More garden stuff...

Just a quick report.  Here are some pictures of what I've harvested thus far: 

As you can see, we got quite a few red onions, some yummy carrots, and a few sad, small strawberries (tiny, but also yummy).  Right now I think I have a few more carrots about ready to pick, and have managed to fend off the tomato hornworms well enough to get a few roma tomatoes as well.  More pictures to come soon.  :)

And so another year begins (with a total freak out moment)...

It's back to school day again, and so here is my obligatory picture of the boys before we left this morning:

I still can't believe that Nathan will be in 3rd grade this year and Bryan is now a 6th grader at the middle school next door. I think back to when Nate was in Kinder and Bryan was the 3rd grader:

It just doesn't seem so long ago.  They've grown so much since then... 
As a mother, I struggle with the whole idea that they are getting older.  This morning when I dropped off Bryan at the middle school, I wanted to walk him in and help him find his classrooms. You know - it's middle school now, 8 periods, 5 teachers...he could get lost or overwhelmed. I know I was. After a few minutes, I realized I was practically the only parent in there (I think I saw one other mother).  How did this happen? When did he get old enough to be dropped off on his first day of school and not need me to walk him in?  I knew I should leave to save him from total embarrassment, so I made sure he knew where his first class was and left.  I didn't even get to hug him because there were way too many other kids around who might see... I left, but inside I was freaking out.  The thought crossed my mind to hang around and watch to make sure he got to his first class okay, you know, all super-stealthy-ninja style. But I didn't.  It took everything I had in me to walk away, get in my car and head off to work 10 minutes before that first school bell was due to ring.  For some reason I think leaving him there this morning was harder than leaving him at daycare or preschool for the first time.  I wonder why...maybe because the school is just so much bigger, with so many more kids, and he just seemed so small to me this morning in that environment.  Well, it's now 8:41 and he should be starting his second period by now.  No phone calls from the school yet, so he must be doing okay. Time to shut off the paranoid, overprotective, micro-managing mom functions and start accepting the fact that my boy has grown up. Besides, I still have one little guy left in elementary school.  I can still walk him into school no matter what day of the year it is.  Yeah, it'll be okay.  Here's to what I hope will be a fantastic year for both boys!!!
  

Very brief garden update...

Just a quick blurb about my garden.  Please note, I have literally spent 0 hours tending the garden in the last month or more, so that fact that anything is actually still growing out there is nothing short of a miracle.  That being said, here is the harvest thus far.  Yes, I know it is only 1 carrot and 2 onions, but they were tasty, and again - 0 hours spent (God gardened these).  Upon my last check, I discovered some plant casualties - all of my spinach and cucumber plants didn't make it (wussies).  But, my mint plant was thriving and I still have hope for some tomatoes, zucchini and strawberries. :)



New Year...New Day... New Blog...

I realized today, that I have been extremely remiss in my blogging efforts...again. I thought I would freshen up the look of my blog and start anew.

Let me reintroduce myself. 
Hi. I'm JT. It has been over 8 months since my last posting. 
Not to make excuses for my blogging negligence, but lately my life has felt a bit like this:


Anyway, I won't bore anyone with the details of what has transpired in my world over the last 8 months. I'll just share a few recent highlights.






School just let out a few weeks ago. I am now the mother of a 3rd grader and a middle-schooler - Bryan promoted to sixth grade. Here he is with the school principal on promotion day. I'm so proud of him!!




 
 
 
 
 





Nate finished his 1st Holy Communion. Man, did he hate being that dressed up. :)




 
 
 
 
Both boys joined a Jiu Jitsu class and LOVE it!  I don't have any pics yet, but will post some soon. 

As for me, I've been unsuccessfully trying to keep up with my garden and list of sewing projects.  I recently purchased a treadmill to kick off my new "Fit-by-40" pledge to myself. It's in the garage, but it's not plugged in yet...baby steps.  :)   I guess that's it for now.  More to come...hopefully before another 8 months pass. :)