Dirt!

2 cubic yards of black gold!

A late Christmas present arrived for us at 8:30 this morning.  Two cubic yards of extra-super-special dirt, black with wonderful organic compost – a fragrant piece of Iowa farmland transported to my California backyard.  (Not really – it’s a local company, and I doubt they import their soil from Iowa – but that’s what it makes me think of.) 

"Don't worry, Mama, I'll move it for you!"

Judith and I watched from the window as the truck dumped it into a big pile in front of the bedroom window.  (For a few seconds we worried that it might actually back into the window...but the driver was more skilled than we gave him credit for.)  Then we got out our boots and went to work!  Our wheelbarrow is broken, so I filled a five-gallon bucket over and over, transporting the riches to various parts of the garden.  The blueberries, the fruit trees, and the vegetable garden all got their share.

The future blackberry patch!

After a little while, Grandpa Tim came with his wheelbarrow to help us.  He did the hardest work – wheeling load after load to the back 40, where I’m joyfully planning my new blackberry patch!  When that area was covered in a foot of soil, he piled up the rest in a backyard dirt bank that I’ll withdraw from as needed.  

  

Grandpa's helper!

Judith was in and out of the project.  She was very exited to be in the yard so early in the morning...although it was COLD (well, 40ish), and she ran around for quite awhile as I worked.  Eventually she decided she wanted to be inside instead, and I put on a DVD for her.  Once Grandpa came she changed her mind and came outside – she had a fantastic time helping to build the new backyard pile.  She “helped” Grandpa by using her hoe to put the dirt on his shovel, and then led the way to the backyard each time.  I think she said something about making sure they were on the right path (yes, “Diego” is still the primary show that she watches).

The evidence of helping

 All-in-all, a productive (if messy) morning!

TTFN,

Barbara

Sick!

My poor, sweet Judith had the 12-hour stomach flu last night.  She started telling me that her tummy hurt on the way home from driving carpool (3:30), and then she threw up every 15 minutes for the next 6 hours.  NOT a fun way to spend the evening.  At 5:30 she “just wanted to rest” in her bed.  Which she did – waking up every 15-20 minutes to vomit again!  It was mostly dry-heaving, of course, which is just terrible to watch.  And it was happening so frequently that I googled it.  Turns out dry-heaving is the brain’s fault – it’s still sending “purge” messages.  And it’s not something to “worry” about unless it extends more than 12 hours!  Whew...six hours was bad enough; I don’t want to think about 12!  Fortunately, by 11, she was done and I could go to bed too.  This morning she’s eaten applesauce and toast-with-honey without any problems, and she’s SOOOO much more chipper. 

A bonus for me was that I got to finish my book – I couldn’t watch TV and crochet, because I wouldn’t have heard Judith right away, and I wouldn’t have been able to put the crochet down quickly (I was trying to avoid having to change the sheets every time).  It’s actually the first book I’ve read since before Thanksgiving!  (I’m pretty sure that’s a record for me.)  I even had to take a book back to the library without reading it because I was so busy doing other things.  And then, when the holiday frenzy was finally over, I was so excited to be starting my afghan that I didn’t read anything.  Then I the Costco magazine review of A Discovery of Witches intrigued me, so I requested it from the library.  And the book was intriguing too!  It’s fantasy, obviously, with a fun, storyline and lots of historical detail.  I enjoyed it very much until the end – when I discovered that it’s the first of a trilogy, and the others aren’t written yet.  (Should have checked that before I started it!)  I had (almost) forgotten how much I enjoy reading.  And I was reminded that it really takes time away from all my other priorities.  Until this recent hiatus, I simply made time to read, at the expense of other things.  And once I picked up a book again, I noticed myself neglecting other things to read – I didn’t blog; I didn’t do the yard work I planned to; I didn’t crochet; I stayed up too late...  So I’m wrestling with myself over whether I should immediately start another book.  In the past there’d have been no question.  Now I wonder if I should finish other projects first, or set a time limit on how long I can read each day.  Weird! 

TTFN,

Barbara

The Food Question

I’ve been wrestling for a while with when we should all eat the same thing for dinner every night.  This is a somewhat difficult question in our family anyway, since I’m vegetarian and Lance isn’t; since I’m a “picky” eater, and Lance isn’t; and since I also tend to be dieting endlessly...but for those nights when the two adults are, in fact, eating the same thing, should Judith also be “required” to eat only that? 

Sometime last fall, I instigated “family dinner time” during which we all sit at the table together, and no one leaves until everyone is finish eating (yes, some dinners get very long as we wait for Judith to finish!).  This began as an attempt to change our habit of eating dinner in front of the TV every night, but it also quickly occurred to me that it could be a way to “encourage” Judith to eat what we eat.  That’s easy when we’re having pita pizzas or grilled cheese or quesadillas.  Even make-your-own salad night works, because I can put together a plate of the things she likes out of the salad choices (and she’ll eat just about anything dipped in ranch dressing!).  My dilemma comes on a night like tonight.  Lance and I had beans and rice (a favorite of ours: sautéed mushrooms, garbanzos, kidney beans, black beans, and canned tomatoes, served over brown rice and garnished with sour cream or grated cheese).  Judith had cheese and crackers and a banana.  I’ve never offered her the beans and rice dish, because I know (assume?) she doesn’t like mushrooms or tomatoes (at least she hasn’t yet).  She’s tried a garbanzo bean once or twice, and not minded it, but not asked for more.  So I go the easy route and make her a separate meal (easy in terms of getting her fed, not easier to make). 

And I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do.

At almost-three-and-a-half should she be eating beans and rice?  Should I make the “rule” that she eats what we eat and there’s no other option?  (Then how do I explain that Daddy and Mama don’t eat the same things?)  Or do I continue to do what I’m doing:  serving her what we’re having when I know she’ll like it (pushing the boundaries on occasion) and making a separate meal for her when I know she’ll refuse the adults’ option?

Her “acceptable food” list is pretty varied compared to a lot of the stories I’ve heard:  lots of cheese, whole wheat bread, peanut butter, quesadillas, pizza, macaroni and cheese, just about any fruit, greek-style yogurt, granola, scrambled or hard-boiled eggs, sautéed or grilled chicken, olives, pickles, tuna fish sandwiches, pumpkin soup, tomato soup, french fries, ranch dressing...  (And of course, given my semi-profession, she’s quite adventurous when it comes to dessert. :-) 

On the “don’t like” side she includes most meat (which is pretty understandable given how infrequently we actually have meat in the house), tomatoes, avocado/guacamole, mushrooms, sharp cheeses...  And she will predictably turn up her nose completely at something she hasn’t had before.  We explain frequently that she can’t say she doesn’t like something if she hasn’t tasted it, but she’s unlikely to taste anything on the first try...or even the fifth try.  (In fact, I have really no idea what makes her eventually taste something at all!) 

So I know that the nights she gets served something new she won’t eat dinner.  In theory I know it’s not a horrendous thing for her to miss a meal, but it can be frustrating to “waste” food getting her to try it, enforce “this is your dinner,” and know that she’s still hungry!

So this remains a dilemma.  I am thankful that she eats more than one specific food.  I am thankful that she is healthy.  I am (usually) willing to continue to make her a separate meal several times a week.  So it’ll probably be a while before I come to a decision.

TTFN,

Barbara

Playtime!

Despite the number of times in a day that Judith asks to watch "Diego", she really does like to play.  One of her favorite toys is a piece of string ("snake") from one of my current crochet projects.  Recently she's gotten a hold of a few pieces of Lion Brand homespun, which is made up of several thicknesses of string wound together.  She's unwound the edges into a "tail" and decided that they're mermaids.  Two of them accompanied us to the grocery store yesterday, with the understanding that if Mama had to hold them, they'd be thrown away.  They made it home from the store just fine, but Daddy threw one away last night, and we'll see how long it takes for Judith to notice that it's missing.

We were thrilled to have Grandma Sandy accompany Grandpa Tim last night on his weekly visit to play computer games with Daddy.  Judith had a playmate for the whole evening, and Mama had a little break!  They played Candyland, which Judith got for Christmas.  Here too, her imagination is blindingly evident - "Tinkerbell" has to play with Grandma and Judith, and takes her turn every time as well.

Grandma also helped Judith open the easel that she got for Christmas.  It's got a chalkboard on one side, and a magnetic white board on the other.  Judith had a great time lining up the included alphabet magnets by color.  We tried to help her make words, but she was pretty set on colors needing to be together, and there's only about half the alphabet in each color.  We'll have to purchase some chalk and some dry-erase markers to go with the easel.  Neither were included, although an eraser was!

Step-Count Update:
I was planning to begin a recurring section periodically tracking my steps this year, but, sadly, I dropped my pedometer yesterday afternoon, and the sensor is broken...it doesn't count steps!  So this item's on hold until I get a replacement or find something else :-).

TTFN,
Barbara

A New Year

A new blog: No promises; they’re too easily broken. But I’m attempting to “restart” my blog this year. And the focus will be slightly different that it was almost 18 months ago when I last posted anything. Instead of only talking about Judith here, and having a separate blog for baking, I’m going to combine it all. Judith will probably show up most often, but I’ll also be blogging about baking, crochet, gardening, and life in general. I hope that will give me plenty to blog about!

An update: I intend add a few detailed blogs regarding milestones that Judith’s reached in the last 18 months, but here’s a quick overview: she’s 3 years and 5 months old; she’s 3 feet tall, and nearly 35 pounds (at least, those are the stats from her August checkup). Her hair is extremely long, and she prefers to wear it down whenever she can...it gets everywhere! Happily, she accepts the “rule” that she’s not allowed to eat without a ponytail.

Her favorite color is PINK, and she’d like to wear pink every day. Fortunately for my sanity, she only has a few pink outfits, and demands for pink can be mollified by adding a “twirly” skirt to anything she’s wearing.

She’s been potty training (for the second time!) since August, and she goes through cycles of being dry all day for days, and then having an accident every time she has to go. It’s definitely the hardest aspect of parenting I’ve experienced yet!

She’s been in a big-girl bed for a year, and she loves it, but...

A new habit: Until December 30, 2011, Judith did not get out of her bed unless we were there. We’re not entirely sure how that happened, but we’ve been taking it for granted. Then, on the evening of the 30^th, she threw a tantrum at bedtime, and we ignored her. To our absolute shock she actually got out of bed on her own, came out of her room, and found me in the kitchen. She said she had to go potty, and I took her and put her back to bed. I thought at the time that it would be an isolated incident, but she’s since done the same thing the past two mornings. I’m trying to establish the rule that she may only get out if she has to go potty, and then must go straight back to bed...we’ll see how that works!

A new project: I’m absolutely thrilled to announce that I am, for the first time, making an afghan for us! In September I made one for a relative who was getting married, and I was so thrilled with it that I decided I wanted one for myself. So with some Christmas money I bought yarn and I’ve started on a new blanket for our bed. (The current quilt is one that I made during our first year of marriage, and it’s kind of coming apart.) The afghan I made last fall was a star pattern of pieced diamonds. As I began planning for our blanket, I googled “diamond quilt patterns” and discovered the “tumbling blocks” pattern. Lance declared his preference for that pattern over the original star, so I designed one for us! I was thrilled to find “tumbling blocks” graph paper (http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/tumblingblock/) and I had a great time coloring in patterns until I found one I liked. Then I got to pick out yarn! And I’ve been piecing the bottom row together to find out if I designed it big enough. Here’s what it currently looks like (in case you can't tell,  there's red and green and blue in there as well as the tan and brown):

I promise to post a picture when it’s all done. :-)

TTFN

Barbara

Spring Picture

And our "official" spring picture of Judith:

Finally!

Or perhaps a better title would be "three months"! Obviously there's way too much to include in one blog, so this is highlights of the past few months (with the hope that I'll be inspired to keep up better in the future).

• Many, many, many new words. Judith constantly surprises me with her new vocabulary. It seems that she hears a word once and remembers it for later use. Some of my favorites: plump, chilly, blue heron, bike trailer, macaroni, blueberry, olive
  
• Talking in phrases - I think she's up to four-word phrases now, such as "Daddy, computer light off"
  
• Directing our actions quite clearly - "Mama, close book." "Stand Up." "Daddy, drive."
• Recognizing landmarks (mostly houses) by name when we drive by or to them.
• Discovering the joys of Veggie Tales - she asks for "Rack, Shack, and Benny" or "Madame Blueberry" at least once a day, and is able to sing along with the theme song and the major songs from each movie. She likes to sing "The bunny song" from "Rack, Shack, and Benny" while she eats her whole wheat bunny crackers at lunch.
• Reading - and reading - and reading. Current favorite books include Green Eggs and Ham; The Cat in the Hat; Moo, Baa, La La La; Oh My, Oh My Oh Dinosaurs; Hug; Yes; and her animal picture books. She brings these constantly to Lance or to me asking to be read to, and will also sit on the floor (or in the car) with them and read to herself.
  
• Visiting story time at the Library - the first time she was pretty shy, but now she will stand up close to listen to the books, sing along with the familiar songs, and answer questions. Unfortunately, tomorrow is the final session of story time at our Orangevale Library, and I will be looking into which other local libraries have one.
• New favorite foods: blueberries (inspired, no doubt, by Veggie Tales), olives, macaroni and cheese, and quesadillas.
• Rides in the bike trailer: I'm slowly working up the strength to go for long rides. We live in an extremely hilly area, and as I strained toward the top of each hill, I started saying "come on, Mama" hoping that Judith would echo me, and provide some ecouragement. Instead, she started saying "Come on, baby" or "Come on, Judith"! Now we go back and forth - if I say "Come on, Judith" she'll say "Come on, Mama" :-) . She also thoroughly enjoys any bumpy ground I can ride over, and is patient enough in the trailer as long as she has a full juice cup. (When she runs out, she'll say "help" over and over until I stop and put some water from my bottle into her cup.)
• A visit from Grandpa Ron and Grandma Judi in March. Judith was thrilled to have them here, and asked for them after they left. As an early birthday present, Grandpa and Grandma gave Judith some new toys for the backyard - a house and a slide - that she now spends a while each day playing in and on. We also took a family trip to the redwoods, where Judith commented "trees....BIIIIG" and had lots of fun running around. The cramped ride in the car wasn't so fun by the end, though, and Grandpa and Grandma got to witness Judith's first major meltdown.
  
• Specific event highlights: Easter at Grandma Sandy's; and Cousin Olivia's 7th birthday, at which Judith got to spend time jumping on the new trampoline with Grandma Sandy and Daddy.

And a few pictures:

hanging out with Daddy:Easter Basket
(the beautiful blue dress is from Auntie Lesli, and Cousins Cora and Olivia had matching ones)

Mama experimenting with new hairstyles...
Judith's hair is getting so long that I'm trying to get it off the back of her neck for summer. Unfortunately, she really doesn't like to sit still while I do it.

walking in the redwoods with Grandpa

Playing on the new slide from Grandma & Grandpa