What we've been up to

Siberian Sweet watermelon

Apricot flesh with lovely brown seeds --

sweet and delightfully chewy.

Best of all: from our garden

and Squeeze's favorite.

Cabbage destined to become sauerkraut

I eat about a quart a week --

for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Obsessed.

Monarch butterfly, Monarch caterpillar

We raised four Monarchs from egg to butterfly this summer.

(see the empty chrysalis in the bottom left corner?)

Again, obsessed.

Diego has really gotten into his play-doh creations of late

And it all started with this intriguing landscape.

He also made a game called the "Coin Cake Game" --

He buries coins under marbles in

a mountain of play-doh,

which are buried under candles atop a layer of play-doh.

Find the silver coin and win!

Our neighbor Walentyne's gorgeous Concord grapes

Isn't that blue mesmerizing?

So tasty --

I ate them until they scorched the tip of my tongue.

"Bountiful Harvest"
Tomatoes: German Pink, Manyel, Cream Paste,
Black Plum, Mexico Midget, Green Sausage
Can you guess which is which?
6 quarts apple sauce
12 cups grape jam

Simple math

What do you get when you add chopped tomatoes and scallions, shredded cheese, a little bit of sea salt, and a nice lump of butter to brown rice that has been soaked over night and cooked up in a jiffy? (With a side of homemade sauerkraut.)

The most excellent lunch ever. One that makes your children roar in delight and satisfies the most rumbly tummy.

A little choppy, but here you go - an actual post

Ugh, I should post something. We've been back for a week now. But where do I start?

Things are good, the weather is cool, sunny and bright, and feels very fall-ish. I felt like airing out the house and washing all the sheets yesterday, which is an interesting trigger from autumn-like weather. Especially since our house has been aired out all summer. The sheets may be another story.

I am 20 weeks on Thursday. This pregnancy is basically half-way over, amazing. I still need to connect with my midwife. How 14 weeks suddenly became 20 weeks is beyond me. No, actually, it isn't. We've had a busy month.

Not to mention being bogged down with some nasty malware since the end of July. I think we have everything under wraps, but it is still a somewhat precarious situation. I am a little fearful every time I turn the computer on. (Thank goodness for Fix-It Utilities, or we would have been sunk.) Where does this crap come from anyway? Jerks.

I've been feeling the baby wiggling recently, which is such an interesting sensation. To know that there is a little person who I will know and love for the rest of my life, growing in there. What a mysterious beauty of life, being pregnant. I am enjoying my pregnant body, wondering if this will be the last time 'round.

We just released a Monarch butterfly that emerged from its chrysalis last night. (We have three more to go, two that will definitely emerge today.) The Monarch's body isn't as beautiful as the furry and spotted Black Swallowtail's body. But the wings! Gorgeous. That orange and black is stunning.

And with that, I am done. I have a whole box of bruised "early" apples to to process (applesauce) and a basket filled with concord grapes to take care of (grape jam).

I'm out.

But first, look at this recipe for salmon croquettes! They look outstanding. Yo.

Our "guesteses", as Diego says

Hooooooola, estoy aquí!

I've gone AWOL because my parents and sister have been staying with us for the past week. Needless to say, the boys are thrilled and have been thoroughly enjoying their grandparents and auntie (aka "Uncle Jayna" just because it sounds better -- we also have an "Uncle Ashley" and "Uncle Brenda").

It has been a good visit. ♥

Here are a few pictures from some of the festivities.

The first night

I finally figured out how to make a killer Asian noodle soup --

KEY INGREDIENTS:

stock, soy sauce, fish sauce, scallions, bean sprouts

and lots of olive oil mixed in with everything.

The boys with their Great-Grands --

Diego's 5th birthday.

Cooling down with Grandpa --

watching the magic show at the County Fair.

Doing a Transformers Puzzle with Grandma

(circa 1985 - a birthday present from his Daddy)

Truen with one of our Black Swallowtail caterpillars.
We are rearing 4 Monarch caterpillars
and have had 4 Black Swallowtail in chrysalis form --
Two have metamorphosed into butterflies in the last two days.

Hiking at the Prairie Preserve --
we were haaaaaaaaaht.