Garden Update

I last published a post about my garden at the beginning of July. These pictures were taken around the beginning of September. I hope you won't think I am bragging too much. It's just that I'm so delighted that after a poor year last year, the whole garden thing has been working this year. So here's the sum up. Thanks to lots of help from my family, especially mom, we got 4 large ziplocs of peas. I also got 8 large ziplocs of frozen raspberries, and now I'm harvesting corn, (50 bags in the freezer so far) potatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and carrots. Still to come, tomatoes and pumpkins.
I didn't keep up with the weeding nearly as well this year. I suspect I'll be paying for it next year.
It has been the strangest year for weather. It was a cool wet summer until about the middle of August. Since then, we haven't had hardly a drop of rain and it has been significantly above seasonal. Today, it got up to 34 C, which I wouldn't be surprised if that is a record! We haven't had frost yet, and I wonder how long we can go. The longer the better. But, the days are getting shorter, and even on the hot days, the nights are getting chillier.
If it weren't for the garden, I would be wishing for just one big frost. The reason is because the wasps are unbelievably bad lately! Lots of people have been stung (luckily so far no one in our family) but they are out by the thousands in the yard. I'm actually afraid to put my food and garden waste in the compost because of them, and we have been through 4 bottles of wasp killer. I don't remember them ever being this bad.



potato patch

A green pepper from my garden

Some corn from my garden. So far I have about 50 bags in the freezer and have provided corn on the cob for a couple of Sunday dinners.

Corn still growing

Corn field. This corn is about 9' high.

Tomatoes--lots of green ones, not many ripe, yet.

One of many pumpkins. the pumpkin plants seem to have taken over the garden. There should be no shortage of jack-o-lanterns and pumpkin pies this fall.

Jalapeno peppers. It's hard to tell from the picture, but they are just thick under the leaves.

Green bell peppers. Lots of them and really nice.

Back yard box garden, now filled in. I keep picking the sweet peas like Mom told me, and they keep flowering.

First Day of Preschool

Preston has been excited for weeks, even months about being able to go to preschool at the school with the big kids. I can't tell you how many days he has woken up and asked if it was preschool today. When the kids first went back to school, he packed himself a lunch too because he wanted to go, too.

Finally, the day came last Thursday when we was to go to preschool for the first time without mom. All of a sudden he was scared spitless. He whined and cried whenever I mentioned it. "I don't want to go to preschool." " I don't want to go anywhere!" He dressed himself and when I tried to change him into pants that weren't 3 inches too short, and clothes that matched, he freaked out so badly I had to give up. Same thing with combing his hair. Finally, amid his cries, I got him out the door, put his helmet on him and put him on his bike. He obediently rode over to the school, all the time whining and crying about not wanting to go.

Once he was there about 2 minutes he was fine and never looked back! While he was there, I went through his drawers and got rid of all the pants that are too short. Now, if he freaks out again and won't let me make sure he is matching, etc...at least his pants will fit!

The Last Hurrah?

Back to School

School started yesterday, August 31st, with today being the first full day. Alyssa is now a Jr. high student and has different teachers all day long. She gets to take HomeEc and Shop this year and continue with band. She is also going to keep up piano lessons and try out for some sports, starting with Volleyball. She has a locker now and was excited yesterday to buy a mirror and some pencil holders for it.

Austin is in Gr. 5 now--can you believe it--and is going to try to get himself to school as much as possible this year, rather than riding the special needs bus. He is also taking piano lessons.

Mark is in Grade three, in a manner of speaking, and continues to be cared for by Amanda, his aide from last year. He takes the special needs bus to school and stays for the full day. He has a new caregiver, Indy, who will be working with him in the evenings, as well as Shari.

Preston can't wait to start preschool next week. Last night he packed a lunch, just like the other kids. Today he wanted to play school so we worked on his alphabet. He'll be going to Tuesday/Thursday afternoon preschool.
The first week of school this year is set amid hot weather, the hottest of a very cool, wet summer. Today I practically melted mowing the grass in 30 degree temperatures!

With the kids back in school what am I going to do with all my free time????....

Human Step Stool

A few weeks ago I was at Future Shop with Rob and the kids and my dad. Dad had generously agreed to buy us a new printer and we adults were consumed with checking the options out. Meanwhile, and I found this out later, Austin and Preston were looking at video games. Preston had mentioned that he needed the bathroom, but Austin told him to hold it. Then, Austin saw a game he wanted to get a better look at, but it was up too high. So, he asked Preston if he would like to do something "fun." So he told Preston to get down on his hands and knees and Austin stepped up on his back to reach the video game. Afterward, Preston said, "That wasn't very much fun." A few minutes later, Preston peed his pants, just an aisle away from the public bathroom, that no one would take him to. On the TV show "Little People, Big World" they say that "little people can do anything other people can do, just in a different way." I guess Austin is living proof!

Great times @ Waterton

Our family went to Waterton from August 18th-20th. It was the first time we ever went on a holiday with just our family(minus Mark who was home with his caregiver), that was not for the purpose of visiting other family. It was absolutely wonderful! I have never seen better weather in Waterton—high twenties, no wind and sunny. We took our new trailer to the town site campground where we had our first experience with full hook-ups! I loved it. We could use as much power and water as we wanted and had full bathroom facilities in our trailer (the campground also had toilets and showers). We all slept comfortably in the trailer and it was easy making meals with a stove, fridge and sink.
I was really impressed with our kids, especially the boys who basically ran up Bear’s hump. Alyssa on the other hand, whined and cried and was practically hysterical. We chalked it up to her being out of shape and melodramatic, but she threw up at the top of bear’s hump and we realized that she actually had a case of the stomach flu. The next day, Alyssa did much better on the hike to Bertha Falls. In addition to the two hikes, we waded in the water at Red Rock Canyon and went to an interpretive program about bears. I think we will have to make a tradition of having an “our family only” holiday each year.



Rob and Preston at the top of Bear's hump

One of the views from the top of Bear's hump

The kids early on the hike up Bear's hump, before Alyssa turned green.

Austin and Preston--triumphant mountain climbers--at the top of Bear's hump

5 of 6 Doigs at the top of Bear's hump. We talked about getting a child backpack to carry Mark up there one day.

Rob @ Red Rock

Preston crossing the river at Red Rock

Help! We're stranded!

Red Rock. "Are you kidding? I would never tease you."

Red Rock "Yeah, right"

We say this bear from our car half way between Red Rock Canyon and the town site. We also saw a bear movie at one of the interpretive programs. Did you know that if the bear starts to eat you, he is no longer acting defensively but rather as a predator?

Bertha Falls--I would have liked this spot much better if the guard rail were lower.

Rob and Alyssa by Bertha Falls

Columbia Falls Waterslides

Alyssa coming of the River Ride slide

Rob coming of River Ride

Mom and Preston

Austin "I'm too cool for this waterslide park"

Alyssa posing for the finish!

From Aug 10-12th, we went to Kalispell to visit Rob's sister Michelle and their family. We took advantage of the good Us shopping and bought the kids' school clothes. The highlight of the trip was a day at the Big Sky Waterpark in Columbia Falls. Last year Preston was too scared to go down any slides. This year he went down the kiddie slides relatively readily, but was afraid of the bigger slides. Somehow about half way through the day, Rob got him to try one of the big green slides with him. Then for the rest of the day, it was a race to get to the top of the hill so he could go again....and again....and again....and.... It was really nice to spend time with our Hemsley cousins too!