It was worth the wait.  The patio isn’t even finished yet (today should be the last day - landscaping & sealing) but I’ve already got my frozen margarita mix ready to go!  In the picture the crew had just finished stamping the pattern into the wet cement and finishing up the sidewalk up to the driveway.  I’m not too sure how long it takes for 8″ of concrete to cure (the steps are even thicker) but it seems okay to walk on already.  Of course I meant to put all of our first initials in the concrete and I forgot!  The steps leading out of the kitchen door had to be modified before they poured the cement, my husband realized that our poor blind pug would probably just walk right off the edge (even though it was just two steps high) and hurt herself.  We had the crew reform the mold to make wrap-around steps and it looks even better than I hoped!

Our old lawn furniture will have to be scrubbed clean to use, but at least we have new cushions for the set.  We had tried over the ten years of us living here to use the backyard ‘patio’ area with just the grass, but it’s never the same.  Official outdoor living space was needed.  Early this year we bought a fire pit and a swing seat, and trying to use them while out on grass was awkward.  This patio will get great use for a long, long time.  We’ve got birthday parties coming up and with any luck, Matthew Ebel can make a trip out our way for a concert tour.  No doubt we’ve got the space to hold all his fans!

And I mean the kind you eat, not the kind you dance.  Last year I grew tomato plants because, while pregnant, I craved them like crazy.  Plus, there is nothing better than a Jersey tomato.  Or corn.  Or cranberries.  Or blueberries.  This year, with food being as dangerous as it is to purchase, it looked like another great year to grow my own batch and add cilantro to the mix.  Dried cilantro tastes like, well, nothing, and the store bought variety is expensive.  Scallions and hot peppers would have rounded out the salsa menu, but I wanted to add one thing every year to see how I did.

This year, the bugs beat me.  The cilantro plant was indoors in a window box, between a basil (for pesto) and mint (for mojitos) plant. Close enough for aphids to sneak in and destroy the plant.  I can’t blame them, the plant smelled amazing.  So far it doesn’t seem to have spread to the nearby plants.  God bless the Internet, because the more I read about them, the more creeped out I am.  I now have visions of these little buggers crawling all over me and my kids. It also explains why there are at least four spider webs (and huge spiders) hanging out by my back door.  Less spiders, more lady bugs please!  (The lady bugs eat the aphids.)

While the plant is trashed, I am now looking into greener ways to keep the bugs from coming back on the tomato, basil, mint, lavender, and rosemary plants we still have.  What’s the point of growing your own veggies and herbs - besides price - if you are just going to slather them with chemicals?  Homemade insecticidal soap seems to be the key, and I’ve got the ingredients in the house to make it.

So while I will have to purchase cilantro in the store this year, my tomato plants are doing fine.  Besides, tomato and basil with olive oil and balsamic vinegar is a great meal!

Technorati Tags: cilantro, basil, tomato, mint, aphids

The baby started crawling today, just a few ’steps’ at a time.

Right now Kidlette is jumping over the baby while he’s on the floor trying to crawl.  This cannot be good.  Parental intervention is called for.  Time for hardcore baby-proofing!

Still eating for two?  I am. No, I’m not knocked up again, I’m breastfeeding the Pumpkin.  And suffering killer migranes every few weeks or so.  Stress, yes.  Lack of sleep, yes. I’m sure I’m dehydrated too.  After reading that I need to up my intake of several vitamins (like vitamin C for one…) I now think know that my sucky diet is giving me the headaches too.  Vitamin A is a huge no-no in large quantities while pregnant, so I got used to avoiding excess.  So now I see I need *more* than normal, and I’m not getting it.  What I need is an easy to shop for and prepare meal plan.  Did I mention healthy?  The idea of going to a meal-preperation ’store’ sounds appealing but it’s expensive.  Nice for when I’ve got company coming over or for a special occasion, but not swinging it for everyday meals.  I did try a few things, though, and they are really good, it’s just that when I look at the menu, I can make them myself.  (But I don’t.)  I have the time, sort of, and really need inspiration and a child that will eat what I cook!

Today I threw in the towel (literally) and did something creative. Well, not my best work to be sure, and the end result was for the baby, not me, but hell it counts! I was on Etsy to leave some feedback for the super-awesome handmade soap I ordered and decided to see if anyone crafty had made a ‘taggie’ blanket toy for babies. Kidlette was never a baby that had a lovey or favorite toy, but the Pumpkin is totally fascinated with the tags on anything. I suppose a lot of babies are, because I have been looking up some cute blanket with a whole lot of extra tags sewn on them.

After searching around for 30 seconds, it hit me. *I* am creative, aren’t I? I have a sewing machine and thousands of dollars of crafting supplies. Why don’t *I* take five minutes and make my own damn baby toy?? So I did. Granted, I don’t have all the cutsie fabrics on hand that the girls on Etsy do - plus my choice would be flaming guitars or skulls or something - so I grabbed a wash cloth. We must have 40, so who’s to miss one? End result, five minutes of time, the older kid kept the younger kid from eating electrical cords in the family room while I ran and sewed.

I feel so much better now. But it also gives me motivation to get off my ass and CLEAN! Hopefully the baby will stay busy with his new toy.

Technorati Tags: taggie blanket