Now that we're 'back to the drawing board', we miss Daddy as he's back to work, but are staying busy as we've begun planting things in our garden. Pumpkin seeds were planted about two weeks ago and are thriving. They got transplanted to bigger trays where their roots can stabilize and they're out in the garden now. I was at Lowe's getting our rotating composter when I scored on some cheap (but BIG) blackberry, fig and grape plants (although the fig is a tree technically). Those got added. As we've been eating pineapples in our house, we've been cutting off the tops and adding them to our garden for some new pineapples in two years. Avonlea wants to start her own strawberry garden out back, so last night I let her plant the strawberry seeds I ordered. Not sure if they'll be ready by spring, but we shall see. We have watermelon seedlings that will get transplanted into the garden in a few weeks and just for fun, I started some tomatoes. I love how St. Claire's Heirloom Seeds company sends me free stuff since I order so much from them. I even got some free worm casings (poop!) to add to my seedling trays. Isn't it weird how free worm poop can make a girl happy?! Ahhh....yes. Worm poop. Let's all just take this one in, shall we? ;)
I've been reading a new book called Raising Godly Tomatoes and although I think it's a genius of a book, I'm struggling with actually applying the techniques. 'Tomato Staking' is the author's main point throughout the book, meaning keeping your child with you as much as possible to correct their disobidience, bad attitudes and wrong choices. Well, while it's a wonderful concept, the book doesn't touch on the fact that there are life's little interruptions that just happen. I keep my children with me a LARGE percent of the time. They're 4, 3 and 1. I have to! However, there are times a baby needs to be put down for a nap which involves some quiet time with just she and I (nursing, reading a book, changing a diaper, a quick snuggle and off to bed she goes). There are times when I'm disciplining a child and have to leave the other two in a room playing together. There are times when I have to grab the mail, throw in a load of laundry, go to the bathroom! :) It's just not possible to keep them with me all the time to correct every little wrong-doing. There are some WONDERFUL points to this book however, so don't get the wrong impression that I'm not enjoying it. I'm almost finished with it and can't wait to do a post on it at some point. I have so many books that I want to share, especially share my annotations. Time is of the essence. ;)Anyway, if anyone has read this book and has had big success, please do share. I'm so curious to know how to make it work.
Here are some photos of what we've been up to:
trellises up in the garden
Ain't she a beauty?
One of the ways we try to keep pesky squirrels out of our garden. So far, so good.(He's fake by the way.)
The chicken tractors we built. I say 'we', but my incredibly talented husband basically built these by himself. I simply helped with the chicken wire that goes around. Our electric staple gun kept jamming, so it took us forever just to get the wire on. We had one chick escape the tractor, but found out how they were getting out and fixed the problem pronto.
Norah has now figured out how to be my secretary and take messages.
Gotta love his brown eyes.
Avonlea on the slide at our hotel.
Avy's first lost tooth. It came out while wrestling with Daddy and Lincoln. It bled a little and she was quite panicked, but was very proud to officially become a toothless, big girl. ;)
1 comment:
I read Raising Godly Tomatoes before it was a book. I read the whole website, before it was named that. It was originally named "A Trip to the Woodshed." The site was a bit different then, and had more info.
I found it when my oldest was 3, and I was LOST on discipline, and how to get my child to obey with a good attitude. I wanted to train his heart, not just his outward person.
"A Trip the the Woodshed" had the answers I was seeking for. I printed out the whole website, and kept it in my HMB for years. Then, the site changed to Raising Godly Tomatoes. It's still a great site, and the book is still a great book, but I wish it had more of the extra stuff that was on the original site.
I suggest that book to many people. I'm kind of a 'natural' "tomato staker." However, I'm not as staunch on it as the book would have some people be. My children are ALWAYS with me, or in ear shot. I know where they are at all times, and what they are doing. That's enough tomato staking for us.
PS - I kept my young ones with me almost constantly, and thanks to that, they didn't "get into things, like toddlers do" very often. Less messes, happier toddlers (time with mommy) and a happier, more rested me. ;-)
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