So Far This Week....

We've had our first local sweet corn. Its been ripe before now but, I just finally got a chance to pick up an armful and haul it home to douse with butter and salt. YUM. It was really, really good. Am contemplating making some corn chowder in the near future. What else do you do with fresh sweet corn besides eat it on the cob in volumes? I'd love to hear your ideas.

We watched Nib coo and gurgle and chortled together over his increasingly charming almost giggle. He is so close people...so close! Argh! He's an incredible little morning bird. Wakes up full of little wet and cheery things to say, all wreathed in smiles. He's a darling dear. No other word. We continue to be amazed at his ability to sleep at night. I am a fervent co-sleeper but, with this baby I really haven't because he wakes up once a night and seems to prefer his own private slumber in a little basket on the floor next to our bed. Quite incredible. I am very astonished at this phenomenon and have never really seen anything like it before although of course you read of such urban legends in books. (I thought they were lies, all lies!) We are having far more trouble at nighttime with his big brother Dee. I guess they don't call it terrible two for nothing.

Also, there was baking. I realize I am supposed to be savoring the chilly last bits of my air conditioned existence before moving into a big house with no cooling mechanism of any kids BUT...I can't go on a very long baking fast. I love to bake. So, I fell prey to a dreamy sounding recipe for pound cake...a classic that I had never made (Can you believe it?). And it was just okay. I'm not wild about pound cake I guess, I'm all give or take about it after the experience and a little reflection. Yes..but LOOK!!!! Isn't that beautiful? That was my very favorite part of the whole event, right there...that beautiful creamy, smooth, angel wing batter. Mmmmmm......stunning, no? 

And we had a date this week! Its been an age. We're budgeting out money and trying to be careful not to spend any more than we have to (house down payment) and one of the things that took a serious cut for a while was our babysitter money. That meant no dates for a while which was kind of hard to swallow but, oh it felt good to go out again. We just paid for the sitter, no dinner, no movie...we went for a walk on the foggy seashore instead which fit my romance bill. Yay New England!

End of Week Potpourri

Just a crazy potpourri today of all the delicious little tidbits I have been accumulating all week and haven't found a place to share. Have a little bit of everything....

Chubby toddler tummies in swimsuits...just, delightfully off center

Smiles so big they almost look fierce

This amazing video which is painfully inspiring and makes me madly itch to put together a million vibrant quilt squares.

This amazing take on the staycation. I totally, totally wanna do it. Any takers?

This brilliant book. Am putting it right on my library hold list. It looks like the kind of fabulous homeschool/mommy happiness book that may end up amongst those books I just packed yesterday...on the bookshelves on my new home.

And look! Speaking of flowers...one of my orphaned orchids that I bought for pennies, all shriveled and missing tags when I was a newlywed...just finally rehabbed enough to bloom for the first time.

Birds and Babies

Nib has recently become ridiculously smiley and talkative. Its sooo fun! I forget how completely enchanting this stage is. I get really enthralled with making him grin and coo and find it hard to keep my mind on much or work very hard on anything useful. (not that I was particularly driven before...heh) He's right on the verge of those heartbreaking, deep belly laughs and the anticipation is killing me. Every time his wee eyes crinkle into a a face splitting grin and he gurgles I wonder if this will be it. Maddening, addictive sweetness.

The roadside wildflowers are giving way to Queen Anne's Lace....last of the scattered weed blossoms and today as a result I caught a most breathtaking sight. There was an enormous flock of male goldfinches feasting on seeding chickory. I've never seen so many spontaneously gathered, brightly colored birds all in one spot before, there must have been 30 of them or so. So pretty! I wish I had a better shot but I'm afraid I scared them all off before I got any really lovely shots. See if you can squint and pick out the five finches in the photo.

And at last I have a water baby! I swear Nib is a baby of legend.  He smiles and coos, puts himself to sleep, wakes once or twice a night, only really fusses when he needs changing, food or a rest and is inordinately happy to be passed around to any obliging friend who wants to hold him for a spell....and he loves his bath! This little snap is a glimpse of him in his first real immersion bath in the big tub. I've only sponge bathed him before this. He loved the water and just placidly kicked and "floated" (with my hands underneath of course) and bath time ended up taking much more time than I allowed as it was so very fun to let him wiggle and splash and watch him grinning in the drink. What a change from Dee's painfully tearful baths which just finally became less wrought with blood curdling screams this year! *sigh*