Update

I've noticed a trend: I blog on days that I babysit. The boys play with each other, so I'm not really needed for entertainment purposes so much as when Nathan's alone. Yet, I can't really get into a major "useful" project (like cleaning or organizing), because I still need to jump in and break up skirmishes. Which is often: all three boys are learning about sharing - a tough lesson, because we have a hoarder ("I like these toys, therefore I will hide all of them so no one else can play with them."), the possessive one ("All these are MINE!" [guess who that is]), and a whiner ("I think he's going to take it, so I'm going to scream and whine like he HAS taken it!")

Can I just say I'm loving this early fall weather? (Don't like the amount of cloudy days, but that's what's keeping the temperature down.) I'm realistic; I know it will probably get hot again. But I'm hoping we're past the oppresive, suck-the-life-out-of-you heat. To show you how cool it is this morning: It's 9:30, and still only 55 degrees. I'm wearing pants, a long-sleeve shirt, a sweatshirt, socks, and slippers! I sleep so great at night with the windows open.

It's been wet the last couple of weeks. We haven't gotten storms (wind, hail), but just lots of soaking rains. Unfortunately that's wreaked havoc in my garden. It was slightly weedy before the rains, but now it's pretty much the Amazon. I could have gotten out there and gotten some weeds pulled, but I was afraid to while Paul was at work, for fear I'd get stuck, and my muscles not working like they should, not being able to get un-stuck. Imagining my fat self sunk up to my knees in mud in the middle of the garden trying to flag a neighbor down for help.... Not a pretty picture.

My fall peas drowned. They were just starting to put on, and sitting in water for over a week did them in. My spring beans are probably gone too, just because I haven't tended to them. But I don't feel too bad about them, because my fall beans look GORGEOUS! They are almost knee-high and are just starting to bloom. I don't know if we've ever had beans look this good!

The tomatoes finally started coming on strong. I've canned 21 quarts of plain tomatoes, and 7 pints of salsa (9 if you count the ones that didn't go into the canner, but went straight to the fridge for consumption). Since it's been cool the last couple days, it's taking the next round a while to get fully ripe, but I'm thinking in the next couple days I'll be canning again. Definitely making more of that salsa!

Paul is the Canteloupe King. I may have planted them, but he's been the one keeping an eye on them. From two hills, we've already harvested close to 20 canteloupe - and they are HUGE! Close to the size of a volleyball (or larger!), all of them. We're giving them away left and right... Even if Nathan and Paul liked canteloupe, there's no way we could eat all of them!

Nathan is well on the way to being potty trained. I have a hard time not feeling like I'm bragging, but I'm pretty sure this has been WAY easier than it should have been. My "method" was bare-bottom for the weekend (while we were home), training pants/underwear only all last week, and this week we're starting training pants or underwear with jeans/shorts over them. He tells us when he needs to go about 50% of the time, the rest is me remembering "Hmm... It's been an hour and a half, and he's drank a lot. Better make him go." In the last week, he's had 3 accidents, I think. Well, and 2 accidents that weren't pee, but those were easy to take care of because the pants caught everything, and it just had to be dumped in the toilet. Obviously we still diaper him at naptime and at bedtime. He does get up before he's asleep and ask to go potty, but I think it's more that he knows he'll be allowed to get out of bed than it is he actually needs to go. I know we'll probably have a set back when Baby arrives, but I'm prepared! (I think....) I just am so ready to get him out of diapers!

Speaking of Baby.... The room is all ready! We didn't paint this one - it already had wallpaper that was in pretty good condition, because it was the room of the previous owners' baby. Although the "genre" is pretty hodge-podge.... It has Victorian burgundy and ivory pinstriped wallpaper, with a farm scene border, and fleur-de-leis painted on the hardwood floor (grr - ruined the floor!) around the wall. (And they didn't go with any of these themes for decorating - all her stuff had fairies on it!) At least the colors all match. But our baby furniture looks really pretty in there! I think I'll go take a picture so I can show you.....

Not a great picture, but you get the idea.

The next two weeks I babysit the daughter of some of our friends, on Thursdays and Fridays (14 hours each day). Emery is 3 months old. I watched her last Thursday, and Nathan did surprisingly well with her. He had a bit of jealousy a couple times wanting to sit on my lap when I was trying to feed her a bottle, but otherwise was very gentle (one of my main concerns) and helpful (throwing away her diapers, and covering her up when she was fussy). Now when our own baby doesn't go home at night, it might be another story..... Although when Emery left he kept asking "Where's the baby?" and the next morning, that was the first thing he asked when he woke up. I was hoping to use this as sort of a "training period" for Nathan to get used to having a baby around and how to act around one. I'm glad he was instinctively gentle - my main concern was that Nathan would try to wrestle with a baby like he does with the cat. (I'm such a great friend - to borrow someone else's baby to train my son how to treat a baby before we get our own!)

Paul was looking at a 12-day (at least) stretch of working, but he unexpectedly got the night off last night - he found out an hour before he normally leaves. They were having trouble with "seeds" in the glass (tiny air bubbles), which means they can't use the glass. So they let everyone have the night off, and hopefully the problem will be fixed by tonight when he goes in. We got to watch a movie (I need constant reminders to tell myself I don't like foreign films!), and unfortunately, I didn't go to bed until 2. Nathan woke up at 6:30. Of course. (Paul was fine, because he slept all day yesterday, and gets to sleep all day today.)

And finally: I think we've decided on a boys name. I'm not sure if we're telling people the names we've chosen. I've told a few close friends, but I'm not sure about making it public knowledge. I'll ask Paul's opinion on it before I shoot my mouth off.

Well, this post has rambled long enough. On with the day.