A different kind of Monday...

Mondays in summertime have a totally different feeling than Mondays during the school year. Today has been a different day all together, as it is pretty overcast, and mild as far as heat goes. Actually, it was pretty chilly. Whatever. It's summer, and I was actually thankful for the break in sunshine activities as I am recovering from a wicked sunburn from last week.
I am having a cup of tea and a reflective moment right now, as Hannah is having her SECOND nap today! Oh bliss.
Here's how she got so tired:
After a normal morning playing in the house, she took a short nap on our way up to Bella Terra in HB. We shopped and had lunch at Daphne's and then headed home.
Then, she helped me with laundry. Following my directions, she put a whole load of diapers in the dryer, with no help! Seriously, all I did was push the right buttons to start the machine (she actually pushed the big start button). I was so proud of her. I think this is the start of something good!
Then, she saw her sandtoys. And after being such a great helper, I had to reward her (though I was already planning on going after switching the laundry. She thought it was a reward. Sweet.)
Packed up the toys, took off for the park. It is cool and not many people are out in the park. She drops the sandtoys and heads off for her favorite thing: the red ladder to climb. It's four rungs tall, and with my help, she gets to the top, and goes down the slide. What a big girl. I was so proud.
Then she heads over to where the big kids are playing. There is this U-shaped ladder that she loves and I have no idea how old she'll be when she learns to climb it, but she is determined. Tries every time we go to the park. Today, I show her again, how to use her hands and feet to move across the bottom part, and as it turns to the vertical section, something in her head just clicked. She got it, and totally took off climbing. I thought, great, she'll go one or two rungs. No problem. Except she kept going. She got to the top. Now I wanted her to stop. But I was trying to decide the safest way to stop her, and she was still climbing. I wanted to be behind her on the ladder and below her at the same time, and if the other mom sees her fall off this thing, I am going to look so stupid and how am I going to explain this in the emergency room? And I was reaching as I as I could, and a little girl was watching from the top. I also wanted to be there. Helplessly, I asked her to hold Hannah's hand. Hannah stepped confidently from the ladder to the platform, as if she did this every day, and then she turned around: I have never seen her look prouder. Even when she first started walking. She then wanted to go down the big swirly slide all by herself. This would have been my picture of the day, had I not been so petrified and holding on to her for dear life.
Hannah went on to play with her new friends. They continued to climb and slide, they went with us to get water, played in the teeny tiny club house, built sandcastles and pushed her on the swings. They thought she was so cool, and I thought they were so sweet for taking the time to play with her. It sure made our day special... Hannah was a big girl for a day. I love watching her make friends. I am so thankful for this very special afternoon.
And now, I look forward to piyo. I love Mondays in summertime!

it smells great around here!

my favorite spot in the whole house is at the kitchen sink. it's also my most frequent spot in the whole house. thankfully, it usually smells like my kitchen favorites: hazelnut coffee, yummy things simmering on the stove, and basil from the window.
now, it smells like CHOCOLATE MINT. yes, like mint chip ice cream. in my window!

today was a special day. micah and i FINALLY planted the veggie garden i have been dreaming of since, well, always! but specifically, i've been planning this little tiny spot in our garden for like, two years now. we've made LOTS of progress on the rest of the backyard, but i have been waiting and WAITING to get my veggies in the ground, and tomorrow was going to be the day, but after my gardener's date with Micah at Green Thumb (we held hands and pulled little red wagons!) i could not wait to get these things in the ground! so i planted until the sun went down, and then some!

It's all done, and I feel like tomorrow is Christmas morning. I can't wait to get up and get my coffee and just watch my plants grow!
We've got:
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Basil (more of it, I can't get enough of that smell! But, maybe we have enough now)
A tabasco pepper
Pole Beans
and Strawberries!
In separate pots: all the yummy smells... a sweet lime tree, lemon balm, and the CHOCOLATE MINT.

Most of these plants will be producing in 52 days or so. August 12. I really shouldn't have counted those days. That's just before school is officially back in session, and I'll already be in meetings...Well, that's a lot of days, anyhow!

On a lighter note, here's a fun fact: Now that we are realizing that I have a mini basil farm (seriously, nine plants in all!) we are learning new ways to use it. Micah just threw the trimmings down the garbage disposal while he was cleaning up, and our kitchen smells delightfully refreshing!

Oh and one more quick note: An ode to the poinsettia. After 4 years in our kitchen window, Micah finally acknowledged that the plant is probably dead, and threw it away.
It was the most well loved poinsettia EVER. Micah faithfully waited for that plant to bloom every Christmas. I am sure he is secretly wondering if we perhaps threw it away too soon. Consequently, it's time for me to take down the Advent Calendar. Christmas season has officially passed at the Nourse home for this year, I guess.

ten things.

I love summer. I don't know if it's because I have a bit more time to enjoy life, but it seems like things make me so much happier!
Here are ten things making me happy lately:
1. The way Hannah says "Hi!" and knows it is SO CUTE.
2. Laying out in the sun.
3. Dreaming of our soon-to-be veggie patch.
4. Sesame Street, and the time it affords me to get ready in the morning!
5. Hawaiian hazelnut coffee in the morning.
6. Watching the birds through my daughter's eyes.
7. Making Micah laugh.
8. Reading bedtime stories.
9. The hum of my sewing machine.
10. Eating dinner outside!
and p.s. I didn't come up with this idea on my own. Saw it on one of my other favorite blogs:http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/

FIRST DAY of SUMMER!

While we wait for the June Gloom to burn off today, we are going to the library. My little bookworm needs some new books to read.
So far, we love:
Anything by Dr. Seuss. (In English or Spanish. It still rhymes!)
Harold and the Purple Crayon.
Buenas Noches Gorila.
Anything by Sandra Boynton, especially Moo,Baa,LaLaLa and Buenas Noches a Todos.
Buenas Noches Luna.
Are You my Mother?
Mommy Hugs
and
Peek a Boo I Love You.
There are lots of books about bed time here. I think we need to read some things about when we are awake.
Any suggestions?

And that's all she wrote for 2009-2010...

Last day of work for this year!!! Yessssssss.
When I have to be at school at 8am, I feel like I have HOURS to get ready in the morning. I slept in. Took a shower. Did makeup. Made breakfast and drank my coffee AT HOME. Then I left for school and still made it in time. A-mazing. SO much more time! I could do this every day...
Started off with a meeting, and then Super-Micah arrived with Hannah (diaper bag packed and pack-n-play in tow). She LOVES to come to school. And do LAPS of the hallway. She makes her rounds, and greets everyone she meets. Tries to open the occasional locker.
After a lap around the school and some Spanish stories, Hannah took a LONG nap in the pack and play. Like an hour and a half. I turned on the music and tapped away on the laptop. Business, taken care of. Then, she watched the favorite Baby Neptune video (see picture) and I did some light clean-up and we spent some time just visiting around campus until 3pm, my hour of freedom!!
I was so proud of my little family, and how both Micah and Hannah were so instrumental in finishing up my year well today.
Then, Hannah's tooth pain kicked in, and I realized that I was WIPED OUT. So, we went home and RESTED. Sort of.
So, tomorrow is the first day of summer. Ahhhhh... it's finally here.

why didn't i think of this?

www.travelingtea.org
I'm parked next to her in the Joann's parking lot. Now that I have a full-blown Blackberry addiction, I had to check out the link immediately. So cute, and so girly. I'm pretty sure I like tea parties more than the average girl, probably because I like tea more than the average american. To be honest, tea parties are something I've been very much looking forward to with Hannah since Day 1. We've already had a couple. So far, they were pretty messy instead of pretty cute. But we're getting there. Someday, I'll have tea parties like this for her and her little amigas. For now I will just dream. And save this link for ideas. Yay for tea parties!

my toes are dreaming...

of silver tom's.
i wore heels last night. there's a reason i normally don't do that.
saw a girl who was wisely wearing the gold ones instead of my heels.
reminded me of the silver ones i REALLY like.
i love these shoes. like happy comfy disco decor for my feet.
Tom's is now making SUPER cute wedges, too, but after last night, flats only for me. (for a while.i always forget)

Hannah's June 3!

It is starting to feel a lot like summer around here.
I love my days with my little girl.
I still had some stuff to wrap up at the end of the school year, so after breakfast, we headed over to the school to help a student make up a test. Hannah is so sweet about visiting everyone at school, and totally enjoys cruising the hallways with all the BIG kids! (I thought all the noise would scare her, but actually, she loves it!)
Thankfully she had a great nap on the way home, freeing up some time for me to get ready for graduation: hair, nails and skin!
I had so much fun doing hair, I decided to do some pigtails in Hannah's hair! Too cute with the little curls!
Then we headed out to the park. Her favorite. And she is my favorite in her little pink Barbie glasses, cruising with her sand bucket!
We had the playground to ourselves...probably because it's hot. You know it's hot when Hannah is blowing on the slide!
So then, I taught her to how to RUN with me to the water fountain to get some water for her very first sandcastle. She LOVED crushing them, right after we built them! Every time!
After our playtime in the park, it was time for a rest. Hannah watched some Baby Einstein, and cuddled with me on the couch while I put makeup on for graduation. She's the best. It was fun to get pretty today, and it was pretty much the highlight of my day that she was so content to just sit with me!
It's as if she knows today is different somehow. Like she KNOWS it's summer!