Friday, May 04, 2012

Intruder

We had a mild winter and an early start to spring and so the garden, normally just showing green this time of year, is already awash with color.  The coreopsis, crazy daisy, and blue flax are all blooming, the delphinium, nicotiana, and coneflower are all budding, and the hydrangea is cascading over the sidewalk in all different shades of pink, purple, and blue.

I've been walking along the flower beds daily, enjoying the flowers already in bloom and keeping an eye out for the seed leaves of perennials that have not yet made their appearance.  A few weeks ago, amongst the alyssum, I spotted the seed leaves of a plant that I had not planted, but that was obviously not a weed.  Curious I allowed it to grow and grow into...
what I believe is a pumpkin plant.  I suppose, when we carved pumpkins last fall, some seed slipped into the flower bed and...well...there we are.  It most certainly does not belong in the flower bed, but I haven't the heart to pull it out and so it stays.  And should this plant actually produce some pumpkins, it will be a very welcome intruder indeed!

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Butterflies

Paper butterflies are decorating our schoolroom wall.
The butterflies are from a kids craft magazine that Pookie bought awhile back, but the instructions can still be found online here.
Real butterflies are also in the schoolroom--a part of our ongoing bug collection and nature studies.
Sketches by Pookie, Fig and self.
And butterflies returning to the garden outside.
Always a welcome sight!

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

New

There was a reason for not being in this space.  A very exciting little reason, that quickly grew and grew, but that unfortunately came with all kinds of exhaustion, nausea, and discomfort.
But since his arrival (just over three months ago now!), all those things have been forgotten and our life is now overflowing with smiles, giggles, and coos.  We're settling into a new kind of routine, one that revolves around feedings, nap times, and play time with the sisters.
We are all so overjoyed to have this new little one in our lives!