wanesta garden project: day 1

seemingly all at once i have been consumed by a huge desire to do better, MUCH better, at being a very conscious consumer, being a good steward of earth's resources, being hyper aware of what's going into my family's tummy at meals.....and all the sudden am feeling quite granola in a very self-aware sort of way.  these things have always interested me in a someday sort of manner....but now i find myself reading books and blogs and articles and they are all circling back in on one basic thing - i want this to be part of our normal.

some things i am looking into experimenting with (when our supplies and/or current systems run out);
-planting a garden
-purchasing non-processed food, making homemade versions of the processed foods we enjoy (granola bars, for example) and using real food in everything we eat (no synthetic nutrition)
-buying locally grown, organic produce
-finding a meat supplier whose meat does not come from a factory farm
-cloth diapering baby girl on the way and using homemade baby wipes
-making homemade cleaning products that don't contain harsh chemicals but are still effective
-making homemade laundry detergent and dish soap and dishwasher soap
-composting
-trying the oil cleansing method
-eliminating paper and plastic waste from my kitchen system (ie: paper towels and napkins, plastic baggies, tupperware, etc)

this is as far down the rabbit hole as i can allow myself to go at this point.  its overwhelming and where i'm at right now for the most part is reading and researching and allowing myself to be totally excited by this and my wandering thoughts throughout the day to be consumed by this stuff, my curiousities about it and my excitement at getting into it all.

so today, we took step one towards converting the totally unused space on the east side of our house (formerly a fenced off dog-run overrun with weeds, rocks, trash, etc) into a garden. yippee! for so long i was at a loss about how and where i could plant a garden and was almost going to give in and just plant an herb garden in a planter box and call it a day. our front yard is all rock and landscaping. our backyard is ALL shade and half is covered with mulch under a big tree house/playground and the other half is fake grass to cooperate with San Diego's watering limitations and Poway's super-hot/dry summer weather. for some reason i never even considered using this land on the side of the house until the other day when it just popped into my head - why not?  so we spent petey's naptime today pulling weeds, removing trash and rocks and stumps and plastic liners. step one. its small step towards planting a garden but a huge effort that i am proud of us for accomplishing.  its supposed to rain the next couple of days so perhaps by the time the rain stops and the ground soaks up the much-needed water i'll have researched enough of what to do next on this journey.  the soil here is NOTHING like the soil in the midwest so i have no idea what to do to prep it for planting nor any idea what i should put in the ground. but i have some great resources at my fingertips - an awesome agronomist who sells his produce at the farmers market who will come out and help me get started, an awesome local nursery with all kinds of great information for me and my super awesome dad coming to visit in two weeks to really get things going.  i'm actually hoping he'll help me get the composting thing started.  already wishing his visit were going to be longer!!!!  here are some pictures of our progress today.  its hard to tell how big the space is - from the air conditioner to the back fence is 30 feet and its 6 feet wide. phew!

the beginning of it all.....this is where the wanesta garden project began.  wow.

about halfway through the job

our sweet baxter spent most of the time lounging on a cushioned chair in the sun in the back yard. he'd occasionally come through to check on our progress and sniff a thing or two and then return to his perch as though he were our overpaid supervisor.

and here we are at the end of our day's work....just in time for hubby's allergies to kick into high gear. thanks for your help, sweet huband!

san diego zoo

an overcast tuesday morning is the perfect time to hit the san diego zoo! no hot sun scorching down on you, no long (weekend) lines, no dodging mass groups of people around the exhibits.  we had a wonderful time, petey was totally in awe of everything - the animals, the people going by....everything.   this was his first trip to the zoo and much fun was had by all. we're looking forward to going back again and again...especially once he can talk!

wonderful getaway for two @ RB Resort & Spa

reid and i enjoyed our sunday - just the two of us....oh it was heavenly! our favorite babysitter stayed with petey for the day while we went to the rancho bernardo inn resort and spa. we spent the entire day relaxing with massages, lounging in a poolside cabana reading, napping, swimming. we even enjoyed our lunch poolside. it was a much needed retreat for both of us on an individual, relaxation level as well as a wonderful escape together for the two of us.  what a special day, i'm so glad we took the time to go away and do that together.  hoping we can squeeze in a few more days with "just the two of us" before he heads off to do his job.....

my sweet husband sure did enjoy napping there in the shade and boy does he deserve it. i'm so glad i could set this day up for us to truly have a "day off" together.  it made me so happy to see him truly relaxing and recharging his oh-so-tired batteries.

and here's baby at 32 weeks - and momma in her preggo swimsuit....she's getting big! we had an appointment today and petey and reid got to come along. everything is perfect. i now weigh 176 pounds (+34), the baby measures 33 cm (which is perfect), her heartrate is great, she is still in the head down position which is wonderful - all in all a perfect report!  we will be going in for a check every 2 weeks from now on.  we talked to our midwife today about "intriguing" baby to maybe come before our estimated due date - she said there are lots of safe, non-medical things we can try to entice her to choose a sooner date but wants us to wait to try them until at least may 1st (when we are 37 weeks along and officially considered full term at that point).  ultimately her safe and healthy arrival is our priority but we are hoping daddy has a chance to hold her in his arms and fall in love before heading out.....keep us in your thoughts as we approach this special time in our lives.  37 weeks is only 5 weeks from now! :)

we heart play dates!

we are blessed with a new friend and celebrated her birthday today -  happy birthday, janice! some of the gals and our kiddos had a fun lunch at the hamburger factory in poway and then the kids ran and ran and laughed and splashed in the fountain and ran some more. they had a blast, especially following around keira their new big girl friend!  thanks so much everyone for such a fun time at the park - petey loves you all and of course, so do i!

i love how keira is holding onto petey's arm to keep him from jumping into the fountain. such a good big sister! :)  joss and baby-on-the way are super lucky!

petey basically wanted to copy every single thing that keira did. he thinks big kids are the coolest!

petey and ryan after enjoying some birthday brownie treats in the park. i can't believe how grown up they are getting!

all the kiddos - i took about 14 pictures and this was the best one, of course there wasn't a single one where all 5 kids were looking in one direction but we were pretty excited we got them all to sit still in one place together!

there is something magical about a fountain to a child. i love being reminded of childhood through my son's eyes - i am positive i too was once obsessed and mesmerized with fountains. thanks to these four for reminding us to see joy in the tiniest things in life! we are so blessed!

THEN & NOW

Take a peek at these three cuties today...(petey, tyson, ryan)

remember when they looked like this??? (july 2009)

or this??? (petey and ryan march 2009)

or this??? (petey and tyson may 2009)

how to wear a boot....

....and other tales of melting your daddy's heart. :)

he never actually put the boot on, but he tried and thought about it and pretended to over and over.....he'd get his foot halfway in and then pull it back out and giggle.....and then do it all over again.

 reid's been flying nights this week so we've had the wonderful opportunity to share some mornings together! its a real treat to have him home with us until lunchtime during the week. he even got to join us at swim class today.  looking forward to an upcoming full WEEK of leave!!!

there is nothing sweeter than hearing your baby squeal when he realizes daddy is home and in bed.  he scrambles up onto the bed quick as can be and lunges for daddy for hugs and kisses.  that boy adores his daddy. :)

and here's his new sunhat. he faught it for half a day and then realized whenever he wears it we're going outside so now he grabs it and heads for the door and looks at me like "hurry up lady, let's GO!"

we've been enjoying more perfect weather here in san diego, some days are cooler and some days are hotter but we've had loads of sunshine and have been soaking it all in.  i've spent peter's naptimes this week weeding the front yard and pulling out all the dead leaves/branches from the front landscaping.  its exhausting but feels so good to be outside, working on a project with immediate results and getting my fingers in the dirt. and sleep comes oh-so-easily at the end of the day. which is great since reid's flying late and i usually get insomnia and stay up puttering and doing little things around the house until waaaay too late. :)  good things for all!

get back to simple

beautiful words to make you consider the task ahead of you in a days work...the way things were....and the way things are and realizing the importance of going back there -

this video, 'hand wash cold' from Karen Maezen Miller's blog is a beautiful reminder of what is important in life.

i'm a student in learning this art.....of the doing with love....of the realizing the beauty in what i do....and her book sounds just like the sort of thing that could help a girl get an A+ in really, truly living.

her blog offers great wisdom in a single phrase:

"Having the good life is simple when you savor the one you have"

MEGATRON

petey has a new best friend of the canine variety. poor baxter became chopped liver over the weekend while petey doted on our friend's dog, megatron who stayed with us for the weekend while she went to vegas for some much needed girlfriend celebrating.  megatron is a sweet, wonderful, well-behaved and tolerant puppy who gets old man baxter all riled up into a playful frenzy 12 or 18 times a day and allows petey to tug and hug and roll and tote him around wherever he pleases.  of course, this amused petey to no end. all will be sad when sweet megatron goes home in a few hours.  and if you are paying attention, you'll get a look at the fabric of our new couches which petey also adores (well, we all do...they are heavenly to sink into at the end of the day).

now, i'm off to try something new - making my first rotisserie chicken in the slow cooker which will become shredded and used for chicken fajitas later in the week and added to some homemade chicken noodle soup which will feature my first ever homemade chicken stock from the chicken bones....all thanks to much inspiration from my new top favorite blog, new nostalgia. this gal really gets me excited!  the header of her blog reads: 

My quest to recapture the simplicity
of yesterday and apply it to today.

 

i love it and am trying to incorporate more of that into my life here....now, its true - the simple life requires a lot of effort to achieve, but that effort makes it all so much more meaningful.  some other things i am hoping to try out over the course of the next year:

homemade laundry detergent

homemade house cleaner

homemade dishwasher detergent

cloth diapering little baby girl nannen

planting a garden - i just had an epiphany about the unused, fenced in dog-run on the side of the house

and a whole host of healthy homemade recipes from her blog and others like it.  

WOO HOO!!!! 

 

nursery progress

please, don't judge the room by the lighting - the colors aren't quite popping in these pictures like they do in person because i snapped these shots at the end of the day when the lighting just wasn't quite right.  anyway, you get the idea of it all...it looks great. now just need to get some decor on the walls, some organization in the closets and we're ready for her to arrive!

glorious weekending

my 28th was a day of glowing and ear-to-ear smiles.....so much goodness in one day almost makes a girl blush.  i was overwhelmed with love, so thank you to you all! the absolutely-perfect weather made it all the more exactly-my-kinda-day...

awalk with my boy and pup. quick, fun errands and lunching with ladies and their little men in tow - and surprise gifts from these great gals! an afternoon visit from a darling friend who i love to chat with - and an added canine buddy for the weekend. a trip to the dog park with a stroller and two pups in tow, returning home with everyone pooped and ready to relax. and in the end, my wonderful man came home with the perfect hug at the end of the day. yes, indeed, i like 28 already!

saturday is turning out to be more of the same kind of wonderful - hoping my sister's bridal shower in naperville is a great time for her! as for my saturday, another perfect sunshiney morning walk with all the littles and then off to the local poway farmers market.  petey in his new wide-brimmed hat and me in my new birthday-present earrings, both feeling good and wearing smiles.  my purchases included: organic white cheddar goat cheese, tangelos and avocados from farmer steve - who we chatted with awhile and who sweetly kept tossing extra goodies in my bag for free with a grin. he even gave petey his famous smiling lemon which petey adored and toted around the rest of the morning (drawing a smiley face on a lemon will of course bring joy into a child's life!), my very first ever artichoke purchase, delicious tacos on homemade tortillas with guacamole that my child just adored, some super-moist and amazing apple bread and to top it all off, the cd of a great duo playing their guitars at the market who happened to fascinate my son.

i must say, while i've always loved farmers markets, sharing the experience with my son made it all the more precious! popping delicious fresh, home grown fruits and veggie samples into his mouth and seeing his face light up with each new flavor - pure joy. watching him greet each sweet puppy that walked by and hearing him giggle and coo when they stopped to lick his fingers - perfection. he just breathed it all in and made friends along the way. i just adore that boy and absolutely nothing in the world brings me more joy than sharing special mornings like this one with him!

2nd haircut

our friends jen and ryan recommended a sweet little mom n' pop barber shop just across the road - sal is a totally old school barber who did a great job on petey's hair.  it was especially great considering petey screamed hysterically as though his arm was being sawed off the entire duration of the haircut.  he even got to sit on my lap. he was completely uninterested in a sucker offered to him. he didn't care about the sweet pug dog, yoda, on the floor there watching it all. was unphased by the lady next to him having her hair dyed. he - wanted - DOWN. and as soon as it was over and he got off my lap the crying immediately ceased. he was fine. no problems. looked through sal's toybox. checked out sal's video game machine.  gave sal a high five. and off we went. and doesn't he look dapper with the hair gel sal added in as a finishing touch? well, as much as a horrible mom as it makes me feel when putting him through anything that causes him to scream and drool uncontrollably, it was high time for a haircut and i'm glad we did it and we'll be going back to our friend sal (poor guy!).  in the meantime, i am going to have to start playing barber shop here at home and maybe help make petey feel more at ease with the whole thing.  this could be a traumatic week for him - we have a doctor appointment tomorrow, the only other place that petey screams and drools uncontrollably as soon as we enter the exam room. can't wait!

here are before (yesterday) and after pics of the new hairdo. :)

weekend catch up

we enjoyed a long 3 day weekend with daddy home and i tried my best to balance some low key hanging out and recuperation time for reid with some good productive get-stuff-done action in there....may is feeling quite close these days! and since may = baby arriving/daddy leaving for awhile....for this nesting momma, anyway, it feels like there is a really long to do list to get to!

anyway, we spent some fun time enjoying the perfect weather at the dog park. and petey was climbing on a plaque dedicating the park to a mr. j-somebody when he tripped and caught himself with his forehead, leaving the perfect imprint of the letter j for the rest of the night.  poor kid - 15 seconds of crying and he was off and running and giggling again. he is a tough kiddo!

this weekend peter decided to fall in love with books again. and sitting on your lap. especially if you have baxter on your lap also.  if you are sitting on the floor, chances are he is heading towards your lap. the cutest part is he turns around a few feet away and backs up either walking backwards with his bum slightly out or scoots on his bottom until he runs into you and the just helps himself up onto your lap. then he taps his lap and looks at baxter to say "ok, now you come sit here too".

petey had a free-for-all with some mashed potatoes one evening which essentially required he be sprayed down immediately following the meal, he had potatoes in every single nook and cranny but he loved them!  and he's actually doing really well with self-feeding and using his silverware.

more snuggling, lap sitting and book reading with daddy. this sequence of photos is too sweet.  at one point petey is even reading to baxter and pointing at the pictures.