Arboretum Visit, 3

Tree Texture, originally uploaded by justyc2004.

Arboretum Visit, 2

Garden Walk, originally uploaded by justyc2004.

Can you spot the A-man?

Arboretum Visit, 1

Crafting--Freezer Paper Stencils

Now that the kids are older and will play together with minimal parental supervision (which means someone needs to stay within earshot and make sure they aren't a.) killing each other and b.) involved in potentially dangerous activities like poking eyes out with pencils or ingesting toxins), I can actually do crafty things. Sure I get interrupted like every 10 minutes with requests for help or the boys just checking in to see what I'm doing, but it's fun to do my thing while listening to them play.

This past rainy Saturday afternoon, I decided to finally hem our bedroom curtains in a quest to get that room finished. (Note: why does Ikea think people's homes have 9 foot windows? why can't they make a curtain in a normal length?) The only thing holding me back was fear of the sewing machine, but I finally conquered it and was able to hem THREE curtains in about fifteen minutes!!

Pleased with my handiwork, I decided to jazz up the plain curtains with a freezer paper stencil. I'm one of the last people to try these things out, but I've been busy the last 3 years. Anyway, here is a linkto a good explanation of how to do them. I can't wait to get some better fabric paint and do some more!

Easter Eggs

Carrots

Whew! March was manic in terms of work, and we got five new windows installed in our upstairs. These windows are so beautiful, I want to lick them. They open and close! They keep out drafts! We can't hear the neighbor's frickin' dog barking all the time! You get the point.

We've been working on the early spring planting in the vegetable garden; something the boys highly enjoy. Here they are planting carrots. I really need to stop reading Michael Pollan or I may start raising livestock, chickens and fruit trees back here too. As it is, I am currently contemplating making our own ketchup.

If you listen carefully, you can hear Snugs saying "that's not how you do it" to his brother.



The first step in planting carrot seeds is to "chomp" the dirt. As far as I can tell, this means you stab your tools into the ground and grunt.



Second, you must carefully position the seeds in the earth.



Finally, you cover them up and pray that when they mature they resemble carrots and not tumors.

"Oh hey lady, how you doin'? Can we eat them yet?"