It's an update!

Raised vegetable garden; sling and stomp rocket; Aunt Amy visit; Quarry trip; miscellany.

We put in a raised vegetable garden and some annuals this weekend!

The boys just LOVED helping and hanging around while we were doing it. Sam enjoyed throwing clods of dirty and Josh playing in the dirt looking for living things. In the garden we've got tomatoes, basil and marigolds and transplanted some peppers and carrots we've been growing inside from seeds. 

We'll see if anything grows. Susan's worried we've just planted a salad bar for the deer and rabbits.

For flowers we put in begonias, lavender, wave petunias, impatiens and cordyline (the tall thing in back):

This ought to be enough cover for the toad to feel a little safer hanging out (see below).

Aunt Amy and Sam relaxing on the couch on Saturday:

In celebration of Amy's last-month birthday, Susan made cupcakes:

Here are Josh and AA hanging out. Josh has a mouthful of milk.

Last weekend turned chilly but the boys and I spent a lot of time outdoors nevertheless. Here's JOsh playing with the stomp rocket:

oh, and here's an indoor interlude showing Josh building a church out of Jenga blocks:

Back outside, where Sam's throwing balls with a home-made sling:

And here's the toad I mentioned. He likes to live in the lower flower bed. (The upper one's for the chipmunk.) Josh is extremely fond of him:

We had flowers in the house and Josh took some in to his teachers, just to be nice:

We made a very quick stop at the dolomite quarry this year. (Last year's marathon was a bit too long.)

And here's a shot from Cobble Science Night where I did simple demos with liquid nitrogen. Sam was a good helper.

An impromptu mother-son dance:

Josh being cozy when I was first sick a month ago. Josh caught (or already had) a weaker form of the bug I had. He never had the fevers.

Sam and Josh playing Hiss:

This is Josh at the "broken bridge", which is just what it sounds, at the edge of the Montessori property. When they want to take the kids on a long walk that's where they go, and they really love it. 

All for now!