For Aunt Liz

Creeping crud

The creeping crud arrived and for the past few weeks our house has been an infirmary caring for four colds, a case of roseola, a sinus infection and a double ear infection. Thankfully, I think that we are finally on the upswing. I took this shot on one of those 'when is Pish getting home?' days when nobody wanted to be put down. It was surprisingly comfortable to wear the backpack and the Baby Bjorn.

Standing and talking

For the record, I know that this is cheesy. However, I cannot help myself from coming up with the conversations that I think that they are having.

Noah: Sometimes when I stand in my crib I like to make silly faces like this.

Noah to Ella: Hey Ella, what do you think about pulling ourselves up and standing in our cribs?

Ella: I find it a bit frightening and I prefer sitting.

Noah: Hmm...this is not good.

Noah to Ella: Don't worry. Everything is going to be okay, sis.

Ella and Noah: Yep, everything is just fine.

Bits from the weekend

In my opinion, Chicago has a bad weather reputation and a some of it is well founded. However, we had amazing weather this past weekend. It was the kind of weather that inspires me to take long runs, sleep under a pile of blankets with the windows open and and be outside all day. In honor of the fall temperatures, we finally planted our garden of perennials that we found at the fall sales.

Ella was pretty sure that she wanted to be held so I opted for wearing her in the backpack while working. She is wearing a smocked bonnet that Nana P made for her. Her favorite part is the ribbon.



Her least favorite part is when the bonnet covers her face.

Below is a picture of the garden behind the house. For those of you that saw it a year ago, you know that this is a huge improvement. Pish is the most productive person I know and he is largely responsible for the improvements around our house. One of the especially good things is that it is fun (not work) for him. For us to have this lovely garden, he dug up 8 20-year-old yews, installed the lattice and formed the bed. Not all the shrubbery is in, but you can get the idea.

He also built these pyramidal trellises with the branches that I pruned out of the dogwood shrubs.

A shot of lumberjack Pish hacking away at the roots
(the multitudes of roots) of a weed tree. Round-up would have been much easier but not organic. Next year it will be filled with vegetables and herbs.

Herbs snipped and ready to be dried.

Noah decided that sitting outside in the pack and play covered with a blanket and wearing only a diaper is his new favorite past time. He talked and played with his toys for hours.

Swimming

Sweet cousin Annika is on the right sporting a very cute swimsuit. Our kiddos are sporting water-logged diapers, as evidenced by Noah's huge tush.

Ella was fascinated with the prospect of climbing out of the pool, head first. It was not because she disliked like the pool, it was just the idea of climbing that was so very enticing.

I was not expecting Noah to enjoy the pool because he does not really like baths, but he surprised us and was an active fellow in the pool. Quite happy actually.

All in all, a fun time was had by all (as long as Noah refrained from using Ella and Annika as props for climbing).