Oh Gourd!

This is what our garden looks like this year. It's still a learning experience. As in, we are learning not to put anything in the pumpkin family in our compost bin. It can't break down through our cold winter and by spring, we have seeds mixed in that we spread throughout our garden. We are calling this years garden "Our Mystery Garden".

Now, pumpkin plants in the beginning look a lot like zucchini, which looks like yellow squash, which looks like watermelon and cantaloupe. You get the idea. So, we aren't really sure what is growing, but we are thinking we might be able to open our very own pumpkin patch this year.

I took the kids to a pumpkin patch in October and they got 2 of those cute little pumpkins. They are too small to carve, so they usually get painted or stickers put on them. Well, 2 went into the compost bin and I think about 30 are now growing. Or is this something else that I'm unaware of? I'm just assuming it's the little pumpkins.

Notice it's in a pot. We didn't put it there. What was supposed to be an herb pot of cilantro and basil also has a corn stalk, tomato plant, cucmber and snapdragons (which I haven't planted in that pot for about 3 years).

And the big pumpkins have started growing. I think we have about 5 so far, pumpkins that is. The plants themselves look like there could be dozens.


We planted other things that are growing just fine, like these green beans.


We also have lots of tomato plants, but none are growing where we actually planted them. Go figure. David says next year, we should forgo seeds and just spread out our compost bin and see what we get.

We are either the worst gardeners in the world or we're really onto something.

How Long Does It Take You?

My best friend, Pam, came up yesterday to visit. She spent the night. We have a fun day planned of going to Target to register for a few baby items (some mommy group friends are having a brunch for me, so nice) and to lunch at Wildflower Bread Company. But, I'm beginning to think it may never happen.

Pam got in the shower over an hour ago and is still getting ready. At this point, we will need to go to dinner before we do anything.

I vaguely remember a time when it took me an hour to get ready. Well, I don't think it ever took quite that long, maybe 45 minutes. I recall road trips and vacations that Pam and I would take. She'd get in the shower first and start getting ready. Then, I'd get in the shower and I'd still be sitting on the bed waiting for her mapping out our day.

After 2 kids, my skills have greatly been refined. I'm usually ready in about 20 minutes. Showered, make up on, dressed and ready to go. Now, I don't wash my hair everyday like I used to and maybe my legs aren't always as silky smooth as they once were, but it's my life now and I've happily adjusted.

I wonder what Pam would do if she had a baby? I'm laughing thinking about her wearing a baseball cap every other day.

Oh my, she just said she's ready. Gotta go...

So, how long does it take you to get ready on a regular day?

When Are You Due?

Finally. A complete stranger asked me that question today.

It is a loaded question and one you never want to ask unless you are almost 100% certain.

Up until this point, I feel like people just wonder if I am pregnant or maybe I just have a big stomach. I'm hoping they will now be able to tell that I am indeed pregnant. After all, I am 26 weeks along.

I'm coming into the homestretch.

3 year old nightmare

Ben came in our room last night at 3 AM. He's a good sleeper and rarely does this. He was crying a little and seemed upset. David laid him in bed with me and went to sleep in Ben's room. I asked Ben what was wrong and he didn't say much. After a few minutes, we drifted off to sleep with his little body tucked against my ever expanding one.

This morning when he got up I asked him again what was wrong last night.

He said he had a dream that Santa came and didn't bring him any presents. He was almost in tears just recalling the horrific nightmare.

I'm happy his life is so simple and that's all he has to worry about.

Nesting

I am not nesting yet.

But I did find this lovely family of wasps that are making 2 nests on our house.


David is stopping by Home Depot for emergency supplies on his way home.

Wish us luck, or rather just him. The kids and I will be inside watching through the window.

Swimming

The kids started their swim lessons at the Y this week. The best part is the pool is heated and indoors, which means we don't have to spend 10 minutes lathering on sunscreen and it doesn't matter if it's a cloudy, windy day out. I'm very happy with the classes so far and the kids seem to be doing well. The class size is small. Emily has 2 instructors for 5 kids and Ben's is 4 kids with one instructor.

Emily is in a second level class. Here she is learning to float.


Ben is in the first class they offer. He's doing really well.


Emily was practicing some of what she learned in class afterwards. I'm so proud of her. She is already holding her breath for longer after only 2 classes.


The classes are great as they really focus on technique. Emily was learning backstroke today and they teach freestyle. The underwater "frog" technique is apparently not lifeguard and swim instructor approved. Ha!

I'm just glad they are having a good time.

Lucky # 10,282

One of my favorite blogs to read is by Ree, The Pioneer Woman. I wrote about her blog here a few months ago. I also have her listed on my blog roll list.

Her cooking section is to die for. She also has a lot of giveaways. I always enter because I figure, someones got to win a new knife or gift certificate. It might as well be me. She recently had a giveaway for a new Green Kitchenaid Mixer. Out of 15,436 entries, I won (by random drawing)! I can hardly believe it. You can read about my exciting win here .

Now, we have a mixer. It's nice, but it's official color is called "imperial grey". I'm sorry, I don't think there is anything imperial about grey. But, it was what we found on Craigslist, so we took it. My kitchen is orange. I love color. If you have any doubt, you can read my blog from a few days ago about the color of our baby's nursery, apple orchard green.

Everytime I saw one of those awesome Kitchenaid mixers in some fun color, I'd feel a tinge of jealousy. But now, everyone else can be green with envy because I'm keeping my new shiny green mixer and poor imperial grey will end up on Craiglist for a second time. Hey, it's not my fault he's boring.

You can read my post on my boring mixer here . I even complained about the color back then.

Out with the old and in with the new:


I really am a lucky girl. And I'm sensing a theme with my blog lately...green and lucky. I am Irish after all, well a little.