The Fruits of Our Labor

Cabbages

I had to give in and use a pesticide on my cabbages.  The flour/water mixture just wasn't cutting it.  I am told that the pesticide that I used is environmental friendly and edible.  I'm not sure that either is true, but it smelled horrible.  It is working, however.  Nice!


Eating from the Garden

We are so impatient at my house.  We have been itching to eat from our garden.  So far, the garden has produced 2 ripe grape tomatoes, a small head of lettuce, and lots of fresh mint.

We ate the tomatoes right off of the vine. 

We used the tad bit of lettuce to add to our steak wraps.

And, I am saving the best for last... drum roll please...

we made mint-infused simple syrup with the mint leaves.  Yes.

I know this isn't the greatest picture, but trust me, it was delicious!

What would one do with mint-infused simple syrup you ask?  Drink it straight out of the pot.  Make mojitos, of course.  You can also add it to iced tea (to make mint tea) or lemonade.

The recipe is simple -- that's why they call it simple syrup.  Put equal parts sugar and water into a pot.  Bring it to a boil and melt the sugar.  Add flavors (herbs/fruits) and remove from heat.  Allow to cool.  Strain herb/fruit bits from the mixture.  Enjoy!

I know, these are small victories, but they are victories nonetheless.  Right?

Conversations

Picture this.

My husband and I were laying in bed.  Lights were out.  Bro was sleeping soundly inbetween us.  It was very late at night.  The sheets felt so comfortable after my long (albeit very normal) day.  My mind was wandering... as it usually does... and then we had this conversation:

Me:  {spoken in a loud whisper} Honey - how are we going to stake those sunflowers?

Him:  What do you mean 'how are we going to stake the sunflowers'?

Me:  Well, I mean,so they don't fall over because they are getting so tall.

Pause.

Pause.

Pause.

Him:  You mean to tell me that we are growing plants that can't even hold their own heads up?

Pause.

Him:  I don't know YOU are going to stake them... 20 feet stakes.

And then I giggled... and fell asleep.


So, today I am googling "how to keep a mammoth sunflower from toppling over" and hoping that he is in a better mood when I tell him my the plan.

Any suggestions?

Again, clearly, I have no idea what I am doing.

And off we grow!

Today we will talk about (1) mammoth sunflower growth and (2) cabbage worms.

Let's start with the fun stuff.

Here are the sunflowers on June 6.  {{Remember?}}

Here are the sunflowers on June 16. 

In case you are wondering, the sunflower was...

a whopping 43 inches tall, as of June 16. 

We have been measuring them and they are growing about an inch per day.  Goodness!

psssst... are you wondering why we have siding missing from the side of the house? My Dear husband is replacing some of it.  Yes, he really can do everything!

Moving on.

We are also battling cabbage worms.

Something is eating our cabbage.  I am 100% sure that it is cabbage worms... because I finally saw them with my own eyes.

After doing a bit of research and speaking to a local Master Gardener, I decided to use the following plan to rid my garden of cabbage worms.

Step 1.  Spray off any worms and eggs with powerful spray from a garden hose.
Step 2.  Create a solution of flour and water.

Step 3.  Sprinkle flour and water on the plants.

Step 4.  Repeat.  Daily.  Without fail.

Supposedly, the worms eat the flour and it causes them to expand and die.  I sure hope so. 

How do you get rid of cabbage worms?



This post is part of the KinderGARDENS series.

Click here to join or for more information.

HUGE

 We are still gardening.

Everyday as soon as we arrive home from daycare, my big boy runs around to check his garden.

First stop?  The sunflowers.

Today he said I could take his picture with the flowers.  This picture just makes me laugh.  Look at this feet... sitting so very carefully in the middle of the garden so that he doesn't smash any surrounding flowers.

These are the mammoth sunflowers that could grow 18-20 feet.

Next, he runs over to the vegetable garden and announces, "Mom - these are so HUGE!"

Why do my cabbages have holes in them?

This is such a learning process.

This post is part of the KinderGARDENS series.

Click the here to join or for more information.

13 Revisited

We did it!

We survived a 13th birthday party!

Guess what?  I didn't cry!

I don't have too many pics to share because most of the pictures involved kids, other than mine, and in bathing suits.

There is some stuff I can share.

That is:

The Justin Bieber decor rocked!

We had lots of food... um... and Bro insisted that he eat in his regular spot, which was a tad bit crowded -- ya think?

Someone made these cute mini-burgers cookies. 

We kept the presents out of reach of Brielle.

We went crazy about the cake that Lulu designed!  (ahem... not made by me)

And Lulu blew out her candles.

Even better... the girls were in their sleeping bags and asleep by 11:30.  By all accounts, it was a very busy day.  Perhaps Friday-night sleepovers are the best -- the kids are so tired from being at school all week. 

Have you had successful Friday-night sleepovers?

13

You can run but you can't hide... from 13, that is.

Someone we all know and love will be 13 tomorrow.

She wore this gorgeous outfit to school today. Yes, that is a tiara on her head.

Let's take bets here...

What are the chances that I will start sobbing

when we sing Happy Birthday?

I'm serious folks!  Hopefully we will be outside and I will have sunglasses on.

Do you know your nursery rhymes?

I have been trying to think of a creative way to showcase Bri's lonely curl.  It is the only bit of curl that any of my kids has ever had -- and so we cherish it.  I think of a certain nursery rhyme when I see her curl.  Now, she has the attitude to match.

Thus, here is my version of a popular nursery rhyme.

There was a little girl

Who had a little curl

Right in the middle of her forehead back of her head.

And when she was good

She was very, very good

But when she was bad

She was horrid!

-Nursery Rhyme (Adaptation by Napmom)

 

And here are the pictures to go with it.  You will have to trust me that she has the attitude personality to match the poem.

 

Clarification:  Many people (myself included, until now) do not know that this nursery rhyme (often credited to Mother Goose) is actually a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow  According to several websites (including http://www.rhymes.org.uk/a116-there-was-a-little-girl.htm):

The line "she was very, very good" should actually be "she was very good indeed." Longfellow's second son Ernest says of this poem: "It was while walking up and down with his second daughter, then a baby in his arms, that my father composed and sang to her the well-known lines .... Many people think this a Mother Goose rhyme, but this is the true version and history."