tomato report.

So I find myself with a lot to say about growing tomatoes. This year was my first attempt. It went well in some ways, not so well in others. I'm going to try to be brief here. I feel in danger of prattling on forever about the details of my tomato plants and each piece of fruit they bore. But I know you all really don't care that much. Let me just say a few things, and show you some pictures.

My tomato plants got huge. They were unruly. I think I should have been out there more often in the beginning stages, to help guide them on to the supports. By the time I realized what needed to be done, the vines were too strong and branch-like for me to manipulate them. As a result they stayed where they had naturally grown, sprawled all over the ground. This meant lots of my tomatoes touched the ground as they grew. Not good.

My plants yielded a lot of tomatoes, but only about half of them were fit to eat. Many rotted on the ground as they grew. Others seemed to grow so big that they cracked open and then rotted on the vine. And many more were nibbled by my garden rabbit.

The tomatoes I brought inside featured imperfections galore, but I was able to cut around them and use the better part of the fruit. Most of them had these ugly looking tops.
This one here looks okay, but do you spy something on the lower left side?That's right, a huge crack running through the bottom. Lots of my tomatoes had this problem. I don't know if I waited too long to pick them or what. I brought some of them inside and tried to use them quickly before they collapsed into themselves or attracted hoards of fruit flies.
Here's a pretty yellow number, but with the same ugly gauges and brown stripes on the top.
See? Is this normal? I don't know.
Here's a pretty lady that looks just right...Turning to its other side, though, reveals more weird stretch mark looking blemishes and a big burrowed hole. Again, had to use this one quickly before running into rotting/fruit fly issues.
This one was like two tomatoes fused together. Still tasted good.
These purplish ones did pretty well. I think they are called Cherokee Purple.I didn't get many of them. They seemed to be my rabbit's favorite variety.
I will grow tomatoes again next year, and try to be a little more attentive. For my first time I think I did okay. My biggest problem, honestly, was that I'm in the midst of a very uninspired season in my kitchen, and I couldn't think how to use them except for on sandwiches. What did you all do with your tomatoes this year?

sick flowers.

I'm sitting here with my water, my orange juice, and my box of tissues as Nate plays a final round of tag with the boys before bedtime. He's been trying to entertain them all day, as I am sick, still sick after 9 days of sick, first a heinous sore throat and now a heinous cold. It's hard to be a sick parent. It's also hard to be the well parent who has to take on added responsibilities while your beloved partner wallows in her misery. This weekend had some hard moments, but honestly, I often find weekends hard, even when I'm fit as a fiddle. Are weekends hard for any other parents out there? They can be great, of course. But I find that often Nate and I feel pressured to accomplish various tasks and projects during this "free" time. And then, as if they sense that we are distracted by our own goals, the boys up their demands for attention. We start to fall into roles of Irritating Kids and Irritated Parents. It can get a little ugly, and it's disheartening for me, as I have this askew notion in my head of weekends being an oasis of peace and tranquility. Not always so. When boredom and stir-craziness descend upon our house on a lazy Saturday afternoon, I often find myself wanting to be rescued from my own children, and then feeling bad for wanting to escape.
Anyway, this afternoon I sent all three boys on an errand to Wal-Mart so that I could have a little time to rest in a quiet house. I laid on the couch, feeling discouraged and watching Supernanny, fantasizing about her coming to our house and making me the perfect mom who doesn't get all mopey when the weekend isn't relaxing enough. The boys came home and the mood had shifted into Ultimate Happy Family. Simon came downstairs and presented me with flowers they had purchased for me, a hug, and, "I hope you feel better soon, Mom." Made me cry, though I think I hid it from him. They told me all about the successful trip they had had to the store. The boys were good helpers. Simon scoped out possible toys to purchase with his allowance, but decided to save up for something better. Both he and Nate were feeling proud of his decision.
While Nate made mac n' cheese for dinner, Theo sat quietly at the counter (!) and Simon cut out little decorations for the flower vase. Hearts, stars, I Love You Mom, and a little super mom crest (star with M inside).
I'm guilty of wishing our parenting road was always smooth, and of getting frustrated when it's not. Those harder spots sure make me appreciate the moments of outrageous love and sweetness, though. I guess that's as it should be.
I'm really really hoping to feel better soon. I'm ready to work out again, and to tidy the house again, and to breathe through my nose again. Cross your fingers for me.



_______We had a great time in Chicago last weekend, even though I was sick then too. Be sure to check my flickr page for pictures.

make it work.

I just realized I used the phrase, "Make it work," twice in the previous post. We have been watching Project Runway. Carry on.

back at it.

When I picked Simon up from his first day back at school, he ran at me and then lifted off into a flying leap while yelling, "First grade was AWESOME!" This reaction was a great relief and joy. It seems he had fun. Today was a half day, tomorrow is the first full day, the first day he'll eat lunch at school and have recess. I feel a little stressed about adding lunch-packing to my daily tasks. I'm already running around in the morning trying to get everything ready in time. I guess I'll have to stay off facebook in the morning. OH THE SACRIFICE. I guess we can also do hot lunch once in a while, though the fact that I make lunch-ticket checks out to SODEXO does not make me feel better about the food stuffs my child will ingest during those meals. Oh well. I'm only human, Michael Pollan. Don't judge me.
In my typical way, I have settled on some goals for this school year. First up, I want to somehow develop a zen-like patience to call upon during homework sessions. I don't have words to describe our struggle with homework throughout kindergarten. It was rough, to say the least. And I expect it will continue to be hard. I want to hold myself to a higher standard of patience, and I also want to gradually transition to him doing it more and more on his own.


Goal two, and this is a big one... I want to eliminate screen time from our week days, reserving it for weekends only. TV, movies, video games, computer games all fall under this edict. We've talked about it with the boys, but I'm not sure that it really sunk in. I'm aware that this change will require some work on my part. Screen time will need to be filled with other activities, and I don't expect the boys to think of those things on their own. I'll make an effort to play more, and to plan ahead so that various crafts and projects are at the ready. It's important to me that my kids have thriving imaginations and don't rely on tv, etc as their primary mode of relaxation. Thus the reason for this change. I feel really strongly about this right now and am committed to making it work. Check back with me in mid-winter, though. February will be the true test of my idealistic fortitude.

Theo starts preschool after Labor Day. I'm looking forward to it. The school is great; it reminds me a lot of Simon's co-op preschool in Bloomington, which I adored. Also on the horizon: allowance! chores! Flylady?! (still debating that one). The school year is a new beginning, and I love to implement new systems during a transitional time. So here we go! Time to make it work, and see what sticks.

Love to you all.

mid-august garden report.

I feel like such a lazy gardener. Really. I'm hardly out here at all. Still, the tomatoes are growing like gangbusters. Now if they would just turn red. I brought some green ones in and put them in a paper bag, hoping that would help them turn. No luck yet. Look at the size of these plants, though! I should have given them more space. I had no idea they would get so huge. My basil plant has also been fairly prolific. I need to make some pesto soon, I think.
As you can see, some of my flowers really took off, while others did not. The zinnias really did well. Some of the marigolds stayed small. They probably could have benefited from some dead-heading, but again, lazy gardener.
I have japanese beetles all over my green bean plant. If I had been out here more often, I could have easily picked off a few every day and kept them under control. As things stand, they have all but killed my bean plant in their great quantity. Even with the plague of beetles, we were able to eat nearly two pounds of our own green beans, and they tasted good. Also, I'd much prefer them to be on my bean plant than my tomato plants. I'm not sure why they favor one over the other, but their tastes suit me just fine.
The plastic imitation chicken wire I put up did absolutely nothing to deter one determined rabbit. At first I patched up the holes he chewed through my barrier, but after a few rounds I gave up. He basically lives in my garden, and dashes away every time he hears me coming. He has done only minimal damage, thank goodness. He ate three of my four pepper plants, leaving one in his benevolence (and it's producing!)

update: since I began writing this post a few days ago, several of my tomatoes have turned red. I can't wait until they're ready to eat.

hello, august.

Well, here we are in August. Simon starts school in two weeks and a few days. I'll just skip the paragraph where I talk about how I can't believe how fast the summer has flown by.

Simon and Theo model the tie-dye shirts we made at a playdate with some other families. Fun.

As usual, I have many projects brewing in my head, some crafty endeavors and some home decorating schemes. I'm going to do my best to put them all on the back burner for now, and focus on our last fleeting days of summer break. I want to pull out all the stops, and absolutely pack our last two weeks with loads of fun stuff for the boys. I'll try to report back after all our adventures.

Nate and I had fun at Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago a few weekends ago.

A week into September, Theo will start preschool (!!!) for two mornings a week. If you're quick with your mental math, you've deduced that I will be BOY-FREE while he is there, for two hours at a time, two days a week. I'm more than a little excited about the possibilities for this time when I'll be flying solo. At the same time, I'm trying to keep my expectations realistic. Two hours will fly by. I realize that if I hope to accomplish anything too grand I will most likely be disappointed. Still, it's four hours a week, and if I use my time well, I should be able to fit in a fair amount of cleaning or creating. It will be good.

I know I told you I was collecting plates for a plate wall. Here is my result. Not a great picture, but you can get the idea. I love it so.

I made this set of collages as a baby gift for friends who are expecting their first. You can see them in better detail on my flickr page.

I made this embroidery, inspired by a song on The Mighty Boosh. It's the first thing I've ever stitched with the intention of hanging it in our house, and I really like how it turned out. It's at the framer's now. I'm excited to get it back and hang it up.

Again, if you want to see more pictures of any recent projects, check out my flickr photostream. I'm a little better about keeping that updated than I am this neglected blog.

I'll be back after our last hurrah.

a lot of words about one thing.

Last year sometime our neighbors across the street had a yard sale. I bought this big print from them for $5. I liked the scene and I liked the price. After a year in this house, our walls are still fairly empty, so I am always on the lookout for affordable art.
The frame on the print was not very attractive. The main wood color was pleasing enough, but there was a speckled wood stripe that made it look really dated. My first plan was to paint that stripe. I did that, but it came out very poorly. The paint bled under the blue tape and looked terribly sloppy.
My next idea was to paint the rest of the frame black and keep the pale blue stripe. That way I could touch up from both directions and end up with a clean straight stripe. After that effort the stripe remained impossible to clean up to my standards and I ended up painting the whole frame black. The most significant development at this point, though, was that when I ripped up the painters tape (even though I used the "delicate" variety), pieces of the print came up with it.

I thought about imitating one blogger's clever fix, but Nate wasn't sold. Ever since the poodle portrait incident, I'm trying to take his tastes more into consideration. I decided to go in a totally different direction. I created several collaged vingnettes, then tried to pull the whole large piece together with a web of sorts, a sprawling structure of black and grey triangles.

The collage work on this piece was very much inspired by the collages of Lisa Congdon, especially her recent work (see here, and here, and here). The bright colors I used were directly inspired by the great neon shades she has been using lately. I also used some geometric shapes similar to those showing up in her art recently. I've been a big fan of her work for years and hope that if she ever runs across this piece, here or on flickr, she'll be more flattered than insulted.

To make these little scenes I used black and white prints of our family, along with a selection of brightly colored papers, some small paper doilies, and a few vintage photographs from my stash. Can you recognize all of us?

Here Nate, Simon, and Theo walk through the woods. The business on Nate's feet in this scene was directly inspired by an AMAZING embroidery artist whose work I admire on flickr, Jennifer Porter, aka Porterness. Love her work.

Here I am with Nate and Simon on a vintage photograph.
Another vintage picture, which I used because the image mirrors the forest/stream scene on the large canvas.Here Theo pulls me as I ride a cow in a boat.
Another vintage picture, a blurry shot of leaves.
Theo scales a mountain, Simon runs past, Nate claps his hands.This is the boys' favorite bit. They say they are "zapping" like superheroes.

The size of this print was a challenge for me. As evidenced by the tiny vignettes, I'm much more comfortable working on a small scale. I probably could have done a better job balancing all the elements within the larger scene, but overall I am happy with how it turned out. It's a fun piece of art for the wall. Now on to other projects!

what to do for a raisin up the nose.

Our day took an unexpected turn on Thursday when Theo shoved a raisin up his nose, too far up for me to reach. I quickly consulted the internet and found very little information, mostly moms telling their tales of woe on parenting forums, many of them ending up in the ER. Not letting myself yet believe that I would also end up there, I called my pediatrician's office. They told me they could not treat him there, it was best to take him to the ER. Darn it.

Everyone at the ER was incredibly nice to us, which made our experience pleasant enough. But it was still almost three hours with a toddler in a small room filled with medical equipment. Not exactly the way I wanted to spend my day.

After our long wait, a nurse came in and described the raisin-removal procedure to me. I was amazed by its simplicity and by the fact that I would be involved. Here is what we did: the nurse used his finger to plug the opposite nostril (the one without the raisin in it) and I put my mouth on Theo's, forcing a quick puff of air into his mouth. The raisin flew right out! Sure I got a little snot on my face, but I was pretty thrilled by this method. It was kind of awesome to be in the ER, surrounded by the best in medical technology, and to solve my son's problem myself, with my own body, using such a simple, non-invasive technique. Additionally, I could easily have held the opposite nostril myself, eliminating the role of the helpful nurse. I could have done this all by myself, had I known what to do.

I am sort of shocked that I couldn't find this little trick on the internet. And that's exactly why I'm writing this post. Maybe some other poor mother out there can read this before making a trip to the emergency room. Of course, I'm not a doctor. I understand this method will not work for every object a child might shove up a nostril, or even for every raisin stuck in a nose. All I'm saying is that for us it worked like a charm. Perhaps someone in the same situation might try it and save themselves the expense and time of a trip to the ER.

gosh.

I can't believe it's been so long since I've written here! Time is flying by. I feel insanely busy this summer so far. I can't put my finger on why exactly, but it just feels like non-stop activity. I'm having trouble keeping up with it all, to be honest. The house and yard get overwhelming and I just have to avert my eyes sometimes. Just dealing with the boys day to day is enough. I don't have energy for much else.
All in all I'd say it's going pretty well. I've had some moments of lost patience, moments I am not proud of (especially involving Theo). But I start again each day, trying to lighten up, focus on the fun of the day, and be the playful mom instead of the stressed one. And I feel okay about how we're doing. Exhausted, but okay.
Today we celebrated Theo's third birthday with friends and family. It was warm. A little too warm for my taste. Our guests were extremely gracious in not complaining about the heat. We went first to Theo's Ice Cream Shop, then to a nearby park. I think everyone had fun, especially the guest of honor.
Tomorrow is his proper birthday. We'll celebrate by having some birthday pancakes, lazing about the house, and then going to a dinnertime cookout. I'm looking forward to it all. Before that, I'm looking forward to putting these dudes to bed and crashing on the couch. Being out in the sun today really took it out of me. I'm ready for vegetation. (Which reminds me, I need to take some pictures of the garden. It's going like gangbusters! Soon...)

first, last

Today is Simon's last day of kindergarten. This school year flew by so quickly.

Now I am trying to switch gears to summertime.... With no outside forces controlling the structure of our week, it's all up to me, and that's a lot of pressure. I know I need to strike a balance between planned activities and downtime, time at home and time other places. I have a few goals in mind: arrange at least one playdate a week, maintain as much of my current gym schedule as possible, and spend as much time at the public pool as possible. I want their screen time (tv/computer time) to stay at the same level or even decrease. That will require some focus on my part, and some willingness to actually play with them instead of expecting them to entertain themselves all the time. It's all about balance, and I don't always feel that the balance of life is my strong suit. But I'm going to do my best.

I'm also re-reading this book about siblings. They have really been at each other lately and the increase in time spent together promises to be a challenge. I read this book before when Theo was a tiny baby. It was good then, but a lot more applicable to my life now. A review is definitely in order.

I'll end this post with two short interviews with Simon, pre- and post- kindergarten. I love this boy so much. I hope I'm doing right by him.