The Number and Question of the Moment

The Number: "4"
The Question:"Where'd it come from?"
The explanation:
Quin has been very into the number "4" all week, I'm not sure how he decided this was the number to go by, but it really has stuck as of late. So, if you ask Quin how many yogurt covered pretzels (favorite snack of the moment) he wants, he'll say "four".
Quin's version of "4" on his fingers:
He'll tell you about his "four owies" though he actually only has 3, 2 of which are completely healed. Oh, and now I have to tell you about them:
1. A little scrap on his tummy from climbing on the picket fence
(the hardly visible owie on the left)
2. A scrape on his knee from falling on the sidewalk
(except here he is actually showing us the wrong leg...;))

3. An old owie on his nose, which was once was his first bloody nose caused unintentionally by our loving dog Theo bumping into him while trying to fetch a ball.

Yeah, Q is pretty rough and tumble and doesn't really cry that much from these injuries, but loves band aids of course, and talking about his wounds, every day.
Anyway, "4" is the number of the moment, which makes his even number loving Mama very proud. ;)

Onto the Question of the moment: "Where'd it come from?"
This question mostly pertains to food items, especially fruits and vegetables for some reason, perhaps because my explanation of where bread comes from is just too lengthly for a 2 year old to digest. I'm so pleased about this question of the moment though, even if I do answer about 2 dozen times a day. I'm pleased because we've had the chance now to explain and then show him where his food is coming from, in our tiny garden! Well, we're not exactly there in showing him where the pumpkins etc. come from, but come this fall we will! So, next time you see or chat with Quin, you can give him a little quiz, "So Quin, where do blackberries come from?" He'll probably respond with, "Blackberries come from bushes in da woods!" And hey, come sometime in late August this year they will!

Welcome to Our Garden

The Little Zackey garden has certainly benefited from recent weather conditions here in Seattle. That is, the bits of rain and gray during the week and lovely weekend sun.
So here, let's take a stroll through our tiny patch of yumminess...
We have here some lettuce starts which we are already eating, along with bit of dill and basil, and with some baby carrots, beans, peas, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and chard. We'll see how much of it will actually grow! This is my evidence of it's beginning though. Plus outside this tiny patch, we have: sunflowers, wildflowers and nasturshums, and in another spot: zucchini, potatoes, and pumpkins. Again, I haven't ever attempted growing much in the way of veggies, so I'm already thrilled that we had this tasty garden salad tonight (well at least the lettuce and dill were from our garden ;)) :
And nearby the garden, Quin has started a pine cone collection: And today after a bit of garden work planting more seeds and watering, Q took a break to do his version of a "Slip N' Slide":
Ah, warm spring days, fun in the sun, great times with friends, and this weekend lots of house projects and lacrosse watching for Todd.

Learning to Fly

We've had an exciting bit of growth going on around here, our neighbors the Blue Jay family have decided that the plants just outside out front stoop are a grand place for their fledglings to learn how to fly. This has been quite exciting, and admittedly stressful and heartbreaking to watch. At first we thought there was just the one little guy:

But by the end of the day on Tuesday we discovered there were actually 3. Quin certainly enjoyed watching them (albeit through our very smudgy screen door window)
Here's the little guy on Todd's shoes (lower left) outside our door:
It was stressful indeed trying to keep him on the quite side while watching, and going in and out the door, I was nervous as ever they'd freak out. But by Wednesday, all seemed fine as the three seemed to venturing further afield. Then, sadly this afternoon Papa found one that didn't make it out back. Not sure what his little fate was, the neighbor cat, too far of a trip, who knows, but it was so heartbreaking to see his little lifeless self. I felt more connected to these ever watchful Blue Jay parents in the last two days, and hope for their sake their remaining two little ones make it. It's a tough world out there for these guys, and life seems so fleeting while watching them learn so quickly they have to grow up fast.
Here's my little Blue Jay, who fortunately isn't flying away too soon:

Winning!

Ok, so thanks to Anna Sander and her hint of using "bloglines" I'm now a little addicted to

a) looking at other people's blogs, this has taken the place of TV watching of any kind for me
b) printing up coupons for free things, and/or things we regularly use via other people's blogs
c) most shameful of all, entering numerous "blog giveaways"

So, in reference to c), lest you worry I am entering all sorts of sacred info online and wasting valuable time, never fear! Entering these giveaways usually means entering my name, email and a quick 1 sentence comment of why I want to win the given prize, or some comment about which of the products I'd like to win from the giveaway company's site. Ok, so I do waste some time, but so far I have already won three prizes! Here they are:

1)CARES airplane restraint
Which will be perfect for future plane travel with both of our little ones! And a good loaner item to friend's who might like to travel on the plane sans car seat.

2)Seventh Generation Gift Pack (perfect for baby girl)!

3) Wowzers this was a pricey and super sweet one, a Dwell studio's cowgirl crib bedding set:

So, ok, I just have to share cause I'm feeling proud of my time wasting. Now I'm going to go out and enjoy this GORGEOUS weather day with the fam!

Giving In

Ok, so I know I can be a pushover as a parent sometimes, maybe too often, but gee it can be fun. Here is how I've been “giving in” to Quin requests of late...

At bedtime the last few nights Quin has insisted on having every one of his stuffed animals available covering his body. He'll say, “another one, another one” until I repeatedly give in and there are none left, and his nostrils are barely visible. Don't fret though, I'm pretty sure he's beyond the SIDS worry of suffocation by stuffed animals, but just in case I go in a few minutes after he's out for the night and remove the nostril covering offenders. Here is the evidence:

So, though I have no photo, I thought it was sweet last night (well sweet of “giving in Mama” anyway) to take post across the street from a crew of “diggers” working on “fixing the road” post grocery shopping at Top Foods. Quin was fascinated by these diggers and I must of answered a hundred or so questions like, “What's that guy doing?” or “What's the front loader doing?” I have to admit I'm gaining more respect for the “digger guys” these days after spending so much more of my time watching them.

Another example of recent “giving in” which was certainly to our benefit this past weekend, Quin decided he had to play in the car wash bubbles. I couldn't resist letting him, though I don't know how productive this really made Papa's car washing project turn out. He was SO HAPPY though, getting the bubbles all over his feet and flipping them off his hands in my face. Ahh, but “giving in” did equal a more lovely clean car than I've had in ages, thanks Quin and especially Papa!

Ok, so I'll admit it, I was feeling a little preggers slow this afternoon, and so I “gave in” at Hamlin Park today, by letting Quin push me in his stroller. "Ha, no way!"you say. I say,
"Oh yes, a small 2 year old is in fact capable of pushing his preggers Mama in a jogger." He was laughing hysterically while he was at it too, until he got too winded to go on at least. Guess I'll have to get a ride again tomorrow since I don't have photographic evidence now...

28 weeks

I'm 28 weeks now, wow! I know I will keep saying this, but time sure flies! I'm in the 3rd trimester for real and feeling great still. I know there will be a time when I feel huge and uncomfortable, but right now I'm in the very happy pregnancy stage of loving to feel little Miss and her moves and know I'm going to have another baby this summer to coo over. Being a mama and being pregnant is such a gift!

(ya, I know looks like I stuck a ball under my shirt, right?)

Little Miss and I celebrated Tara's upcoming birth of baby boy Caleb (late May, early June) with ALL the other PEPS mama's this past Thursday night. What fun it was to reconnect with everyone! And 4 of us are preggers with #2: me (early Aug), Tara (late May), Dana (mid Sept), and Eileen (late June).

Mama Time

The boys are off on a walk in the park, so I'm having a few moments to myself to reflect, organize and ponder motherhood. I am so thankful to have this Hallmark holiday today, not so much so I can be spoiled with beautiful flowers and treats from my boys (but thanks Papa!), but so that I can appreciate how much it means to be a Mama these days. I really have a gift of time, one that I don't take for granted. We made the choice to buy a little home. A home we knew we could afford, even if I was staying home raising kids and not working, and though I grumble at times, it really is a gift. I get to witness so many sweet moments.

Quin is growing and changing so quickly, I'm so glad I get to be here for every moment. He's now so much more into pretend, like playing Dr., and hiding under the covers cause "the bears are coming!". He is a real helper outside, where I think he'd rather be pretty much 90% of the time. Yesterday we got to work on my real mother's day gift, our new veggie garden. My Mother's Day gift to Quin was his very own real wheelbarrow, which he now uses with his real rake and shovel quite productively I might add.

Ok, so I'm finishing this post now, it's 6 hours later and we had a lovely Mama's Day brunch at Dashel and Cassie's new place (which is just 2 blocks from the lake in Leschi). I felt spoiled again by such nice company, tasty food, tulips, and treats, yum to fancy cupcakes. Mom and Dad also treated me to 2 much coveted items, a Kleen Kanteen water bottle and this book. Which was a real treat as I seem to be channeling the author this week; she and I wrote on practically the same thoughts earlier this week! I think I will enjoy the rest of naptime and read a bit! Oooh, the luxury of Mom's Day!