Monthly Archives: August 2011

Our veggie garden this year is seriously embarrassing.  Last year was bad. This year is worse.  There was one point around Ellie’s birthday when you couldn’t tell the weeds from the veggies.  Nothing has grown, and we’re at least 4 – 5 weeks behind.

My onions have some kind of disease, and had to be pulled up before they actually matured. My garlic dried up and molded.  The cherry tree didn’t produce a single cherry, and will need to come down this fall due to some kind of serious blight that it seems to have failed in fighting off. Basically, we can write yet another year off.

There are other plants that are insanely happy: my roses, the peas, the hydrangea, the neighbor’s kiwis, and most of the herbs.  SO I’m just going to cross my fingers that the summer lasts later in the year than it usually does, that would mean we MIGHT have a chance at some of the crops maturing!

Tiny little first harvest

Lovely little bug in the Patty Pan Squash blossom

There’s a reason why “date” is now included in the modern term for “going over to someone’s house.”  Dating is the closest thing to whatever it is that I find myself doing when arranging times for Ellie to socialize with new friends, and thus for me to hang out with some new person and get to know them.

There’s the planning on where to go, where to meet, or whose house to visit first.  There’s the carefulness surrounding parenting styles.  Then there’s the constant search for commonality in conversations.  There’s even the worry about what’s appropriate to wear.  Ok, so maybe I don’t take it that far, but seriously, this whole toddler socializing thing is odd.

That being said, it was at one such play date that I received one of the best “hostess” gifts I have ever received! Ellie has swim class with twin girls who are 4, and she has always adored them.  They came to her birthday party, after which the pleas to play with them grew to a daily occurance…so their mother and I arranged a play date here at DPF.

Upon arrival, the girls delivered an adorably packaged hostess gift…the label on the outside read, “S’mores.” I peaked in, and lord almighty, it was awesome.

Inside were homemade marshmallows, Hersheys bars and graham crackers!

She obviously had been paying attention to the surroundings here at DPF during Ellie’s party.  We didn’t use it during the party, but we have a fire pit behind the pool…the perfect place for S’mores!

Seriously? Homemade marshmallows??? What an incredibly thoughtful and indulgent gift! Love it.

Now the question is……..what the hell do I take when I go to THEIR house?!?!?