Oatmeal tastes better while wearing goggles

Feeling better already

Thanks for all the warm fuzzies. I do feel better today. Amazing what a whole night of sleep can do! Alli is also feeling better and back to her usual self. We'll be back to our usual routine tomorrow. She is very excited to see all her friends at "school"/daycare.

Kerry, I am feeling good regarding being pregnant. 18 weeks. Just a little lingering fatigue and not fitting into any of my clothes. Ugh! Out come the big bras and maternity clothing.

The start of a VERY long 3 years

***WARNING. THIS POST CONTAINS EXCESSIVE WHINING AND COMPLAINING.***

I normally try to keep a pretty positive attitude, but this week is dragging it down. To start, it is July 1st. That date, to most people, signifies that summer is in full swing and the long holiday weekend is nearing. For us, it is the start to a very long three years. Dan officially started his residency today, leaving the house around 4:30 am this morning. He starts off with the honor of being on-call tonight, which means he stays in the hospital, will probably not get to sleep and is not allowed to come home. We won't see him again until tomorrow night. Rumor has it, he will work 100+ hour weeks for the first few months. All of this after a sleepless night due to a feverish crying little girl, who has the highly contagious, viral (so not a thing you can do about it other than ride it out) Hand-Foot-Mouth illness.

So, while my husband is getting the finest education in foot and ankle surgery on the 15 minutes of quality sleep he got last night, I am home with the ill child. This "day off" comes without pay, since I have no vacation time built up at work yet. This follows the initial impression I made of being the new PA who arrives on the job one month ago to reveal that she is pregnant (due in December) and will need to take maternity leave.

I have a basket full of lemons and need some new lemonade making skills

Eating the harvest

Alli and I were joined by our friends, Heather and Oliver, to go pick some strawberries at a local berry farm. Alli was a great helper until she realized that she could eat what she was picking. Then she stopped picking off the plant and started picking and eating out of the bucket!

Better late than never.

I couldn't bear the thought of not having home grown tomatoes this summer. So, even though I planted it all about a month late, here is my little garden. I have a larger bed in the back of our property, but the soil is rock hard and needed some serious amending. This was all I could manage to get ready for this season. I planted 4 varieties of tomatoes, a bell pepper and green pepper plant, basil, cilantro, thyme and rosemary.

Here is my garden assistant.

She is stopping to smell the roses. Lucky for us, there are a few rose bushes planted around the house.

This is a nice rose bush in the front of the house. I love the red flowers greeting me as I arrive home.

Basically what the whole house looks like.

This is the play room.

Dog days of...spring.

It may technically still be spring, but we are having some seriously HOT weather (not to mention HUMID)! Our very kind neighbors, whose kids are older, gave this pool to Alli. The unexpected and very generous gift came at just the right time.

Yes, I can fit in there with her (and it is quite nice on such a hot day).