List #11: What Levi Watches

When nighttime waking becomes hourly and snot bubbles appear and Annie's Bunnies are tossed onto the floor instead of into the mouth, I hold Levi as much as I can.

We flee to the couch and log in some cuddle and screen time.  When Levi is sick, Netflix reigns.  For the second time this season we are watching:

1.  Dumbo
2.  The Fox and The Hound
3.  Yo Gabba Gabba
4.  Baby Signing Time

Weekend Link Love

Still from The Red Balloon

It's official!  We're France-bound for three weeks this summer.  Douglas will be performing at the Festival Clin d'Oeil (translates loosely to Festival of a Wink?  French-speaking people, help me!).  I'm dreaming of gardens and slow days in the Champagne region.

Look at this incredible lodging!

Should we stay in Amsterdam after the Festival ends?

What pretty nails!

Hm.  A novel idea for using spinach juice.

Hypnotic sleep.

So cool to see Michelle Obama dancing.  And it's funny, too.

For you word lovers.  Petrichor is one of my favorite.

I need My little urban townhouse dweller wants this and this.

Put away those antibacterial hand sanitizers!  Bacteria are being repurposed as beautiful home furnishings

DIY Spirit

In A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, there is one line that comes to mind often:

His heart was willing but his skill was nil.

Profound.  And who couldn't relate?

I have two art n' crafts boxes packed to the gills with sparkly, fuzzy, sticky and glossy possibilities.  I take those boxes out every once in a while, especially when I want to make gift wrapping fun.  I have a fabric bin with all the fabrics prewashed and folded neatly.  Those pieces are looked at and fingered more than actually used, but every now and then I get hit with a little DIY spirit and courage.  My sewing skills are rudimentary at best.

Pinterest inspired me to make an "Owie Owl." I made it in two naps (that includes taking the sewing machine out of hibernation and assembling everything).  Levi naps between one hour and fifteen minutes to one hour and a half.

Kate's An Everyday Story is behind my quick Levi-is-napping-and-I-don't-want-to-do-boring-adult-stuff matching activity project.  I made this in one nap.  Levi now points to the freezer and says "Owl cold."  He hasn't (knock on wood) used it yet.

My heart is willing but my skill is near nil.

Levi likes them still.

Grand Fun

Eggs

Levi sees, Levi wants.  I have rescued so many eggs.  When I reach into the refrigerator with Levi balanced on one hip, his little chubby hand flashes out and he has an egg in his hand.  After barely rescuing many eggs.  I moved the egg tray from the refrigerator door to one of the shelves.  Clever me.  I outsmarted that boy.

Then we had a little accident at the food store that prompted a purchase from Homegrown Toys, an Etsy shop.

This happened with Levi strapped in the shopping cart.  I opened an egg carton to check for cracked eggs and in the blink of an eye Levi had an egg in his hand.  He slammed poor Humpty Dumpty on the floor.  All the king's horses and the king's men could not possibly put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

So at home with eleven eggs in the fridge I ordered six gorgeous wooden eggs and matching bowls rubbed with olive oil and painted with nontoxic colors.  Those eggs and bowls will eventually be used for counting, sorting and matching.  Levi stacks and balances the bowls on his head and throws the eggs everywhere, mystified that they do not break or maybe he's enthralled by the way they wobble and spin.

Douglas said that it's Easter at home.  Colorful eggs peek out from crannies and nooks.  That's okay with me.  I outsmarted that boy.

For now.

List #10: Backyard Lessons

When renovating our century-old home, we were told to live in it before deciding what to do with the backyard.  "See where the sun falls in your backyard."  "Understand your home first."  "Be patient.  It takes time."  

That drove us nuts.   

We, however, kind of listened.  I say kind of because it was by accident we did not do anything.  A mix of being overwhelmed with home ownership and gardening ignorance prevented us from doing much.

Douglas' father sent in his crew to cut down the weeds that made our backyard a wilderness.  We threw in some daffodils and tulips and much to our surprise they grew.  We strung up fairy lights around the tree that later turned out to be an incredibly thick weed.

The second year my stepmother, a licensed lead gardener, came and studied our yard.  She helped us rearrange the pavers and drew up some landscaping designs.  In the end she said sagely, "It takes time."  

We cheered when the daffodils and tulips came back.  We hung up a hammock, got a new grill and had some citronella tiki torches lined up.  Someone gave us some tiger lilies that died right away.  I did not observe the sun.  I observed the growing season that had occupied my body instead.   

One impulsive day that ended in heavy rain, we built a small potager and tossed in seeds.  All summer and fall we ate tat soi and swiss chard.  Deep purple basil graced our soup bowls.  The squirrels nipped at our tomatoes.

This year for the third time we see the daffodils breaking ground and I think of Levi's teeth coming in.  It's so true.  Cultivating and caring for something takes time. 

We know:

1.  The wily weed that invaded our yard is called Japanese knotweed.

2.  Cutting knotweed is a no-no.  Pull it out completely.

3.  Weeding a few minutes a few times a week keeps the knotweed at bay.

4.  The more knotweed, the more mosquitoes.

5.  Eliminate standing water.  Mosquitoes need only 1/2 of an inch of standing water to breed.  

3.  When it rains, water flows towards the house.  The yard needs to be re-leveled.

4.  Nothing grows on the left side of our yard.

5.  Everything flourishes on the right side.

6.  Having a lawn consumes so much water.

6.  There is a story underneath the soil (we found a baby doll and a glass vial straight out of Alice in Wonderland among many things).

7.  It does takes time.  

One day our yard will be bountiful and beautiful.  I know it.  We just have to be patient.  

It still drives me nuts.

Weekend Trawling

(Via mydadtakespictures.tumblr.com)

We have guests from Boston staying with us for the weekend, so we prepped the bedroom and the whole house for their arrival.  I saw this after I stocked up toilet paper in the guest bathroom and placed a spray of room freshener and yellow daffodils in the guest room.  A bit of spring jumpstart!

Our Boston guest commented on the lack of snow here.  I miss snow...

We all can relate to this.  At least she's making it work for her!

I can imagine someone saying to those amazing artists, "What, you're doing it again?  What a waste of time!"

Funny!  I like her--she's quirky.

This also made me laugh and choke back some tears.

I could figure out only a few.  How about you?

My husband's monthly event is coming up next Friday.

Interesting article--wish I knew this when I had roommates!

Interactive fun.  Where's my pink lipstick?

I had no idea about this!

Have a grand weekend!