Compost Surprise

We have a little garden in our back "yard" again this year. Last year we decided to use one of these terracotta chimneys for our compost. Last summer and fall I threw weeds and other compostable items in there. We'd stir it around every now and again and planned to use it on the garden this year. A few months ago our back yard looked like this:


The chimney standing upright contains our compost. We had a fun surprise earlier this spring. I looked inside, planning to stir the compost and put it on the garden. I changed my mind when I saw squash plants growing! I don't have a picture of the baby squash plants, but here's what they look like now!

Swivel Clips

JoAnn Fabrics does not carry swivel clips. At least, the JoAnn's near us doesn't. This was a frustration for me because they can really come in handy for certain bags I made this spring.

Thankfully, Dan had a number of lanyards he didn't want that just happened to have swivel clips on the end. So I used those up and then scrounged around for clips that were similar.

Don't ask why I didn't think to check another craft store. I guess it's because JoAnn's, Michael's and A.C. Moore are all spread out here, and I wasn't going to drive from one to the other in search of swivel clips. (Lowe's had them, by the way, but they were too large for my purpose.)

Well, today I found some swivel clips at Michael's. It was perfect timing, too, because I was just finishing a beach bag for myself and I wanted some swivel clips for smaller bags that can be attached to a d-ring inside the large bag.



If you think my fabric choices are interesting (solid red lining, crazy pink fabric for the bags, bright green zippers) it's because I like to use up whatever I have in my fabric stash. The red fabric is nylon, so it should clean easily and dry easily when wet. The crazy pink fabric is just fun fabric and the green zippers were part of about a dozen zippers I bought together at a thrift store. I figured they coordinated well enough for me!

2 Months

Edwin is two months old today. So of course I have to post a few pictures and let you know what he has been up to lately.

A few notable accomplishments:

He holds his head up pretty well, although tummy time still isn't his favorite.

He now sleeps through the night, from about 8 pm until somewhere between 4:30 and 5:30 when he wakes up for "first breakfast." Then he goes back to sleep until between 8 and 9 when he gets up for "second breakfast." Now that I've gotten used to him sleeping that long, I'm loving it because I get more sleep. Go Edwin!!

He is smiling, cooing and "laughing" more and more each day.
He has found his hands and loves to suck on them. Will he be a thumb-sucker???

Strawberry Shortcake Dilemma

Dan, Edwin and I spent most of last weekend in Baltimore city. Our initial reason for going there was so I could pick some strawberries. What? Going to the city to pick strawberries? Yes, it's true.

Dan's brother has a strawberry patch in one of the multiple city backyards he takes care of. I am amazed every year at how many strawberries come from such a relatively small patch. I was one of many people who have picked strawberries over the past couple of weeks, and I had no trouble picking somewhere around 4 quarts.

After returning home, I decided that one of the first things I wanted to make with these berries is some strawberry shortcake. Now, this causes a minor dilemma because I have two recipes: one is called "Edie's Shortcake" and one is called "Jane's Shortcake". One is my mom's and one is Dan's mom's.

The dilemma is which to make first because we each prefer our own mother's recipe. So, do I please my self first or Dan?

Well, this year I was kind to Dan and made "Jane's Shortcake" first. When we've eaten all of it, I'll make "Edie's Shortcake." So then we're both happy.


Speaking of strawberry shortcake, Edwin's in bed, so I think it's time to have some of this:

Snug as a Bug

This is how we've been going for walks lately. It's good exercise, and I enjoy not using the stroller sometimes. When Edwin gets bigger I'll experiment with carrying him on my back, but for now, this is the best way.

Smile!

A day that begins and ends with this is a good day.


Edwin loves his crib. One of the main reasons he does is because of the mobile hanging over it. It used to be Dan's. It's a Fisher Price mobile with a farmer and farm animals. It plays "Lullaby and Good Night" and the animals slowly rotate. When it's not playing Edwin looks expectantly at the music box. When it is playing, he's watching the animals - especially the sheep.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Can I just tell you a few of my favorite things about Edwin and life with him?
(In random order...)

1. His adorable smile
2. Holding him on my shoulder, totally relaxed
3. Nursing him
4. His little belly button
5. Watching him look around alertly
6. Seeing him in cute cloth diapers
7. His blue eyes (we'll see if they stay that way)
8. Watching him and Dan together
9. Knowing that he recognizes my voice
10. The little stretch he does after he finishes nursing