after cherry picking

The birds have moved in to our cherry tree and yell at anyone who gets too close. Fortunately their main weapons are yelling and pooping, so we've collected lots of cherries! I haven't decided what to do with them yet but I'm sure it will involve lots of sugar and be quite delicious.

Oscar had a fun weekend. He did some dancing and some bompusing of his conkus. He's having an even better week, because Gramma is here to watch him! Someone's full attention all day is a rare treat for anyone, and he's absorbing all of it. It's quite relaxing for us too!

everybody

Oscar has a new expression. We decided he's saying "everybody" even though we're clearly wrong. It's so close to being real communication!

Eric took this video this morning, you get to see the dramatic unveiling when he opens the blinds for Oscar.

In the garden

Oscar loves the box his bilibo came in! So do the cats! 

The tomatoes are flowering, and some scotch bonnets are appearing. There are roses aplenty and the vines are climbing ever upwards. We bit the bullet today and Eric nobly mowed down the great prairie. It would be easier if it were all the buffalo grass, which doesn't get that tall, but nowadays there are many interlopers that are beautiful but also trip Oscar like whoa.

happy solstice!

Longest day! Shortest night! Here's some pics, they're sure to delight!

 

We're very proud of the large garden snake. It has a hole right next to the front door, so we often see it when we come home. There's also a snake in the compost bin, perhaps the same snake.

The grasses in our prairie flowered with some intense but tiny flowers. The prairie is so tall that Oscar gets lost in it. Right after I took the picture of Oscar, he got the camera and dropped it somewhere in the grass. We almost despaired of finding it again! There are huge swathes of oregano, but no more parsley and no more thistles. The oregano is much less offensive.

We tried very hard to get a nice photo of all the sisters in their stripey shirts, but Oscar was kicking Annie and the sun was in our eyes. I think Elizabeth might have gotten a good one with her phone. It was so nice to have visitors and for Oscar to see his aunties! We went out to eat like fancy ladies, had backyard fires, went to the reservoir (Au reservoir!), laid in the sun and ate many many popsicles. It was all over much too soon. Eric really enjoyed being chief fire-poker for once!

Oscar and Garage are getting pretty friendly. Oscar's learning to be more gentle with Pocky, which is good because his arm was full of punctures for a little while there. He has also learned what the dog says, and will make the wrong noise on purpose and then laugh. He thinks cats say "No."

We went to a party today where Oscar played in more long grass and went down some big slides. He played with bigger kids fearlessly. I wanted to hold him the whole time because I didn't feel like talking with the bigger kids' moms! But my arms did get tired so I allowed as how I might put him down for a little bit.

I've been crafting away, and these items will soon be in the mail to their deserving recipients. The vest pattern I got through Ravelry. This is a pretty fancy site that I love and hate - it adds a scientific dimension to knitting that I'm not sure if I enjoy. But there are lots of amazing patterns and inspiring items to browse through. The runner is Mark and Kristine's wedding present - I don't have a table long enough to display it on!

Eric and I are going to enjoy a nice, quiet anniversary evening ourselves - shortest night!

18 months

Today Oscar is an old boy! A good old boy! He went to the doctor yesterday and everything checks out: 28.5 pounds, 33 inches. 

I have pictures and stories from the sister party, and more are accumulating from Paul's visit, but it will have to wait until it all calms down a little...

oh the rain it raineth every day

Oscar has an excellent new word, which we've been enjoying. There's so much more to talk about once you have a noun to get hold of! There's Dada's shoes, and Oscar's shoes, and my shoes, and putting shoes on and taking them off... it's like a real conversation now!

We had lots and lots of rain this weekend, and when it wasn't raining we got out the hose for Oscar. There's nothing like the pure joy of getting sprayed in the face with icy hose water. If you look at the pictures in the big versions you'll see most clearly, joy writ large.

We got more hot peppers and tomatoes to round out our collection. When we're at the garden store we like to tell Oscar that we're spending his inheritance. The peppers are indeed for hot sauce or salsas, the tomatoes for salsas and sauces. Oscar's favorite thing is to clamber up into the garden and step on the plants. His second-favorite is to pull out all the identifying tags - and it's crucial to keep the Scotch Bonnets separate from the Jalapenos!

Eric nobly dug a big hole, and we laid Oslo and Butters to rest together. That was a sad thing. But Oscar demanded to examine the hole himself, which we let him do partway through. Now we're planning on making a little nook back there, with the garden bench and a grape arbor and a fire pit. It's already a very cosy spot and I like hanging out back there above the buns.

We waged war together on the side yard, full of parsley and thistles and jointed goat grass - and also an enormous snake! There's still a tarp over there from when one of the solar hot water panels broke and we were collecting the glass shards, and the underside had a cute little eggshell. Eric thinks it belongs to this snake. Also, Eric forgot last week to share the most important event: I showed Oscar a slug, and Oscar put it in his mouth (duh). Then he took it out (duh). Then he put it back in his mouth and ate it! Then he said "More!" I told him to go hunt for himself.