Full Weekend

I can't believe what a full weekend that was! I'm exhausted, exhilirated and really sunburnt. In addition to LOTS of work, we had a LOAD of sun, beach, swimming, running in the sprinkler, making a "water slide" (which is our little tykes slide with a piece of plastic at the bottom and water sprayed down it). There was some excitement today about a snake, which we first feared to be a copperhead, then some sort of rattle snake, since it was shaking its' tail like a rattler but it didn't rattle. We thought maybe it was a juvenile rattler. So we called my good friends at the center for wildlife who assured us that there are no rattlers in Maine, and that the poor thing that Raph was in the process of trying to catch and relocate (crazy, I know) was actually an Eastern milk snake, and a great ally in the quest to downsize the rodent population. I actually can't relate all that went down this weekend, but I can say the gardens are MUCH closer to where they need to be, my children have way more vitamin D than they did this time last week, and we all need a good aloe rub down.

What Have I Done

Raph has been hinting that I need to cut Remick's hair. I cried the first time I cut Makili's hair, and I knew this was the last time I'd see one of my babies transformed into a little boy before my eyes. It was time though. Everyone, and I mean everyone, thought he was a girl, despite the most boy outfits you could imagine. His hair got stuck in the bib at every meal. Half of the time it was in a matted mess. Still, I did cry. And I'm still trying to believe this little boy is mine. If it weren't for all the silly faces he made in our little photo shoot I might not be sure.

Coming Out

Things are starting to come OUT of the greenhouse and into the garden which is such an exciting time. With no fan on the greenhouse, I have to be constantly aware of the weather (though admittedly during this rainy cold spring, I haven't had to worry as much), since one sunny day without open doors can result in trays of dead seedlings. So coming OUT is like liberation for me.

Makili has been a huge helper in greenhouse. One day I went in the house with Remick for something and when I came back he had prepared an entire tray of peat pots with potting soil, watered them and everything. He's pretty amazing. And really, quite good at the gardening thing. It's very cute.

Remick on the other hand is a complete and total menace. He loves to play in the potting soil and dump it all over the greenhouse. He'll dump the seeds all over the place too. But he likes to be out there with me too.

I'm a lucky gardening momma.

At the Table

Makili has made us laugh out loud several times in the last two days.

Yesterday when Ann was here we were telling her that she needs to just move in already. I pointed out that she has some strengths that I lack (patience, cleanliness to start). Makili chimed in, "I think you should move in. (he paused) But, Paka needs a Mama." Ann really laughed at that one and then added that she was looking for a wife.

Last night at bedtime we read about about astronauts. So this morning as we were cuddling in bed I we had a conversation.
mom: Do you want to be an astronaut?
Makili: no
Mom: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Makili: a daddy.
Mom: That's so nice, but you can be a daddy and have a job. Like Daddy is your daddy and a teacher.
Makili: (quiet, thinking)
Mom: You could be a doctor and help people? Or a farmer?
Makili: I want to be a farmer but still live in your house.

Is that prophetic? I went on to explain that he might want to live in his own house someday, but that I will still be his mommy and Raph would still be his Daddy, etc.

Then over breakfast today, he shared,

"I think when we get bigger, we should change Remick into a girl and I'll be the daddy and he'll be the mommy and we can live in our own house."

Oh Yeah

Raph got me a new battery and charger for mothers' day, so here I am again. Friday was a blissfully beautiful day. I decided that being a good mother and wife and cleaning the house and cooking yummy dinners wasn't getting me anywhere, so I fed the kids cookies for lunch, let them trash the house and then ignored them for my garden. It was great. Actually, everyone was happy.


Makili went to a birthday party on Thursday (don't get me started on his social agenda is WAY more full than mine) and came home with a party bag that had some candy in it. He obsessed over this candy all night on Thurs and all day on Friday, carrying around his Dots, which he calls "Opa's favorite candy." I finally got so tired of telling him no, that I told him he could eat one. He tried a tootsie roll and promptly declared he didn't like it. He had a second tootsie roll in the bag in a sealed wrapper, which he then gave to Remick since he didn't like it. I had already fed Remick cookies for lunch (again SO tired of fighting that one) so I wouldn't open it for him. He walked around trying to bite it open for seriously an hour.Then he finally succeeded. What a look of triumph he had as he came over, chocolate running down his face and covering his sweatshirt. I might never open a wrapper for him again.

Progress Since Easter Day

Weekend Highlights

Compliments of the hipstamatic app on the i-phone (since I still didn't buy another camera battery yet) are these weekend moments. It was absolutely beautiful this weekend and my last weekend off before six months of farmers' markets. Indeed, summer starts on Thursday as far as I'm concerned. We were busy on the house and in the greenhouse and all around, but we still made it to the ocean this morning, and Raph used old chimney parts to rig up our little outdoor cook stop and fired up the veggie dogs last night. So fun.