Demo Detail-Backyard Style

Our small container garden is on it's way out...

...to make room for something bigger.

MUCH bigger.

And when it's all done, we're gonna have a party. 

And I know just who to invite!

Growin' Things, Pt. II

Eggplant: Who would have thought that the blossoms would be so pretty!

Cucumber blossoms! I'm hoping for lots of cuc's so I can try this recipe.

Beautiful squash blossoms! I'm trying REALLY hard not to pick them all right now and make these!

Beefsteaks gettin' beefy!

Yellow cherry tomatoes clinging to the vine for dear life! Twenty little pick-happy fingers trace over them everyday to a chorus of, "Boys, not yet!"

Bibb lettuce: Doesn't it just look like a friendly rabbit should hop out at any moment?!

Ice Plant

Cinnamon Yarrow

The start of many Coneflower blooms

Our yucca FINALLY bloomed! Three years after we planted it! Can you say, Prima Donna?!

I have NO idea but they're one of my fav's!

I'll Bet You...

...ten bucks that you can't tell who is who!

They were waiting so patiently for their "pock-corn!"
-------------------------------
I'm feeling particularly snarky today. I'm not really sure what snarky means but it sounds like how I feel, so I'm going with it. Right now the big boys are supposed to be napping but instead Ben's singing Old McDonald and Abe's calling out for "choc-a-gone" a.k.a chocolate milk. I keep going back and forth between telling them to cool it and just listening and laughing at their antics. Two is fun. EXHAUSTING but fun.

Today, while the boys played in the backyard, I worked a little in the garden {and by worked, I really mean watered and imagined beautiful state fair winning produce}. It was nice until I noticed that one of my tomato plants was stripped of all 3 of it's little green tomatoes. Bummer. I've been trying so hard to teach the boys the value of caring for plants. How we treat them just like Judah-gentle and we don't walk on them! We give them "drinks" of water, pat the soil to "tuck them in," and pray to God and ask Him to grow them for us to eat. However, the only part that seems to have stuck is the "eat them" part. In time, I guess.

In other news, Ben randomly announced on Sunday that he wanted to go potty on the toilet. When I tried to put him on his training chair, he said no and asked to get on the big toilet. We gave it a whirl but my arms started to give out after a good five minutes of our balancing act. So my question is, have any of you tried the toilet insert, as opposed to the stand alone training chair? Have you had more success? Less? Suggestions! Volunteers!! {Worth a try, right?!}

The Backyardigans

Warm summer days and nights alike have been spent in our backyard as of late. Which is really quite odd seeing that 6 years ago when we bought our house, we could have cared less that it even had a backyard...or a small kitchen. Hindsight is so much clearer than foresight! So much calls to us from out back though. Our newly grassed yard, the garden, the bbq, outdoor speakers and an ipod of favorite tunes. The most enjoyable part though is watching the absolute joy and excitement our two little boys find in exploring every rock, leaf, stick and ant. And while most of their finds are off limits for eating, Jer and I have gotten a good laugh or two in when they sneak a bite of the green onion from the garden. Ahhhh, the backyard. What an extremely relaxing time...well...with the exception of playing warden over the dog's water bucket.

Between May showers and June sunshine the garden is flourishing and almost too big for it's container. This week I'll probably spend some time relocating a few of our plants, mainly the strawberries and cantaloupe.

Our four tomato bushes have started to give way to golf ball sized green tomatoes.

The bell pepper plants have two bell peppers almost ripe for picking!

Several heads of lettuce, almost ready for salad!

The amazon sized zucchini was covered in beautiful yellow hibiscus looking flowers this week. I hope that means a plant full of zucchini soon!

The basil is anxiously awaiting the fresh tomatoes to be made into a caprese salad.

What you don't want to happen to your cilantro. See the white flowers up top? Yeah, that means it bolted. Basically it got too much sun and was on the verge of kicking it so the plant furiously grows flowers and tries to go to seed. It also means the plant tastes bitter and stops making leaves. Bummer.

And as for these two, well they are doing their own version of bolting...around the patio. We picked up this little car at the flea market for $10 and the boys love playing in it. What we shoulda got on camera though was when their daddy tied Deuce to the front of the car with both boys inside. Now THAT was a ride! Maybe next time...if this momma's heart ever stops pounding from the first time. Nuff said.

Sorry for the quality of the video, it's on Jer's phone. Oh, and the screeching in the back is me. Gotta love the mom voice.

He's not heavy, he's my brother :)