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My parents and younger sister were here visiting all last week. It was super super hot, so we did a lot of indoor things and splashed in the big fountain at Sawyer Point. But we didn't take many pictures. Or at least Teresa hasn't e-mailed them to me yet. By far the most exciting event of their stay happened on the Fourth of July. A power line burst and was shooting sparks all over the sidewalk directly in front of our house. Our guardian angels were taking care of us, and our neighbor's bushes, which miraculously did not go up in flames in the heat and dry weather. But that wasn't the most exciting part. The exciting part was that there were fire trucks, police cars, and power company trucks all RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE!!! Then the line burst again and they all came back!
This photo is after a solid hour of truck watching. We couldn't tear Anthony away.
Aunt Teresa. Anthony calls her "Essa." Now so do I.
I took Anthony to see even MORE TRUCKS this week. A nearby township hosted "Touch a Truck." Kids can climb onto garbage trucks, construction vehicles, a city bus, a Medivac helicopter, a fire truck, etc. There were probably about 20 vehicles. And 200 charged up preschool boys.
2 1/2 months old!
I've noticed that I'm in much better shape now than I ever was before children, even though I used to conscientiously work out then and never now. I'll spare you the photographic evidence, but certain areas of flab I thought were just facts of life are gone! It could have something to do with the daily walks/trots around the neignborhood wearing the baby and either chasing Anthony or pulling him in the wagon. Or bringing the dirty laundry down two flights, a clean load up two flights, back down one then right back up again because I forgot something, then back down, then up again because the baby's awake. Or scrubbing the dried-up jelly off the chairs. I could do a whole post about how motherhood IS exercise.
Eight cucumbers today! And lots lots more coming very soon. I need to learn how to make pickles, and fast.
We had a great summer menu last night: Grilled porkchops and peaches, corn on the cob, cole slaw, and watermelon salad. The watermelon salad is a recipe from my mother-in-law. All it is is watermelon chunks, a handful of chopped parsley, feta cheese, toasted pine nuts, and a splash of lemon juice. Fabulous. Tonight will be chilled cucumber soup.
Here's another quote from Abandonment to Divine Providence. This one hit me hard yesterday:
"Faith is the mother of sweetness, confidence, and joy. It cannot help feeling tenderness and compassion for its enemies by whose means it is so immeasurably enriched. The greater the harshness and severity of the creature, the greater by the operation of God, is the advantage to the soul. While the human instrument strives to do harm, the divine Workman in whose hands it is, makes use of its very malice to remove from the soul all that might be prejudicial to it."Jean-Pierre De Caussade is a genius. The first line is a good litmus test to see if I am really trusting in God: Where am I on the "sweetness, confidence, and joy" scale?
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That watermelon salad sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteAnd kudos to you on being in good shape ... I have flab that never existed before pregnancy that I assumed would just sort of keep falling away as I breastfed, but I think it's here to stay unless I do something about it. :-P Kind of tough for me, since I hate exercising--and have never really had to! But maybe I will get in better shape once Michael starts moving. ;)
The baby pooch is still there, if that's what you mean. We might lose the baby weight, but our bodies are forever "motherly." :)
DeleteDon't despair yet! You are still in early days. I didn't start to lose weight until Pippa was like nine months old, but then it happened very quickly, and I now weigh ten pounds less than I did when I became pregnant! It was like there was a click and my body decided it was ok not to hold onto the fat, that my baby was going to be ok. Studies have shown that it's the second six months of breastfeeding that make the biggest difference in terms of weight loss.
DeleteI love that truck watching picture. He's got this total zombie TRUUUUUUUCKS expression.
My goodness, she's getting big! And her hair has gotten so light! Love the photos :-)
ReplyDeleteA day as a mother is a workout in itself. :)
ReplyDeleteI've been doing a lot of grilled peaches this summer. They're so delicious. The watermelon salad sounds amazing. I will have to try that once I get some pine nuts.
And wow-what did you do right with your cucumbers? Mine made 2" long fruits and then the plants began to yellow and die, no matter how much water I gave them. I'm sad. Here's a lazy secret for pickles: keep the Claussen pickle juice and stuff your own cukes, cut into spears, into the jar with it. In a week or less they'll taste just like Claussen. You can do that over and over until you run out of juice. I have even been known to add a vinegar/water solution to it to stretch it. Do you do cucumber salad? It's the easiest thing to make with cukes, and it never gets old. Just slice them thinly, and toss them with salt & pepper, sugar and vinegar.
I would have never thought of doing that with pickle juice! Thanks.
DeleteI have no idea why our cucumbers are doing so well. Probably the same reason our peppers didn't. If we get a bunch this weekend like I think we will I'll bring you some on Sunday.
I find it hard to believe that you ever had much in the way of "flab"! But I hope I can say the same about being in better shape than ever after this baby comes. I know I've definitely gained less weight this time around, and I attribute it to having a toddler to chase after during the whole pregnancy.
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