Super Stash

I've been sick the last few days, so I didn't think we would do anything for Halloween.  But today I started feeling a little better and so I went ahead and made a special pacifier accessory for Jonah's outfit.  His cute little jumper was a gift from Grandpa and Abuelita....and while it technically isn't a costume, it was the prefect solution for a last minute photo shoot.

Daisy and Jonah are pretty much inseparable.  

They do everything together.....including wearing matching pink bandannas.

I even got Dad to participate.  Here are the boys giving me their most convincing cowboy stare-down.  

The weather was just lovely, so we decided we should carve our pumpkins too.

Here are the results!  

Happy Halloween!

Allium sativum

Garlic, or allium sativum, was a new addition to our vegetable garden this year.  It turns out that it is one of the easiest things to grow.  I grew a soft-neck variety so I could braid the heads for storage.  If you can braid hair, then you can braid garlic!

For folks who have limited gardening space and love to cook, this is a prefect thing to plant in the autumn.  Just follow these steps: 

1. Buy a head a garlic
2. Break apart the cloves (but don't unwrap them)
3. Plant them 2-3 inches deep in late October or early November
4. Let them grow all winter & spring
5. When the stalks turn brown and flop over, you are heady for harvest (June or July)

Easy as can be!  I bought my first head of garlic from a nursery because I've heard that garlic from grocery stores have often been sprayed with growth suppressant.   Yesterday I planted 1 head from Safeway, 1 from my garlic this year, and a new variety I bought at a local nursery....so we'll see how the Safeway garlic does.  For more garlic information, including a sweet garlic calendar, visit Hood River Garlic.

Happy planting!

Amplification

Lisa Warninger

5 years ago today we were married.  The photo above was taken on that day.  The weather was unbelievable; autumn was all around us, as were our friends and families.  I was never one of those girls who had been dreaming about her wedding day since adolescence, but now that I've had my own, I can see how one would dream for something so prefect as our wedding day.

Lisa Warninger

I've been reflecting about this anniversary a lot because our relationship is so different now that we have Jonah in our lives.  The title of this post is "Amplification" because that is the word that keeps coming back to me as I think about where we are.  I feel like the addition of kids amplifies the qualities in you and, as a result, the temperament of your relationships.  Both the good and the bad have a much louder presence.

The addition of Jonah has rewritten my definition of love.  I never knew that I could care so deeply so immediately.  And the most surprising element of his arrival was how much more I would love my husband---something I didn't think was possible.  Jonah truly has amplified all the generosity, thoughtfulness, patience, and warmth there was before.  I know this wouldn't be the case if we didn't start with a grounded partnership.  I feel so very grateful and blessed to have the life that I have and the love of my life by my side.

Lisa Warninger

Happy anniversary!

Little Roller

Big milestone today!  Jonah rolled over!  Twice actually.  The first time was at Mommy and Me yoga class this morning.  We all applauded.  Jonah also did an encore performance when we got home for Dad.  So it's official--we have a little roller on our hands now.  Gone are the days of monitoring a sweet little baby blob.   And as Nanna says, "Never trust a baby."  

Jonah turns 4 months tomorrow.  I've been telling him all week that he should plan on rolling over then, but the little showoff had to sneak it by while he's still technically 3 months.  Is trying to be good at everything a personality trait?  Hmmm.....definitely related.

A Pumpkin for a Pumpkin

The weather has been a stunning autumn mix of sunshine and showers this past week.  We headed out to Rasmussen Farms on a particularly bright and warm day to introduce Jonah to the joys of a pumpkin patch.  We picked out three for carving next week.....somebody couldn't wait to get started.

Delicious!!

We got measured before entering the Corn Maze. Such a big boy!

It was a nice little outing.

Welcome Autumn!

Ahh, the first blog post.  The old Catherine would have taken this opportunity to stress out while creating an exquisite piece of prose suitable for the launch of a literary blog.  The new Mom-Catherine is way more chilled out.  The demeanor shift is mostly out of necessity, but I kind of like it.
Needless to say, I'm going to keep this short and sweet!