This week

Just as I suspected, this week is being gobbled up with ballet, but we've done some other things, too. On Sunday, for example, Miriam did my hair (after church).

Here's the front:

And here's the back:

"Holy hardware," Andrew remarked when he saw what Miriam had done. There are seventeen barrettes sprinkled throughout my mane—most of them in that one clump but a few in other places—as well as that lovely gigantic heart clip.

She's also decided to start doing her own hair. Barrettes are definitely her specialty. Here's she's put two barrettes in by herself and has come to ask me to put her hair into a ponytail because she can't quite manage that part on her own yet:



We got a special package in the mail from Grandma Pat. The girls are always excited when they see packages from Utah sitting on our front porch because it usually means the contents are for them (though a couple of times they'e been for Benjamin). Inside this package was a crocheted doll for Miriam. Aunt Nicki had sent Rachel's doll home with me when I was out in Utah but Miriam's doll hadn't been finished yet so I put Rachel's aside until Miriam's came.



They love them. Miriam was especially thrilled that her doll has a tutu on. Rachel was especially thrilled that the doll's dress was turquoise. Aunt Nicki certainly did her research before she commissioned these dolls (a girl in her neighbourhood makes them).



We've been doing quite a bit of yard work during school hours, at least when it hasn't been pouring rain. We often settled for working while it was sprinkling because the sun just hasn't been shining lately (except for today—today was beautiful and we went over to the neighbours' to play—but it's supposed to rain again tomorrow). We got the awful, awful holly bush pulled up and put in some more aesthetically pleasing azaleas (and a butterfly bush). I planted some gladiolus bulbs and some petunias and have some Impatiens waiting to be planted. Basically, we took whatever was on sale for super cheap because gardening can get rather expensive!

Benjamin's mastered the army crawl now and squirms his way anywhere he wants to go. Our floors have been hopelessly filthy lately—what, with all the gardening and then running off to ballet—that all his outfits have ended up covered in yuck. He's our own personal roomba, cleaning the floors everywhere he goes!

He is drawn to open doors like a fly to honey. He loves being outside and would escape if he could.

Here he is outside with us while we're putting up our rain chain. I'll have to get pictures of that later. I had to stop working and take him inside.

He was a sleepy baby and had a give-me-a-nap-now meltdown soon after these pictures.

Things seem to be doing fairly well on the garden front. My peas are being attacked by aphids. I squirt them off sometimes, or even just pick them off with my fingers. I also transport ladybugs to them. Alas, the aphids just really seem to like them. We'll see how they do.

I found a millipede while I was filling up the watering can. It was huge—like as long as my finger. These are the kind that can squirt out acid that will burn your skin. But it seems like they're more likely to just roll up into a ball and pretend you're not there.

Benjamin's taken a new liking to his rocking horse since figuring out how it works a little better. He still doesn't quite get it yet but seems to enjoy trying to keep his balance while sitting in it.

Look, Mom! No hands!

Tally ho!

We've also been keeping very busy with ballet, which is nice I suppose because otherwise we'd be feeling very cooped up with all the rain we've been having!