Been trying to keep myself and the kiddos busy. Swimming lessons have ended, but Stella's wonderful swim teacher agreed to take her on in private lessons . . . and even agreed when I asked sheepishly if I could throw A.J. in the pool too. So they're really enjoying their lessons together.
Stella's ability to coordinate her arms and legs in swimming has really improved over the last 3 years she's been in lessons. It's really amazing.
Miss Kathryn, who's like the "swim whisperer" (she's so calm and great with kids) has even managed to get A.J. to pay more attention, kick better, etc., but seems nothin' can be done about his orneriness! Here he is, dangling from the bar. She had to scold him several times for this today.
We had a nice visit last week from my sister-in-law Jill, my niece Clara and Kathy, my mother-in-law. They stayed the night, because Jill had to pick up her oldest daughter, my niece Lauren, at a camp at Albion College (go Albion!). They let John and I go out to dinner, which we figured worked nicely because our 6th anniversary was two days later. Here is a picture of Grandma holding both Clara and A.J., when it was almost bedtime and they had their binkies, jammies, and were all snuggly. Clara and A.J. are quite a pair, they could be twins.
Since summers can be such intense motherhood for me, I've been keeping myself busy with 1)baking...especially baking with things I get at the farmer's market and 2)heirloom tomato obsession.
First, the baking. This is my first lattice crust pie. Underneath is a combination of local blueberries and raspberries. This turned out well. (I can't say the same for the plum cobbler I attempted this week!)
The trick is that I love to bake these things, but I don't want to be eating them myself. It seems like I gain enough, though, just tasting them.
The other obsession is heirloom tomatoes. Early in the spring, I put an article in the church newsletter about my love of the farmers markets and local agriculture. The outcome of that was that a lady in my church, who has a Ph.D. in some kind of agriculture from Michigan State, gave me 8 heirloom tomato plants. I planted six of them in containers (two didn't survive A.J.'s handling), and added one beefsteak plant. So I've got all these tomatoes growing on the side of our house, the sunny side:
I am anxiously awaiting to see what they'll be. Heirlooms can look like almost anything. Two of the plants have "potato leaves" so they look more like a potato plant than a tomato. But there are tomatoes because you can see that now!
I am considering trying canning if I end up having a lot of tomatoes! I've always wanted to learn to can.
John continues to paint. Now, all 2½ bathrooms have been painted! He's done a great job, too.
Well, that's the way it is!
