I may not be managing to blog much since the little girl’s arrival (yes, she needs a pseudonym for the blog. Suggestions welcome.), but I have managed to keep up on the more vital stuff around here, like the garden. I mean…I may be busy, and I may be tired, but damnit, we have to eat.
Finding the time and energy to garden is a little easier when the garden supervisor looks like this:
Thumper NEVER let me set him down like this. Total Klingon child until he was two. This little one spends most of her time in my arms or in the sling or the wrap, but I’ve got to admit that it’s very, very nice to have a baby who will be put down every once in a while. (And not to jinx it, but she sleeps VERY well. As in…from 10 pm to 4am every night, then a quick nurse and back to sleep until 7 or so.) If I was only going to get one easy baby, it worked out pretty well that it would be number two. A six-hour stretch pretty much every night since she was a few days old. Crazy. All hail the soothing coziness of the family bed! Though Thumper’s main issue since his sister’s arrival has been the loss of his spot next to me in bed. Poor guy! I miss having him next to me, but it’s just not safe when she’s still so tiny. We put a single mattress down next to our king size and that’s his spot now. He is NOT happy with the sleeping arrangements. We’re hoping he gets over it soon.
Speaking of the wrap… I used only our pouch sling (pictured in the previous post) when Thumper was an infant, but now I’m totally sold on the wrap. She loves it. I love it. My back loves the fact that it’s worn on two shoulders. Here’s a peek at it. Not the clearest shot, but the best I could do on my own while out for a walk:
I bought it here.
Okay, so…garden. Right. Back to the garden. Stuff is growing. It’s good.
The asparagus bed is only three years old, so we still needed to show restraint in the harvest this year. We ate from it for a few weeks and are now letting the rest of the spears go to seed, to send strength back down to the crowns. I think next year is a free-for-all, if I recall correctly. No pictures of the asparagus, but, well…you know what they look like, yeah? Quite tasty. The bed’s coming along nicely.
Also not pictured, the broccoli raab. Not pictured because we already ate it all.
Coming along nicely but not yet feeding us, the peas:
There are snow pea and snap pea plants there. No peas yet, but I noticed a few blossoms starting to form today, so hopefully there will be many, many pea pods soon. This is our first year growing peas.
We’ve been enjoying the lettuces and the radishes for a month or so now. We’re on to our third sowing of each. Here was the garden’s contribution to my lunch today:
Also doing very well, the potato patch:
Spinach?
That’s been hit or miss. I got crappy germination from the first sowing, pictured here. It’s only giving us enough to add to sandwiches, etc. Never enough at once for a meal for the three solid-food-eaters in the house. The second spinach bed is doing much better, so we should have plenty when those plants mature.
Another picture I didn’t take: the leeks. They’re damn good. I made an amazing frittata for dinner the other night using our leeks and eggs from a local farm. (Crazy how much better eggs taste when the chickens get to live–and eat–like chickens are supposed to.) Tomorrow night I’ll be making potato leek soup.
What else…what else…
I put the tomato plants in this weekend and put in the first sowing of pole beans today… Planning to buy some cucumber starts in the next week or so.
Uh…yeah. That’s it. Consider yourself updated.
The wrap is fantastic – I actually made mine, they’re so easy! We have an ergo now, as my girl is almost 19mo and is far too heavy to wear on the front, and I can’t wrangle her into the wrap on my back by myself 🙂
Gorgeous photos by the way, she’s a cutiepie.
Wow, we just planted our garden today – it’s crazy how much longer the growing season is down where you are. I’m noticing the same thing with our new baby – he’ll actually let me set him down occasionally!
Pseudonym for the cutie.
Sprite or Flower (since Thumper is from Bambi)
I vote for Miss Marple.
Sprout. Because Thumper and Sprout just kinda go together. Congrats on the garden–I had crappy germination on my spinach this year, too–wonder if it was just a bad year for seeds?
Everything looks gorgeous and green, except baby girl, who looks gorgeous and pinkish.
Penelope?
Oh Annie–I love your idea of Sprout but I had a very weird suitemate in college who insisted on being called Sprout so I have to go for something else. How about Petal. Or Dumpling. Or Miss Monkey to go with her bouncy chair. She really is darling.
Bambi seems so obvious, but also so wrong. SHe is a cutie, though!
My son was not a big one on being carried too much – he loved the freedome of movement, and he was also a good sleeper. We’ve been very lucky.
My suggestion is a long one, and may be rejected because it takes too long to type: Thumbelina.
LOVE the monkey stuff! How about “Monkey?” I’ve always thought that one kid makes you parents, and two kids makes you a real family.
how about Tink for Tinkerbell or Stinkerbell as appropriate?
I second “Petal”, or perhaps “Blossom”. Although “Thumbelina” suits her too!
I also thought of the name Sprout when you asked for suggestions — maybe b/c of the garden photos?
I also vote for “Flower” She is awfully adorable. And I know she’s going to give Thumper a run for his money!
Oh I love all the suggestions! Sprout and Tink are adorable. I was thinking Monkey too.
and Mary K. that is just the loveliest sentiment ever!
How about Rosy? Or maybe Bean as she’s such a good garden supervisor!
“Sprout” made me think of “Scout” from the Harper Lee novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”, one of the greatest pieces of American literature.
She is so lovely! I envy the garden. Some day we might have something besides asphalt and cement.
You were right about socks, btw. I’m on my third pair.
I love your little garden supervisor — and so envious of her sleeping abilities! H. is 9 months and I’m still lucky to get a four hour stretch, and that’s definitely with co sleeping. Your garden is so impressive, too. Well done, all around. 🙂
I’m voting for the pseudonym Flower. It just seems appropriate.
hmmm…I like Bean. Sprout is good too.
You have a beautiful baby.
I thought of Thumper when I read this…
*********************
Little Boys of Three
Look tenderly on little boys of three,
Their softness is as fleeting as a flower.
The cheeks like petals such a little hour,
The deepest dimple theirs so transiently;
Even tomorrow softness may be hard.
The little cotton cushions on the knees
turned into bony knobs for climbing trees.
The fists so like a rose grow lean and scarred.
His full moon cheeks will narrow to a line,
the silken hair becomes a brush of bristle,
As Mother’s little flower turns to thistle,
And there will linger not one little sign
To prove the cuddly cupid that was he.
Look tenderly on little boys of three.
Monty Blandford