Lavender, Raspberries, and Blueberries, Oh My!

It has been absolutely beautiful since July rolled around. A few typical Washington overcast days here and there, but mostly nice enough to spend a few hours outside each day. My Mom's yard is full of adventures; it's huge with multiple mature fruit trees and bushes. I've started making homemade soap and plan on using lavender buds in my recipes. With lavender being bountiful and plenty in my Mom's yard, I've been able to cut and dry my own! Elijah joined me in the yard when it was ready for the picking and looks at the "lam-en-er" with me.

Emily in tow, we then venture around the yard and check on all of the different foods growing. We planted cucumbers, beans, and lettuce two or three weeks ago and they're finally starting to sprout. The gardeners didn't seem to notice the markers in the dirt and trampled through the cucumbers and beans. Unfortunately the cucumbers didn't make it, but there were enough beans that we will still have three or four plants growing. After checking on our veggies we continue walking down to the raspberries (then the yellow plums, salmon berries, blue berries, apples, and another bush growing fruit though I'm not sure what it is). Oh the raspberries. Numerous raspberry bushes! We've gone on quite a few picking excursions already and every couple of days I go down to collect more. My Grandma and I made a batch of raspberry jam and I have been freezing the berries that I do collect to save for later. The sun has felt so nice during the days that I just want to be out there picking... well, almost. It'd be nice if the spiders took a mini vacation while I went picking. I know that gardening is something I want to do and the more I'm out there the easier it'll get being around bugs and spiders, but for now, preemptive slapping fits are in order.

On top of becoming more and more like an independent toddler, Elijah is acting out more from the emotional adjustment of having Daddy home. It's nothing too horrendous, but it is even more challenging to stay calm. He whines just about every time he opens his mouth, mouths off, is bossy and demanding. When he does something that warrants disciplinary action, a scream and waving hand usually compete with my telling him why he can't do what he's doing. This little tantrum in the picture is because the granola bar he was eating broke in half.

With Emily getting more alert and requiring more attention in different ways, and Josh being home and also taking more of my attention, it's understandable that Elijah is having these emotional outbursts for attention.

Yesterday we went to the store to get some fun summer time toys. Among those toys included a golf set, horse shoes, and gardening/beach shovels. Josh also bought a pool a few days ago when it was in the 90s outside. Never mind if the water is freezing, Elijah loves this thing. I'm glad it's been so nice outside because I want to be able to make fun things happen for Elijah; let him around and do boy things. I want to participate fully with him but it's not so easy with a 16 pound ham in one arm.

Speaking of Emily, she is five months old now, sitting up by herself, and getting more verbal! She looks me right in the eye and says with deliberation, "Mmmah mah mah mmbah". She can roll over both directions, reach for objects, pick up objects, pass objects to each hand, and of course, put them in her mouth as a reward for the fruits of her labor. She's such a momma's girl, too. If she cries while someone else is holding her, she looks at me when she is crying. She will spot me out in the room even if I don't say anything and will initiate eye contact with me. Smiling and laughing happen many times during the day and she thinks Elijah is the funniest thing ever. Even when he is doing something not so nice, like pushing his face into hers when she's trying to sit up, she will laugh when I pull him away and he starts shrieking in protest. Perhaps it's a taunting laugh.

My Chunky Monkey

I'm starting to look at preschools for Elijah now. With him 95% potty trained (working on staying dry at night), I feel that he is ready for the atmosphere preschool provides. He will be three years old in October (gosh, already?), so it is about that time! I told him he would be going to preschool soon and he asked me if would be able to ride the school bus. Nearly made me cry! He's growing up too fast. One night a few weeks ago I was holding up and rocking him we had this small exchange:

Elijah: Momma?

Me: Yes, Elijah?

Elijah: You love me?

Me: I love you more than anything, Elijah.

Elijah: That's good, Mommy.

He really is talking so much more now. His sentences are structured with more grammatical consistency as well. He comes up with the silliest things to say. I'll have to start writing them down!