rise and shine

It started at 6:45 a.m. Rise and shine! Guess who's ready to go outside? A little dew in the grass never spoils his fun. I am (yawn) happy to follow him out to the backyard in my ragged out jammies when the sun is already shining and the air feels warm. It's going to be a good day. Now if I could just get the coffee started...

I'm happy to report that our fruits and veggies are well on the way. The downside? My kid is like a rabbit! He is so excited to pick the strawberries that he wants to yank them off (unripe), take a bite, and then chuck them in the yard as he exclaims "birdies eat dat!". Sigh. I suppose there are worse things he might try to eat. (Like his boogs. Or his bath water. Or potting soil.)

don't rain on my parade

I try to stay peppy despite the weather, but all this rain is brutal! I usually love to be in the garden during mild September temps and I feel like the time is slipping away from me. Let's see, an earthquake, hurricane, and flash flooding in two weeks...yep. That'll put a damper on things.

Add to the fact that E is miserable when he can't play outside and you've got, well, the perfect storm.

"At! At!"
"Okay, we'll go out. But first you need your boots!"
Seriously, you want me to wear these outside?

Boots? I think not, mama.
My toes like the rain just as well as my cheeks.

Luckily I have a stocked pantry for baking to keep me occupied. I've been testing recipes from my beloved cookbook, inherited from my Grandma. Last week I made homemade cinnamon rolls (they required two attempts to get it right). Today, it's my first attempt at croissants. And since everything tastes better with chocolate, I'll be putting my own spin on the recipe. As you can see, I have a little helper in the kitchen as I cook.



The water outside was fun. Now I'd like to play with the water inside.



Yes, I realize it's not super safe. But he's learning to balance and so far, so good!
I'm always right beside him just in case...

4 minutes of patience...with video

He's trying really hard to succeed at his task to feed the cat - this failed attempt was caught on video. Don't worry, mama laughed it off and saved the day for kitty. (Okay, I didn't exactly laugh, more like shook my head, sighed, and smiled at E's sincere effort.) Enjoy the footage, the pay off is at the end. :) And sorry about the blur in the first 2 or 3 secs.

a new chore, luckily not mine

This week E got his first chore: feed kitty. Every morning before he drinks his own bottle, kitty eats first. E goes to the cabinet and eagerly awaits for me to open the food bin. (Just a matter of time before he figures out how on his own.) I help him carry the scoop of kibbles over to kitty's bowl as he excitedly waddles over. He gingerly attempts to pour the food into the bowl...but as you can see by the pictures, it doesn't always make it in.

Our cat is insulted that he is being served by Master E and that he has to lick his food up off the floor as a result. Not to mention E likes to scoop the food back OUT of the dish after he's just poured it in. It takes a lot of urging and insisting to get the scoop back into the cat food bin for safe-keeping. There are often angry squeals and fist-shaking when I explain the scoop is special and just for kitty.

The whole sight is hilarious and adorable. And I'm happy E is embracing his first chore with a smile.