SOLVED!

Remember this little guy?

I was thisclose to digging up this space hogging, nutrient sucking, unknown and unwanted WEED.

But I didn't. I was too curious to see what would happen to it. It meant sacrificing the chives - but, eh, I wasn't that excited about chives anyway (if I'm totally honest - and why would I lie about something like chives?).

The other day I was diligently watering my wilted weed when I noticed something. Which led to some frantic googling.

Behold...

A TURNIP!

Slightly square and stunted...with a jumbled mess for a taproot...but nonetheless...

A TURNIP!

I feel like a farmer and I didn't even plant it (on purpose).

Here I was, growing this older brother to my beloved radishes and I had no idea. I would have been harvesting it's leaves and chowing down on some extra riboflavin instead of letting the bugs eat them all.

Sigh.

The only mystery now is what culinary masterpiece it will contribute to.

Or should I eat it on it's own? As a sort of thank you/sorry-for-calling-you-a-weed/tribute.

Any suggestions?

Late Spring

Doesn't Owen look miniature in this picture?

He and I took a wonderful walk earlier this week. We stopped to watch ants carry food across the path. Picked up flower petals and smelled them. Stuck sticks in the ground to mark a 'garden' plot. Biked 'fast' down a small hill (he made me go a few feet ahead of him to 'catch' him as he glided). We heard a branch fall from a tree and he hiked into the woods to put it back on.

I love the 'Oh! Look at dat, Mommy!' moments with my little partner. He is so insistent that I appreciate the specialness of whatever has caught his interest. Repeating the command to look, "see dat? see dat, Mama? see dat?"

He'll ask a question and then absorb the answer, usually with a 'huh?' to hold the space while he thinks. Shortly after he usually returns with, "ohhhhh" and repeats my answer to clarify.

It's been hard for both of us to be mostly confined to the living room during the last two weeks of potty training. Going outside again was like a revelation for both of us. The world looks so different, so alive. It's amazing what two weeks of growth (and rain) can do. Glad I have a pair of fresh eyes to help me catch everything.

Dirt

Good thing I had my camera ready to capture my mothering tip #1.  

Let your children eat dirt.  

Feed it to them if necessary. 

1) it boosts their immune system

2) more importantly, it makes regular food, like green beans, taste amazing

It's my secret to a happy mealtime.  

Baltimore Spring

Patterson Park walk to work.  

DC is Beautiful

Especially in the spring.

Owen and I spent time on the Mall today lounging in the sun and stretching out little baby legs after subjecting them to some vaccinations (ouch!)

It was amazing.

If you have never been to DC in the spring please try.  Come during the peak cherry blossoms.  There will be no parking and people everywhere but the puffy pink clouds resting on every tree in sight makes it totally worth it.

I love being in school and contributing to work that helps people but there is NOTHING, nothing, nothing, nothing like spending time with the people I love most and watching this little guy grow.  

Spring!

Spring!  It's amazing how quickly the green sneaks up on you. I've been watching the trees bud slowly - tracking the progress by an early-budding beech outside my window - but yesterday when I was out for a little hike it hit me full on.  The ground in the forest was green with vines and small bushy things, the air was cool but not cold, the car was warmed from sitting in the sun - all sure fire signs of the changing season.  

I'm trying to expose Owen to as much spring as possible.  He won't remember anything but I'm hoping it will subliminally instill in him a love for the outdoors.  Sneaky, right?