Jack's First Construction Project

So for years I have wanted to have a garden. The idea sounds amazing. Grow your own food, live off the land, watch something go from a tiny seed to something so amazing tasting that it puts the grocery store to shame. What's not to love? So I have been researching and researching the best gardening method for me. But first, let me tell you a story about my previous gardening experience.
I attempted last year to grow herbs in a pot on my porch. I know that growing herbs isn't rocket science but my project failed miserably. I have never read anything about gardening. I just assumed you plant the seeds in whatever you feel like, give them some water and they grow. And granted with some things it is that easy. I unfortunately didn't realize that when you plant an ENTIRE pack of basil seeds and an ENTIRE pack of parsley seed in one pot, that you would have 100s of plants growing and that those plants would need to be thinned. I mean, why would a seed package have you plant an entire pack just to thin the seeds. It seemed so illogical to me (and my trusty resource, aka my husband who also does not garden). Thus we decided to just let them all grow. Well they sprouted, but that was about as far as they got. I didn't thin them and then I went on vacation for about 7 weeks so they only got the occasional Utah rain for water. Needless to say I never had any fresh parsley or basil.
So, I am more prepared this time. I have decided to use the square foot gardening method (SFG). I have read and researched how to garden and while a lot of the terms and phrases are still Greek to me, I understand some basic gardening principles (like don't plant an entire packet of seeds!). I chose the SFG method b/c its a) easy to understand, b) takes up little space I (and our backyard is tiny), and c) it doesn't use any of our existing soil (which is clay here). So to start my SFG I have to build 4 foot square boxes. We went to lowe's today and bought the 2x6's and Jack built me a box.

Jack carrying his 2x6.

Picking out our tools!

And working the Drill
And waiting to put in the screws
And making the box
And the most exciting part... drilling!

And who can forget our favorite bystander.. Maris was a champ hanging out in the stroller while we put the boxes together.

Next up, actually gardening. Hopefully I will get some soil and plants next week!

Happy Birthday Dad

We've had a busy week here. I feel like we've been going non stop since we moved back to Georgia. We have yet to spend a weekend alone in our house. I have been to my parents several times, we had some friends over a couple weekends ago and we've been to the in-laws once as well. This weekend will be the same. Our in-laws are planning to move out of Fayetteville and want some help from Chris to fix up the house. So this weekend we are Atlanta bound. In return we always get free baby sitting and a night out alone so it's a pretty even trade :). Of course we don't mind seeing our family (its one of the big perks of moving back after all) and I know things will slow down when it isn't so novel to be able to pick up and go at the drop of a hat but right now we have been busy.
The past weekend was spent at my parents. My dad's 59th birthday was Friday and we went to see them Saturday and Sunday. We got my dad the traditional bottle of alcohol for his birthday (this year it was scotch). My sister gave my father an app of daily devotionals for his phone. I told her that I will contribute to his vices while she can aid his virtues. It's the kind of child I am. We planned a birthday meal at Rae's Coastal Cafe in Augusta. Side note: the she crab soup there is to die for. Everything was wonderful. I will definitely have to make a stop back there. Its surreal sometimes hanging out at the house like I used to. It really feels like I never left. I feel like the last 5.5 years spent in Utah have just melted away and never happened. Its hard to describe what its like to just walk into my parents house like I still live there even though it has been many years since I have. Jack definitely enjoyed my dad's birthday cake. It was strawberry and thus it was pink, Jack's favorite color. He helped "Poppy" blow out the candles. Jack loves seeing his grandparents and asks every weekend to go. He counts down the days to see everyone by "sleeps." i.e. it is now only 1 more sleep until we go see Grandma Cunningham.
The rest of the week has still seemed busy. The stay at home mom thing is way better than I ever thought it would be. I always said I wanted to stay home and maybe work 1 day a week but I always assumed it would get old quick. I thought I would be begging for a job by now. I am actually just the opposite. I love playing with the kids, planning my garden, taking trips whenever I feel like to see my family. I love that whenever Chris is off I am off too. There is no balancing our schedules. I actually applied for a job two days ago. I'm not experienced in the field that I applied for but we'll see. I obviously am in no rush to start work. Unfortunately, I have to pay the bills sooner or later.
I am going to start a new hobby. I have been reading up on gardening and am planning to build our first garden next weekend (supposedly we aren't going anywhere). I am going to start with a square foot garden (SFG) because it sounds easy and doesn't take up too much space. Our back yard is tiny. Like two of Maris' body lengths tiny. Maybe if I have success with it SFG I will venture out into raised bed/wide row gardening when I actually have some land and space. Also this week Jack officially made a new friend. He misses his friends in Utah a lot and has been asking to go play at a friend's house. I went to high school with a girl who lives on my street in Athens and she has a 3.5 year old daughter. We went to her house this week and had a play date. It took Jack a while to warm up because he is shy but eventually he was chatting up a storm with Bethy. Hopefully there will be many more play dates to come.
Such is Cunningham Life...
Maris and Poppy playing at Rae's.
Jack waiting for everyone to come eat the pink cake... his favorite!
Jack helping Poppy blow out the candles
And Nana and Maris

9 months and the other is lying...

10 days ago I started this blog and haven't touched it since. I knew I wouldn't do a good job at this. I've even had lots of ideas on posts but never actually sat down to write them. Now they all seem pointless.
Maris turned 9 months old on the 11th of Feburary. With Jack, I documented these milestones every 3 months with professional photos. Poor Maris, all she gets are a couple pictures I shot of her out in our front yard in a cute dress. This is in part because we are poor since I do not have a job yet and in part because I don't know anyone here who takes pictures. It was freezing out when I took the pictures so I spent all of 3 minutes attempting to get a smile and she would have none of it.

This is one of the better pics of my sad attempt. I really need to get into photography classes
She is growing like a weed, though we don't have any stats on her size since we don't have a pediatrician yet in Athens. Maybe by the time she is 10 months I will have found someone.

Jack is up to the same old thing. He is overall sweet and loving to his sister (except of course when she steals his toys) and eager to please. But he has managed to perfect a new developmental milestone; the art of lying and thievery. Yesterday he locked me out of the house and then denied it repeatedly (despite him being the only one in the house). Today he kept running back and forth between the living room and my bedroom. Our laundry closet is in the hallway between these two and I was sitting folding laundry. Each time Jack passed between the two rooms he would give me a hug and tell me he loved me. After 5 or 6 times I started getting suspicious. I asked him what he was doing and he told me nothing. Unfortunately for him he told me "nothing" with his mouth full of candy. I had left a bag of candy on my dresser in my room and he was running back and forth pilfering candy and then playing with his toys. Needless to say, said candy has been put away indefinitely. Its hard not to be impressed with how quickly kids learn to be deceitful. Despite me not wanting him to lie, I still can't believe my once completely honest little boy has now learned to not just lie, but he is crafty about it as well. Despite these occasional sneak attacks, he is one of the best little boys I could ask for. And without further ado, some pics of the kiddos:
We found a park for Jack to play at in Athens.
Classic photo of Maris and Jack. Maris won't hold still while Jack poses for the Camera

Playing outside. The weather has been exceedingly wonderful in GA. We've had many days with the high in the 60's. We are taking full advantage of all the outside time.


And Maris.. hamming it up for the camera

And so it begins

I've always said I would never make a blog. I've had so many people suggest it and I never saw the point. I've given all the excuses: I have nothing to write about, nobody will read it, it will take to much time, it will be just another mommy blog etc. Well here I am eating my words... Bear with my attempt at this since I am not sure how to get around the blogging world quite yet.

I've decided to start a blog for a number of reasons. The first is my kids. So yes, to those who like to make fun of mommy blogs, this will be just that (i.e. Tracy). Time marches on and they are constantly getting older. I could journal the old fashioned way or just rely on my memory for everything that is going on in their lives but I have succumbed to the new age way and will try to immortalize my children through a blog. The bigger they get, the more I want to remember them when they were young. I am forgetting little things like when Jack got his first tooth (now that Maris just got hers). Little milestones that don't really matter if I remember them or not but I want to. I already feel like my kids have gotten too old even though I know they are still so young. I just don't want to let these little moments slip away. I want to remember them just like this forever. So a blog is a start.
I suppose a bigger reason for me to finally want to start a blog is I just moved from Salt Lake City, Ut. I spent almost 6 years of my life there making friends that I will not get to see much anymore. When I moved to SLC from GA I never really left those behind in Georgia. My family was still in Georgia. I always went back to visit a few times a year. I saw those I was close to and I never felt like I was missing them the way I am going to miss those in Utah. This blog is one way I can still keep in touch and update those on my life. And I'm sure I will want to continue to do that as i'm sure our life path is going to lead us to more moves away from friends until my husband gets the job of his dreams and settles down.
A third reason for this blog is the loneliness of moving has settled in. I am very excited to be back in my home state and near my family but Athens is a new town for me. I get to see my fam at least once a week but I don't know anyone here in Athens. I don't have a job yet which is always a sure fire way to meet new people and set up a new social network. I've been in Georgia for 3 weeks and the newness has worn off and now I'm alone, with the kids, every day. I miss normal mundane conversation that you can have for hours with friends. A blog is a way to just talk about those normal things (to no one in particular) since I have no one to say them to out loud.
So there you have it. My attempt to justify why I am doing something I always said I wouldn't do. And so it begins...Cunningham Life!