summer vegetables

About 2 weeks ago we got to eat for the first time from our small container garden (everything I'm growing, I'm growing in large pots). We have swiss chard growing nicely. It's a great vegetable to grow, because: 1. it's one of the easiest plants to grow, 2. the majority of animals and pest do not like it, and 3. it grows from spring until well into the fall. That's my kind of plant! Of course, being a green, it's very good for you, too!

We also have zucchini growing. We harvested the first few male flowers and made zucchini flower pancakes. This was the reason I grew zucchini--for the flowers! But I am looking forward to some zucchini, too.

I've also harvested a large bundle of lavender which is currently drying. And I'm enjoying using several fresh herbs whenever I cook. Still to come--cherry tomatoes and pole beans. Both have flowered quite a bit. I'm looking forward to seeing what we get!

numbers mumbers

This evening I asked Maddie to run into the kitchen to tell me the time. She has a little trouble with the digital numbers on the stove clock, and she didn't know the first number. So I asked her if it was a 6 or a 7. (Long pause) "Ummmm...it's a bended 1."

the way Caleb sees things

Caleb often sees things a little bit differently than most. He was eating his toast this morning, and he bit his little quarter piece of toast into the shape of an L. "Wook, ees a wetter." "That's right! What letter is it?" He didn't know. I told him it was an L. Then, he took the L and turned it down, stood it on his plate, and said, "Wook! Eees a swide!" I think there's a little creative mind growing in there!

quote

Caleb was having a hard time obeying me. Maddie, trying to encourage him to obey, said, "Buddy, I love you, and that's why I want you to obey...with all your heart, and with all my heart too."

Bobe's 2 year stats

Our pediatrician thinks Caleb will be on the tall side. He is 36.5 inches tall, in the 95th%! I know there are plenty of boys that tall, but somehow coming from short little me, it seems quite surprising. :) His weight is only 29lbs, 9oz--a bit over average. So, my stocky boy is somehow still technically skinny, as I like to joke. And his head is a good size--also a bit over average. He took his shot like a little man. He didn't even cry, he just said, "Dat's ouchie!"

With a daughter who is in the 10th% percentile for height and a son who is in the 95th%, it looks a lot like we have twins these days. We're taking bets on when Caleb will pass Maddie--any guesses?

it's all in the family

Caleb stole a quote from Thad...

Just a few nights ago, Susie was telling me how when she was newly married and not a very good cook yet, Thad used to compliment her on the milk after they finished a meal, telling her how great the milk was. Well, the very next day Caleb was eating cereal. He picked up his bowl, drank some of the milk, looked at me and said: Mmmm! Dat wass goot meelk!

Jezzie's and Caleb's party

The next evening we had a combined birthday party for Jezzie and Caleb, who both have June birthdays. I built the rice krispy treat tower. Quite the adventure! I learned that I am a sloppy rice krispy treat maker, but at least they tasted good!

Happy Birthday, Jezzie!


Happy Birthday, Caleb!

(Is it really my birthday again?)

The morning of this party, I was telling the kids how we were going to have another birthday party for Caleb, this time with Jezzie, and Maddie said, "That's right! Happy Birthday, Caleb, again! Mommy, how old is Caleb THIS time?!"

Jezzie got the top of the tower.

the girls

Time for presents!

We got Jezzie a bunch of his favorite snacks to have while he is staying with Bubbie and Pop-Pop.

Here I am trying to remove Maddie from Caleb's gifts. She was so excited, she kept trying to open up Caleb's gifts to hurry him along.

Ooops! She's got another one. :)

Caleb's favorite gift was a little blue race car.


NO, Co-Co!

Susie had some pirate party favors for the kids to play with. Maddie was fascinated with the idea of covering one eye. She kept begging McLaren to play 'pirates' with her.

Caleb brandishing his 'knife' like a pro--we're going to have to watch this kid!

Garrick had the great idea of buying Jezzie and Caleb punch balls. They were a hit!

We all had some fun with the punch balls. Braden, especially, kept us laughing.

Two at a time wasn't good enough for him. He had to do four at one time!

party at our house

We had our own birthday party for Caleb. I made a bulldozer cake for him. About half-way through it sure wasn't looking like a bulldozer, but in the end it worked out.

the Bobedozer
(or, as I learned from Caleb's truck book, I think I actually made a Bobedigger)

the back

...and in sticking with my tradition, the color is au natural. :)

My parents and La came.

We grilled burgers out back. Here's Maddie enjoying her burger and having fun sitting in the big chair out back.

Later on for cake, Susie was able to bring the cousins, who had just come in to town. Granny also came, looking cheery as usual.

Blowing out the candles.

Last year Caleb did not like his cake. However, since then he has learned what 'cake' is all about. He had his own little wheel this year.

I'd say we got a bit messy.

Oh boy, a brand new race car!

Maddie was making herself laugh.

This was the crowning moment for Caleb--oh boy, a big truck!

Lala knows what to get Caleb!

the tractor show

To celebrate Caleb's birthday (and since he loves trucks and tractors), we went to an antique tractor show. It was great!--farmland and country all the way. Lots of farmers and farmer wives, 8 year olds driving small tractors behind their fathers, suspenders, old jeans and tee shirts, a few grizzly beards, spry old farmers, super friendly folks. People brought their own lawn chairs--and I mean the old kind of lawn chairs, metal frames and woven plastic--to sit in while they watched the tractor pull that went on for hours. Tractors were polished and gleaming. Antique engines were sputtering and popping as they ran on display. One farmer was driving around on his tractor, stopping to say HI to people along the way. His wife, sporting her straw hat, rode along behind him on her own 'farmers wife seat,' attached to the rear of the tractor. I wish I had taken a picture.

an old tractor

An old engine--I think it was 20 horsepower.

Caleb smiling for the camera on the hayride.

The hayride was definitely Caleb's favorite part of the day--well, that and the ice cream!

Mommy and Maddie on the wagon ride.

There was also a tractor train ride for the kids. Maddie LOVED this! Caleb liked about half of it. We walked along with them for a few minutes, and then seeing that Caleb was doing well, we backed off. The next thing I knew, in the distance I saw the tractor stopped and Caleb wailing.

At the beginning, when he was having fun sitting in his own little train car waiting to leave.

Off they go!

Birthday Boy checking out a tractor up close.

birthday morning

We began the morning with a little gift opening--unplanned, ahem. I realized that I had 3 pairs of clean shorts for Caleb but no shirts! This messy boy can easily go through multiple shirts a day. So, we opened the gifts from Jess & Dave so Caleb wouldn't have to go shirtless on his birthday. Thanks, guys!

Then, Caleb went for the gift he had previously opened three days ago. Yes I re-wrapped it, mostly.

The birthday king lounging on his throne.

* Li'l Bobe turns 2 *

We had such a weekend of celebrating Caleb that I'll have to post event by event. :)

Happy Birthday, my Little Big Boy!

Baby Bucket

I was putting Maddie down for her nap, and I asked her what music she'd like to listen to. She said, "How 'bout Baby Bucket?" I thought for a minute, running through all the music she has that I could think of, and came up blank. "Baby Bucket? Are you sure we have that?" "Yes, we have it. Baby Bucket." "I'm not sure about that. Can you sing it for me?" "Babeee, Baaby Bucket!" Ah-ha. I put it on--'Davy Crockett,' if you're familiar with the old Disney theme song. I asked her if that was the right song, and when the chorus came on she sang along, "Babeee, Baaby Bucket!...See, Baby Bucket. Yeah, that's it."

our resident mathematician

Maddie and Caleb had had a squabble. I started by addressing Maddie, knowing she had hit Caleb. When I paused in between sentences, Maddie held up her fingers, using them as she went along:

I hit Caleb TWO times, and Caleb hit me ONE time...that's THREE TIMES!

summertime ice cream

It was one of Daddy's long days when he doesn't get home until really late, so I decided to take the kids to the store after dinner to buy some ice cream as a special treat. (Which, by the way, if you've never tried Safeway's organic chocolate covered strawberry ice cream bars, go buy some!) We got home and ate them on the front porch. Afterwards, we were going to ride bikes for a little while, but as you'll see, that idea was quickly nixed, and they ended up going straight to the bathtub and their clothes straight to the wash!