My Apologies, Mister Worm

This afternoon, just as we stepped out the front door for a walk, I spotted a huge worm crossing our front path. He was trying to make his way from one side of the garden to the other, and would have had an easier time if I hadn't pointed him out to a certain curious 16-month-old.

She immediately hurried toward the squirmy worm, stepping on him a little in her enthusiasm. Thankfully he's a resilient little thing and kept right on wiggling by, though I'm still feeling a little guilty for his slightly damaged hindquarters.

She was very excited about the idea of picking him up, but I figured we'd traumatized the poor thing enough, so we stepped back and watched him bury himself in the leaves & soil.

I hope she's always eager to pick up worms, and to learn about her surroundings without reservation. It's a beautiful thing watching a child discover the world.

Today In The Garden

Babywearing Dads Make Me Swoon

August 2009

This photo of the boy & the babe made it on babywearingdads.tumblr.com. I love this picture so much. He wore her in the Ergo for about eight hours over the course of that hot, summery day.

PS. You can read my Organic Ergo Carrier review on Mom Ok'd.

Claw Foot Couch Love

Aren't these neat?

They're like the beautiful offspring of a sofa and a claw foot tub.

Reminds me of this post.

Source.

Strawberries & Eggplants

This morning at the market we picked up two little eggplants to add to the garden. When we got home I planted them in their own container together. I wasn't even aware that eggplants could be grown here, but I suppose that just shows how much I have to learn!

Today the boy also called me into the yard really excited, yelling, "Come quick! Grab your camera!" So I did, and he showed me this:

Our first hint of red on a beautiful little berry.

My thumb isn't green yet, but it's on its way!

Baby Olympics

There's a good chance everyone in the park thought we were insane this afternoon.

THE BABY HURDLE

As terrible as this looks, I promise Ryan's not ninja kicking her. No matter how many photos I took of him jumping over her, they all came out looking like someone was about to get hurt. Bad parents = us.

THE BABY TOSS

If you're 6'6 and you toss a babe in the air, how high up will she fly? Ten feet? More?

I'm going to start petitioning these events now for London 2012.

Le Weekend

Happy weekend, from a couple of dorks!

PS. Gretchen is now 16-months-old. Crazy.

Bonjour, Bucket Baby

Say hello to my little water baby! Thankfully our backyard is quite shaded so this tote made a fabulous little pond for the afternoon.

Note Captain Weirdo (aka Winston) munching on some grass in the background.

How are you beating the heat this summer?

Fawned Friday

Is it just me, or are the weeks just flying? I feel as though every time I blink it's Friday & I get to share all my lovely fawnings with you again!

Much love, mes amis. And thank you for all you kind comments this week.

01. I can only dream of being this stylish.

02. Poppies from Paris.

03. Foxy love.

04. We don't actually own a toaster, but I'd love to have this one.

05. A rainbow of ribbon.

06. I heart kitchen art.

07. Taking life one step at a time. Such a good motto.

08. Bedtime bus roll poster.

09. Gretchen would adore this beautiful kitchen set.

10. Such a dreamy photo.

11. Time for a tart.

Now get out there and enjoy all that beautiful sunshine!

Bon weekend, mes amis.

Enjoying The Poppies While They're Here To Enjoy

Gretchen and our neighbour spent some time among the poppies this week. My little Fawn was so delighted by the feeling of the fuzzy poppy pods before they've bloomed. She is already so in tune with nature. She's mostly gentle with our flowers, stroking them with her hands and saying, "nice", just like we do when we pet the cats & the dog. I love that at this age she's already smitten with the garden & being outside. I think it bodes well for a life of exploration and adventure.

She Walks, Ladies & Gents

My mind has been officially blown. In the last two weeks she's gone from a scooter to a strutter. She walks, almost all the time -- all around the house, in the backyard, through the park. She doesn't want to sit in her Chariot, but she'll still let me wear her. She really just wants to put her feet on the ground and go, go, go.

My tiny baby is a little girl.

Last night she slept through the night for the first time ever. From 8pm til 6am, she slept on her own little mattress at the foot of our bed. At around six she woke up and crawled into bed with us for some early morning snuggles & milk. She'll always be welcome in our bed, but it's lovely to see her feeling comfortable enough to sleep on her own.

Who knows what tonight will bring.

It's amazing what can be accomplished in just under sixteen months.

A Wee Garden Update

My garden is growing! As obvious a statement as this may be, I'm feeling pretty proud of the fact that these pretty plants which I put in the ground have decided to honour me with actual growth & life!

I was so worried that I'd kill them within a day, but here we are, nearly a week later & already my tomatoes are taller & I have spotted one green strawberry. I'm pretty much beaming, mes amis.

Gardening with Gretchen ended up being a slightly more difficult task than I'd bargained for, but after a strict lesson in not sitting on plants, she's treating them a little more nicely.

She especially loves digging in the soil & compost (leaf & mushroom) and is a big fan of pulling out all the veggie markers (though I think by now I can tell the difference between my bell peppers and my jalapenos just from the leaves).

Aren't these barrels charming? Just perfect for my tiny container garden.

More photos soon, I promise. They're already so much bigger than these photos from just a couple days ago!

PS. Gardening bares a striking resemblance to parenting, don't you think?