars and a boat. That makes my carbon footprint much bigger than it should be. At least one is energy efficient and one only goes the 3 miles back and forth to Billy's work.
- I keep the tv on even when I'm not watching it. And the laptop is always running. I'm trying shut down the laptop when I'm not using it, though. So far, I've been doing well.
So! What are YOU doing to be more Earth-friendly? What do you suggest I add to my green lifestyle?
- I buy items in bulk rather individually packaged.
- I eat a meatless meal at least 2x per week. (Research shows that if everyone ate 20% less meat it would have the same effect on the environment as everyone switching to hybrid vehicles.)
- I work from home.
- I drive a fuel efficient vehicle.
- I walk instead of drive when possible. This was easier when I lived in a city.
- I carpool when possible.
- I recycle paper, plastics and aluminum.
- I reuse and repurpose everything I can (including my aluminum foil!).
- I compost everything I can.
- I bring my own bags when shopping. When I forget my bags, I go bag-less.
- I keep the temperature around 65 degrees year round. I add layers if I'm cold and remove layers if I'm hot rather than adjusting the temperature.
- I participate in a community garden.
- I support local growers when possible.
- I use compact fluorescent light bulbs.
- I use energy efficient household appliances, namely the dish washer, washer and dryer.
- I only run the dish washer when full, which is usually every other day.
- I re-wear clothes as much as possible.
- I don't eat seafood. (See why.)
- I borrow books from the library instead of buying them.
- I make cleaning products from vinegar, baking soda, and lemon.
- I filter tap water and drink it from a BPA-free water bottle rather than buying bottled water.
- I turn off water when I'm not using it (such as when I'm brushing my teeth or shaving my legs).
- I turn off lights and fans in rooms I'm not using.
- I close the fridge door rather than leaving it open when making snacks or meals.
- I turn off the oven about 10 minutes before a recipe calls for. The heat will continue cooking the item until it's done.
- I collect rain water for watering our plants and the compost.
- I purchase recycled toilet paper.
- I limit paper towels and try to use cloth towels instead.
- I donate or re-sell all our used items rather than throwing anything away.
- I used BPA-free bottles for Bella rather than ones with disposable liners.
- I purchase carbon offsets when I buy travel or accomodations.
What I could do better:
- I don't buy locally grown meat and produce as often as I could or should. I plan to rectify this by shopping the Farmer's Market regularly and finding local sources for meat.
- I still eat more meat than I'd like. I would like to cut meat out of four meals each week.
- I sometimes take away plastic bags if I forgot mine and I'm in a rush, etc. However, I always recycle the bags I take.
- I don't eat organically. I can't afford to.
- I own two cars and a boat. That makes my carbon footprint much bigger than it should be. At least one is energy efficient and one only goes the 3 miles back and forth to Billy's work.
- I keep the tv on even when I'm not watching it. And the laptop is always running. I'm trying shut down the laptop when I'm not using it, though. So far, I've been doing well.
So! What are YOU doing to be more Earth-friendly? What do you suggest I add to my green lifestyle?
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