Summertime Flowers

One of the things I really enjoy in the summer are my flowers.  Although my flower beds often look as though they need some tender loving care, I do appreciate all the plants that survive my hit-and-miss attentions.  This year Luke and I built a flower bed in the front yard that I have been planning since we moved here.  First though, the ugly, smelly juniper bush had to go!  Thanks to Luke, Myles and the diesel, it's gone.

My flower bed

Here are photos of our work-in-progress.  Of course my plan included something much more elaborate, but this more realistic garden was the perfect suggestion from Luke.  I love the result.  I have many more flowers still to move, but it's beautiful just as it is.

Nicholas - my newest helper

Our beautiful Hibiscus

I stopped at the grocery store on Sunday and I couldn't resist buying one of the beautiful Hibiscus plants displayed outside.  They remind me of my Granny and I decided immediately that I needed a piece of Granny in my flower bed.  For all her attributes that were less grandmotherly than most grandmothers, she did have a green thumb.  (I truly missed inheriting this gift from her as my houseplants have to be drought survivors and very hardy to survive me.)  I can't wait to plant the Hibiscus and think of her every time I look at it.

But I think the thing I like the most about my summertime gardens are the vases of flowers that sit on the corner of my cupboard all spring and summer long.  They are always filled with the flowers (and sometimes just the flower heads) picked for me by my boys.  Everything from dandelions to lilacs to Queen Anne's Lace.  And every once in awhile, one of the flowers from my flower beds.

A Day of First's for the Little Ones

July has been a very busy month.  I can't say I was able to get anything much completed at the same time I started it.  Somewhere along the line I have begun a few blogs, but didn't manage to get them posted.  I was either interrupted and never got back at it, or simply needed to find a picture, but didn't.

Here is a blog from June that only needed to be posted....


June 25, 2011

Yesterday was a big day here at our house.

After lunch Evan loaded up in the truck with Daddy and off he went to Grandma and Granddad's for a sleep-over.  The only boy; no brothers to have to share his grandparent's or Daddy with.  It sounds like he had a great time!

Nicholas has been on the move for over 2 weeks now.  At first it was just a commando crawl going only about 6 feet.  In a few days he was the fastest frog crawler ever!

 

This was him just as he got on the move.

Yesterday he decided it was time to get off his belly and crawl like a big boy!  In the morning he was still frog crawling, in the afternoon he was crawling.   Just like that!  Up onto his hand and knees and off he went.

Child's Play

I love watching my boys play.  Their imaginations know no bounds or limits.  They are amazingly creative.  The three of them plan and discuss where things should go, how they should be piled, who should do what.  Sometimes they argue; mostly they agree.  Always there is a messy trail leading from the start to the end of their creativity.

Some days their favorite play is carrying around their teddies dressed in baby clothes that are now too small for Nicholas.  The teddies then join us for lunch at the table with their own tiny plates and food.

Sometimes our living room is a highway for trucks and building ground for blocks.

Some days the pillows, blankets, chairs and anything not permanently placed become part of a truck or a 'campsite' (that's what my boys call a fort).

Sometimes the cardboard boxes I piled up for recycling become airplanes complete with drawn on wings and are filled with the most bizarre cargo: a sock, blocks, teddies, some books, a blanket, shoes, markers...

And sometimes it's just the sandbox where the oddly shaped piles are actually pizza's or various parts to a spaceship.

 Today as I watched Evan put a small handful of sand in his mouth.  I said, "Evan, don't eat that, it won't taste good."  He immediately answered "It's tomato soup."  His very serious expression and tone made me wonder "how could I not have known?"!

Morgan's Maple Syrup

Morgan took quite an interest in making syrup this year.  His little mind was thinking and planning while we were talking and tasting.  He found himself a hammer and a nail.  He told "Uncle Paul" that he needed one of the pails sitting there being used.  Paul very kindly listened to Morgan as he explained his need of Paul's pail.  Morgan was going to tap a tree with his nail and hammer; he needed the pail to catch the sap.

With Paul's permission, Luke picked up a couple of spiles and metal buckets as we left the sugar bush. At home, a maple tree in the backyard was tapped.

Morgan - so proud!

Morgan's project became a family project.  We only had a few days when the sap ran, but it was enough to fill my freezer up with various sized blocks of sap.  It gave us time to wait for a beautiful day to boil the sap and for Luke to find something to boil the sap on.

Luke tending the fire

James and Morgan taking a turn

James on his tricycle

                  Time to play!

Morgan in the old, little sandbox

The big boys often help Evan over the rough spots

And take a little walk...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even Nicholas had a dry place to sit

The syrup made was deliciously enjoyed with fresh baked biscuits and over pancakes.  Yummy!

After the whole experience, Morgan said he wants to drive a school bus when he grows up so he can make maple syrup too.  "Like Uncle Paul."

Maple Syrup

The Sugar Shack

We all love pure Ontario Maple Syrup made by our good friend Paul Mader.  We like pancakes, french toast, fresh biscuits and even oatmeal or cornmeal cereal covered in maple syrup.  The most requested meal in this house is pancakes - breakfast, lunch or supper.

In April we put on our boots and set out for our annual trek through the Mader's Sugar Bush.  (Yes, I realize it is June and I am only now posting this, but sometimes my intentions are better than my follow-through.)

 It's become an event we all look forward to and talk about for a weeks before the trees are even tapped.  This year we invited our friends, the Smith's, to join us.

The sap pan when we got there, not yet boiling.

 First we checked out the operation - we explain each year how the Maple trees are tapped to collect their sap which is then put in the big pan and boiled over a hot fire until it becomes Maple Syrup.

James and Morgan helping to add firewood.

Next we set our for our tromp through the woods. 

Marion, Morgan, Luke and James

Marion and Evan

Mommy and Nicholas - notice the turkey feather in my hand

Porcupines at work

When we returned to the Sugar Shack, Paul had begun straining the syrup.  We had a delicious taste of fresh maple syrup and some maple sugar too.  It was yummy and oh so sweet!

Hopping To It

James and Morgan participated in a Hop for Muscular Dystrophy at Nursery School today.

Don`t they make cute bunnies?

James....My Helper

It's been very busy for days now.  I can't remember when the busyness started, but it seems to be unending.  Mostly my own doing as I am purging and organizing....again.  On top of that all 4 boys have been suffering with this lingering cough that goes on all day and all night - even now I can hear one of them coughing.  No one in this house is sleeping well.

Today I was able to accomplish everything I HAD to do by the time I picked the twins up from Nursery School and I was struggling to keep myself together at lunch.  Nicholas was put down for his nap; Evan and Morgan put themselves to bed soon after.   Savoring the quiet moments, I sat on the couch with my tea and found my eyes starting to close.  I don't nap, never have.  Today I almost did. 

Even though it wasn't long before Nicholas was back up, I still couldn't seem to get off the couch.  In fact, I lied down with my eyes closed.  I was only slightly aware of James moving around when I felt a blanket placed on me.  Soon 2 special teddies were snuggled in.  I heard the tap running and a cup of water was brought to me...then another one...and another one - in case my cough got worse (I don't have a cough).  Even when the baby complained about his toys being out of reach, James moved them all closer.  Then back to the kitchen to make me a snack.

James is a helper.  He likes to mimic Luke and I doing our various tasks, especially those that he has to work at figuring out.  He's so proud of the things he accomplishes and talks about what he did to help us again and again.  But today he didn't mimic anyone.  He put his helpfulness to work and took care of his "nice little mommy".

I have to admit, it made me proud to watch him through my slitted eyes.  He knew what he wanted to do and figured out how to get it done. 

And most of all, I felt truly loved.