Funny baby

Patrick pulls his hair a lot. The first time he did it surprised both of us, I think. He was happily cooing on the floor and suddenly started screaming. I couldn't figure out what was wrong until I noticed that he was pulling his hair. He couldn't figure out who was doing it and why they wouldn't stop! :)

Now I think pulling his hair is comforting to him. He grabs on quite a bit, often when he's playing on the floor and occasionally while he is nursing. It is cute. It is less cute when his sister tries to help him.

Helen and I are working on potty training. This is a source of frustration for me and an area where she seems to be exercising control...and not the kind of control I'm trying to teach her! I think I had false expectations for this area of growing up. I read a book that claimed that cloth diapered babies are much easier to train. Since Helen was cloth diapered from birth I assumed that training would be a snap. Not so. She's pretty much daytime trained now. I don't think her "accidents" are terribly accidental most of the time. But I'm not sure about punishing her, especially if they really are accidents and I'm reading ill intentions that don't actually exist. It's a conundrum.

Parenting is strange. It's great and every day is an adventure. But it is strange!

Peaceful morning

Usually I wake up to the pitter patter of Helen's little feet running from her room to mine. Today, for some reason, I'm awake and she isn't yet. I'm happy for her, she's been extra tired lately and needs to sleep a bit later. I'm happy for me too, surprisingly. I usually think it would be nice to sleep in but, actually, it's pretty nice to have a quiet house to myself this morning.

Right now I'm looking out the window at the alfalfa field. I think the first cutting will start today and my world will really smell like summer...nothing says summer like freshly cut alfalfa. In a couple of weeks pea harvest will start. Chris will bring home buckets of peas and I'll start the summertime process of filling the freezer for winter. In a few weeks the strawberries will be ready too. I can already taste the fresh strawberry pie. I'm also looking forward to putting up a bunch of strawberry jam.

This is my favorite time of year. I really feel like I'm caring for my family when I can and freeze summer's produce for winter consumption. Later, in the dead of January when we open a can of peaches or pull out some frozen corn it will feel like summer for a little bit. Just enough to make the cold, dark days a little sunnier. I better tend to the garden today...if I take good care it will feed us all year.

Thanks for all the comments on my last post. It is nice to "see" you all again. I didn't really expect anyone to read this...it has been ages since I've been here, I know. I'll be catching up with all of you too. Isn't that the great thing about blogs?

Okay, I'm going to go enjoy the quiet a bit more.

Welcome Back

It has been over a year since I blogged here. So much has changed. I think I'm going to revive this, if only because I need a place to write. I doubt I'll be reviewing very many books. I still read a ton but I'm not sure I have the time or interest to review everything. I'm sure I'll mention what I'm reading...that's just part of my life. This will mostly be about other things now.

Right now Patrick is squealing on the floor. He is 2 months old today. That's one big change since I last posted here. Life is so different with two kids. Helen is a great big sister but is still struggling with some jealousy and uncertainty about the changes in her life. I don't blame her...it's been a big change!

I guess that's all for now...Patrick needs held. I need to start dinner (I'm making a mustard chicken salad that I saw on Barefoot Contessa a few weeks ago). Laundry needs folded and, yes, I got a new book at the library today. Lots to do but I'll be back, I promise.