Yeah.  Two days ago we had the heat on because it was cold in the house (and I was being a pansy).  Yesterday I went summer clothing shopping and, thankfully, had some really good luck at Target for cheap shorts for the boys and sundresses for me.  Yesterday was crazy hot but today takes the cake.  A high of 95F (35C)!  This is APRIL!  That’s the sort of temps we get in JULY.  Tomorrow will be the same, Tuesday is predicted for an additional 5F increase (they predicted 89F for today and are saying 93F for Tuesday so we’ll have close to 100F here at the house).

At least with the celing fans we can keep it about 10F cooler than outside – even without tree shade (too early for much leaf coverage).  I’m sure some people think that’s crazy but I keep feeling like, except for people with weak health (elderly, infants, etc), a/c is just not healthy. The boys are good about drinking water; Ken and I need reminders more, though.

Last night, while doing some programming in Perl on my little laptop (our main computer, now), Ken checked on the RAM speed and noted that it wasn’t.  Speeding, that is.  It was registering 1GB instead of the 2GB stick I installed several weeks ago.  Whoops!  So I did some searching around and thought I needed to update the BIOS.  Not a small task and one I was hesitant to do but would give it a go.  Had the updater going and connected to ASUS’ bios updater page-thingy and, on some self-doubt, myself logged into an eee-specific forum to ask the people who’d know more than me (most everyone) if there was another way and, if not, which bios version i should go with (ASUS, apparently, is similar to MS in that they fix things while breaking others with their updates).  I went to double-check my current bios version before asking my n00b question and noticed something.  1.99GB!

Clearly the laptop recognized that I was about to mess it up (yo) and, in fear for it’s sanity, acknowledged that I had, in fact, installed a bigger RAM module.   I’m glad the line has been drawn and the laptop has a sense of self preservation.  Always handy in a computer.

Today’s yet another planting day.  I transplanted the best eggplant (which are doing fantastically, if a little too tall for their own good), sweet peppers (which, despite being “King of the North” aren’t doing as good, though acceptable), and hot Thai peppers (which are doing fantastically and I’m considering trying to find additional garden space for them because it’s such a waste to toss perfectly good seedlings) into larger containers (small plastic pop bottles with the tops cut off).  During naptime I’ll be planting tomatoes – loads of tomatoes.  They’re the most important part of my garden because I lurve them so.

While I was transplanting, Ethan came over and asked what I was doing.  I explained that I was taking care of the baby plants.  He then said he’d like a baby too, so during naptime he’ll get to plant his very own  baby plant and take care of it.  Likely one of the cherry tomatoes since they’re the easiest to snack off the vine in the garden.  I plan on teaching the boys about the joys of garden grazing, this year.  They both love carrots and much of the veggies I end up slicing up for cooking (little moochers!) so every chance I get I emphasize how much better the garden veggies will taste (especially the carrots! mmm!).

Ken will be making my garden boxes this weekend.  Two boxes 5′x10′ and 20″ high.  I’ll have soil delivered next week, hopefully, and be ready for my next big planting day on May 9 (straight into the garden, then, not trays).  With how warm the weather’s seeming to be, though, I may have to bump some things up in schedule.  I hope not as I’m taking advantage of moon cycles to help my little babies along.

Went in for a pink eye check (possible, drops forthcoming, maybe allergies but likely indeed pink eye) and found out how much Mr. Big has grown.

35.5 lbs means we can’t rely on the carseat harness anymore and will be moving to a belt and holy crap I am not ready to have to yell over my shoulder at *2* little boys to get them to leave their belts alone.  At least Ethan understands, somewhat.  Victor is now, officially, off the chart (by a large margin)
3′2″ tall means he’s grown 1.5″ in the past.2.months.  He’s as tall, now (2.25yrs), as Ethan was at 3.75yrs.  Good grief!

So this past week we had some trees removed from our property.  One which was just dead and needed to go anyways (and was a relatively easy go)

Two which were a bit  more challenging as they hung over the house and were at the edge of the top of the bank behind our house (so no bucket truck would reach).  The one he’s up in and the whiteish one to the right of it.

So we’ve gone from this beside the house (the two in the top left corner) to this and this to this.

Ultimate change from when the house was first finished, May 1, ‘07

to now

The trees went through a further process of metamorphosis…

we had a local guy with a portable mill come out…

(that plus 9 garbage bags of powder-fine sawdust that we’ll use on the icy driveway this winter)

Ken and I spent several hours yesterday hand-trimming off the bark from the edges (bug control) and it’ll sit in the garage for the next year, calling to Ken, while it dries.  Red Maple, Red Oak and White Oak.   Gorgeous wood and so much of it!  Cheap, too.  $180 plus lunch and beer and more talking than working.   Gordon’s a great guy.

On another note, my rhubarb is doing great:

as are the raspberries

Ken also managed to fit in putting a new storm door on the front and I further strained my wrist that I wrenched (repeatedly) while we cut brush a few weeks ago.  I’m finally caving and wrapping it to let it rest some and maybe heal.  Tired, sore, but very happy.

And I’ll tell you about it later when Ethan’s in school and Victor’s asleep and the house is, briefly, calm and quiet.

First, though, I’ll show you what finally happened this weekend:

Ethan and I have been watching for the past few weeks for it to open (it’s the first of the bed).  Finally on Saturday night, when I wasn’t checking every few hours and had left it alone, it opened up.  It smells wonderful!  The lilies Ethan and I planted (bulbs found in the bottom of a bucket, bought several years ago) are even starting to poke through.

Welcome Spring!

One of Ken’s frustrations lately is that he’s bored.  He wants to design things but doesn’t have any starting points.  So.  What do you need?  What would make life easier for you?

As much as the economy is in the crapper, I believe we’re in an age of life automation – so how would you see aspects of your life automated?  How could life be easier for you?  What’s your needful thing(s)?

I’ve been very tired of thinking, lately.  Tired enough to not have the energy to tell you the little things.  Little things like Ken’s inexplicable and new sensitivity to coffee.  Specifically coffee.  We’re mostly tea drinkers, here, at least during the week.  Coffee is for weekends and leisurely breakfasts.  However in the past few months, the moment Ken starts drinking just one cup of coffee he goes nuts.  He gets jittery, irritable, and starts rushing around cleaning/tidying/etc.  Not that I’d mind but it makes him snarly and my weekends lose all sense of relaxability since I’m pulled into the whirlwind of “dosomethingnowheythisneedscleaning!”

Too tired to tell you about the logger dudes that took out 3 of our massive trees the past few days and piled them neatly to be milled by a dude down the road.  I have pictures, but not of everything – stay tuned as I’ll take more tomorrow.

We’ve decided to put off til fall the mountain moving, which means seriously getting our act in gear to get my garden set up, but I lost my steam in starting seeds early so the flower seeds I was going to start last week haven’t been done.  I’ll get it back for the veg seeds – they’re fully planned, right down to the number of seeds to start.  I need to try and make newspaper pots to transplant some of the little seedlings soon, too.  We need more time to make things like my garden boxes and cleaning out the gutters (I know!) but the weather’s being all April-y and next weekend Ken will be helping a co-worker move and my deadline for the garden approaches and the weekends just slip away.
Maybe the tired stems from this new phase of naughty that Ethan’s entered, wherein he’s decided to be a little bad boy for a while.  Hate this phase.

And then there’s Victor, who I hate I can’t catalogue his life like I did Ethan’s.  I know I’m missing on things – things that I love but will forget.  Things like how he talks now – so much better!  And how he still says things like “grape-shoes” (grapefruit) and “soo-kini” (zucchini) but that he also says “Wiktor” now, instead of “Witor”.  I miss that a bit.  He’s getting so big again – he fits into 3T clothes already!

There’s so much going on (yay spring) and so little time/energy to think about it.  Hopefully there’ll be some rest, eventually.

1. I love that I’m the only one who knows the exact spots and touches for (the best) tickles, for soothing in just the right manner, for loving touches that don’t interrupt whatever they’re playing at the time.

2. I love that I have the luxury to just watch – not always interacting – while they play. To see them when they’re playing quietly together (or apart).  To hear their personal conversations.  No one else has any idea the full scope of those imaginations and quieter, inner personalities.

3. I love that the holidays are more exciting now than they ever were for me as a child (I’m more of a planner/giver than receiver).  I love getting excited about buying silly little themed toys and candies.  I love planning for the arrival of the Ostara Bunny and Santa.

4. I love seeing my genetics, my past (and my husbands) reflected in their bodies and personalities.  I love seeing my father’s facial expressions on both their faces; seeing Ken’s look of concentration of my dimples.

5. I love knowing that they are still a part of me, physically, on the deepest (or smallest – cellular) level.  Did you know that a woman carries cells from her babies all her life?