Thursday, April 30, 2009

94 degrees

Makili hung out outside for a while on Tuesday, but eventually it was too hot for me. We had already been sunburnt enough and it was too hot for yard work, so we came inside. I decided to give my dad a call and complain about the heat. When I told him it was 94 degrees, his response was, "why aren't you at the beach?" I told him "That is a damn good question!" So I packed up the stuff, and forgot a lot of things, and headed to the beach, where Makili had a terrific time digging in the sand and throwing rocks. It was magical...



Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Mustela Erminea

Crappy picture, I know. But these buggas are FAST! This little short-tailed weasel has been hanging around lately, most like feeding on the mice in the basement, as it turns out. Raph and I freaked out on Tamara when she tried to feed it donuts on Sunday, fearing the thing would reside in our house, but as it turns out, they're good to have around because they control mice populations, and don't really eat people food. This one wasn't too shy, but it was darn cute. Tamara wanted to take it home as a pet. We'll have to come up with a name for this guy. Any ideas?This nice weather has been bringing out all sorts of creatures. Of course, there have been a handful of black flies, mosquitos, beetles, the carpenter bees are buzzing us constantly, and a mouse has been nibbling on the blueberry bush next to the shed, where it lives. Yesterday I was surprised by Legs, our resident garder snake and Friday on our way to a hike at Mt. Agamenticus, we had to pull over to move a good sized Eastern Box Turtle out of the road. The kids (Makili plus the McCall kids) thought it was awesome. And it was damn cute too.

Reunited

Sadly I don't babysit the McCall kids any more, but I did on Friday. Let me tell you, you'd think Morgan and Makili were long-lost friends. They were very happy to see each other and terribly cute together. It was very endearing...



Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Construction updates and cuteness

Fake Smile.No Smile.
mom's silly hat.
Greenhouse is 50% done. Tim and Tamara came over and got sun burnt helping us on Sunday, but now we're in a holding pattern because we're missing some parts. Tim really liked using the drill though.

Here is the finished patio - already covered with crap! The sod looks a little shabby, but it will take I think! Anyway, we love it.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

i don't know what came over me...

So i don't sew clothes. It just is something that I don't do. I don't know what came over me that led me to sew some pants for Makili. It certainly wasn't any lack of clothing in his drawers (drawers in his drawers...hahaha). I did it though and am pretty happy with me first two attempts. Makili for his part was a willing model, though plenty silly and terribly cute.





The second pair was much better at the waist and cuff. I had real difficulty with the waist on the first ones because I didn't use a pattern and didn't realize how straight the top cut needed to be. Also, I wanted the rolled cuffs and as usual didn't think enough steps ahead so that there wouldn't be an unfinished seem when the cuffs were turned. Both of these problems I rectified on the second pair, though I still plan to make a few changes. First, the legs are too tapered. Second, I think the inseam is a little too long, though I appreciate the whole "growing into them" thing. Anyway, I'm pretty excited about the pants, so I plan to try to some more. (I'll probably have to give them away since we have no room for more drawers in the drawers...)


Friday, April 24, 2009

Construction Projects


So we are working on finishing up some construction project that were sort of in the works before the disappearance of Raph's job.  This week has been a big push.  

This was our "patio" a week ago.  (The crazy vegetable stand thing in the background has been moved too!)

Last Sunday after it was raked out:
Yesterday when we were laying stone.
Makili was actually helpful for a good while!  He tries to be helpful often, without always being successful.
And now it is actually done, but I didn't take a picture of it.


Instead, here is the greenhouse site a week ago:
And here it is with one wall up:

We're hoping to mostly get it done this weekend, since we're expecting gorgeous weather!  I'm excited because the size of the pile of trash (okay so it is actually aluminum, wood and glass) is going to be diminished!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Who needs a...


Who needs to pay for cheap thrills when they can be had so easily on a 2 foot slide (for hours)?

Who needs basketball hoops when there are buckets and tomato cages?

Who needs a sandbox, when you have a giant pile of stone dust?

Seriously, I'm not buying anymore toys.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Easter a little late

As you may be aware, Easter is my favorite holiday. I didn't document it well this year, and maybe that is partly because I got ripped off - the first year I didn't get an Easter basket from my parents (and I've been giving my mom a hard time about this even though Makili got one) and Raph didn't do the candy hunt, even though I went out and bought the candy. I'm over it though, really.

Instead I did a candy hunt for some of the exchange students on Saturday. They loved it, though they missed a LOT! I'll give em a break since it was their first candy hunt. I got up at 10:30 on Saturday night to make an egg hunt for Makili and Raph, which was fun. I paid a dollar for "ball" eggs for the clue hunt. You should have seen his face when he found the first basketball egg. He was SO excited. Daddy helped him read the clues and they were all placed in places that he knew the word for like shoe, bath, crib, etc. So he found all the eggs (with help here and there)! And he got an Easter basket with art supplies and sticky letters, which he has been applying to everything. Raph got hot chocolate, which made him a happy guy too.

Then we got a brief visit from Kane and Abram and Ny, which I did take some pictures of. It was a good holiday, even if I didn't get an Easter basket or a candy hunt.



Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Kaia and her mom (before my battery ran out!)





A morning alone.

The weather lately has kept me away from the computer. And I don't mind. I've been outside digging and moving rocks, and nurturing each little green thing that pops through the soil, and thinking and rethinking what I will do with my garden, hanging and folding laundry in the sunshine. I love this time of year, before there are any bugs to worry about, when it is comfortable in a fleece (which is the only jacket which fits me), when the sun is a vitamin D bath without the sunburn. I could stay outside all the time. I even made sun tea the other day, which is such a summer treat. Except on days like today, however, when it is a bit too chilly and pouring down rain. No, today I feel appreciative of my cheap Ikea red chair, which though comfortable, was not worth the money, nor was the matching couch, but that is a whole other story of impulse buying.

My boys are sleeping (even though we have to be somewhere in 50 minutes) and I'm getting one of those mornings that I haven't had in about 22 months. Where I can make my self some breakfast (and I am cursing the fact that I didn't get my decaf coffee ground yet!), curl up in a chair, and enjoy the silence and stillness of morning.

Raph is on vacation this week and due to the size of my belly we didn't make any travel plans, which is in fact a vacation of the truest sort. I can't remember the last time we had so many days that involved waking up on our own time and deciding how to spend our day. We talked about visiting friends in Boston and Martha's Vineyard, but so far our plans have dissolved as we've just enjoyed being together, the three of us. It's a nice reminder that we need to do this more often - not to fill our weekends and minutes too fully, but to slow down and enjoy eachother. Does this sound sappy? Give me a morning alone and this is what you get I guess.

Anyway, I have pictures to post, but I haven't downloaded them yet. I have a full rainy day ahead of me to make things like that happen, though so stay tuned.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Ups and Downs






The biggest up lately has been the weather. I can barely stay inside while Makili is napping, knowing that I could be outside with the sun beating down on me working in the garden. We're making major progree outside too - the foundation for the greenhouse is in, and we have the whole dug for our little patio, not to mention the beds ready to sustain us. It really has been glorious lately. My friend Lauren who's baby is due on Sunday stopped working so Makili and I have been hanging out with her and Kayden more often which has been fun.

The biggest down lately...Raph found out he doesn't have a job next year, so we're on the job hunt again, which is always a long annoying process. We're confident everything will work out though.