Half Way There

That's right, I'm half way done with writing my dissertation! Or at least with the initial draft, anyways. And I need a break. I finished an intensive chapter last night and was planning on moving right along to the next this morning, but I just can't. And I've neglected my blog for so long, I think it would only be just if I took a brain break and wrote about something that doesn't require quite so much analysis. (This was written over a week ago and I'm actually just about done with another chapter - yay!)

Digging up the grass to prepare the garden.

I've wanted to write about our garden for a long time. I had wanted to transform a small part of our back yard into something more interactive for a long time, which usually means that I throw ideas out there and get frustrated that they don't magically come to fruition. One day, I realized I just had to start. We had an area in our yard that just didn't keep grass well, despite having it all replaced several years ago and having regular maintenance. It was a combination of weeds and lots of bald spots, and while I really don't care so much about having nice grass, I thought it would be nice to try out a bigger garden area there. We didn't want to plant things in the ground there since the grass never did well, so we decided to cover the whole area with mulch. I ordered 40 bags of mulch and began the task of removing all the grass and weeds in that area. I bought an adult and child sized hoe and told the girls what we needed to do. It took a few days, but we eventually cleared everything away and dumped all that mulch on the ground (And guess what? We already have weeds growing through it!).

Painting the pallet.

Fairy garden and house.

I had a small container garden in a different area outside, so I moved all of those over, along with our old mailbox we painted pink and turned into a planter, a few yard ornaments like our little gnome and bird, and some large planters that I got from my mom when she and Brian moved out of their house. We kept the pallet that our mulch came in on, as I had seen lots of ideas for using those in the garden. I decided on a project I saw for painting it rainbow colors and hanging small pots from the slats to create an herb garden. Gabe ordered a raised bed, which we put together and planted some herbs, vegetables and fruits. I tried to follow a companion planting scheme, which is supposed to help deter certain pests (by using flowers like marigolds and nasturtiums), and provide some kind of nutrient exchange among the plants that is beneficial. We also created a fairy garden for the girls - because they're all the rage now - by using a large galvanized tub, filling it with dirt and some succulents, and adding some little fairies and other accessories to create a tiny fantasy world. Evie and Eleanora made some things out of polymer clay, like a little pond that fills up with water when it rains, some flowers and bugs, and other random things that I can't even really figure out. I made a fairy house out of recycled and natural materials (aside from the toxic glue I used to adhere the stones to the sides). They don't exactly play with it a lot, but they check on it a lot and show it to people a lot. Maybe when the weather is cooler? I also got an A-frame trellis with the idea of creating a little hideaway or reading space for the girls, or just a pretty area. I planted bougainvillea on one side and cucumbers on the other. The cucumbers took off and grew huge, beautiful leafs and climbed with their little tentacles, but it ultimately showed signs of a virus, and we had to pull them out so other plants didn't get infected. Finally, I wanted some seating, so we got some colorful and cheap Adirondack style chairs and put a citronella plant right in between them in the hopes it will keep away mosquitoes. Oh, and there is a small "rock garden," which really is just an area around our palm tree that I put a bunch of cut marble rocks, but it now also has some pine cones and some painted rocks we all made.

Preparing the raised bed for square foot gardening.

 It was a lot of work, but a lot of it happened piece by piece, and it was also enjoyable and even relaxing. It was wonderful to see an idea through. I can't say that a lot of the produce was successful though. I attempted to use homemade pesticides for the many pests that found their way into everything, but I think a combination of planting a little too late in the year and the Florida summer just being really hard on plants led to the demise of many plants. We still have some things growing well, like mint, oregano, basil, garlic (which I planted from bulbs), onion (which I planted from scraps), and various flowers that seem to tolerate the heat well. None of our nasturtiums ever bloomed, and most have died by now, and many of the marigolds have gotten tall but not bloomed. We have one tomato growing and surviving, so I'll keep my eye on that. We will be planting new things in the fall, so hopefully we'll get a better result this time. We also have a lemon tree that I've taken great pains to care for after many of the leaves became coated in a black dust called sooty mold (I took care of that problem, but there are no blossoms on it, so I'm not sure it will produce this year), and we added some companions for the lemon tree - a loquat tree that I'm keeping in a large planter, and a calamansi tree (a Filipino fruit that is similar to a key lime). And of course, we got a compost bin and are now putting to use as many fruit and vegetable scraps and egg shells and coffee grounds that we otherwise would have thrown out. I can't say I look forward to lifting the lid and dumping rotting food into a big tub of more rotting food with bugs flying all around inside and stirring all that rot around with a pitchfork, but if it works out, it will be exciting to use the compost on our plants.

The final product.

Ladies on the beach!

In other news, we have had two vacations this summer that provide much needed family and (semi)relaxation time. Our first one was a trip to New Smyrna Beach where our mom and Brian recently moved into a new condo. They graciously slept on their boat while we all took over their condo for a few days. We did what you're supposed to do on a beach vacation - went to the beach! The stress of going to the beach with young children is seeming to ease over the years. We know how to set up our shade pretty easily now, and they don't require much but some sand and water toys. Of course, Eleanora still likes to hold an adults hand the ENTIRE time she's at the beach, but that's what's great about family vacations - there are other adults who are happy to help. Evie is very independent on the beach and does her own thing, either in the sand or the water. But when cousins are around, it's even more wonderful because they all have playmates (at least on and off) and it's so much more than what we can provide with just us parents. We all took turns cooking, we celebrated Jonathan's birthday, the girls performed for us several times, and we all painted rocks while we were there - another thing that's all the rage right now. We also slept on the boat one night, and that was really nice. The girls think it's really cool just to be on the boat; I can't wait to see their reaction when we actually go out on it one day! It was a wonderful trip, if maybe a little short.

One of the many cousin performances we were treated to.

We love waves on the east coast!

Ice cream on the strip before sunset fun.

Gabe and the little ladies jumping waves.

Some of the rocks we painted.

 We headed home and went back to reality for only a couple weeks, as it was then time for our Abella vacation - a week in the Lake of the Ozarks (that's in Missouri, in case you didn't know - I didn't at first). Gabe's brother's wife, Michelle, and her family have had a lake house in that area ever since her grandfather built it many decades ago. I don't remember ever spending time at a lake, although it's possible we went now and then when we were little. I was oddly nervous about this trip - in part because it was a new territory and I never know how my allergies and asthma will react, and also in part because it was three hours away from the major city we'd fly into (Kansas City), and it seemed like it would be in the middle of nowhere. I was prepared for the worst, imagining I'd have problems with my allergies and asthma, being in sun that I couldn't escape, and getting bug bites every day. But instead, it turned out to be pretty magical.

Fishing in jammies!

The house was beautiful inside and provided a wide view of the lake - a pretty peaceful retreat. It was nice for all the Abellas to be together, and James and Michelle marked the occasion by getting us all Abella shirts and Kansas souvenirs. On our first morning there, the girls got up and went down to the dock in their pajamas to go fishing with James and Lola. That set the tone for the rest of the stay. We stayed in almost the whole time, and there was plenty to do. The kids went out by the water a lot, with adults rotating in and out. Michelle's parents came over a few times and her dad took us out on the boat a lot, sometimes just for a cruise, and sometimes to tow some toy or another behind. We all learned that Gabe is a natural skier, after getting and staying up on his first try! The kids tried a little ski trainer - even little Eleanora. They loved riding in a big seat tube loving called Big Mabel - four at a time. Michelle gave them rides on the Sea-Doo, and all of us adults took turns on it as well (I learned that Gabe doesn't like to drive, but he went with me when I drove, even though it was really choppy out). We all took turns preparing meals and indulged in pina coladas a few times, and made two birthday cakes - one for Lolo, and one for Gabe for an early celebration. We also just hung out and played board and card games while Gabe (and sometimes James or Pete) played the ukulele and others sang along. A couple of evenings we all gathered sticks to make a fire just big enough for roasting marshmallows to make s'mores.

Music with papa.

Game time fun.

On the one day we had an outing, we went to visit a nearby cave, and the girls loved it! It was a nice little natural wonder that we don't have near us. On the final night, we did s'mores again, and the kids ran around outside playing secret spy agent while the brothers prepared fire works. We missed 4th of July fireworks in Tampa because it was so late, so it was great to give them a personal show.

A view from inside Bridal Cave.

Our one night out to eat.

Cousins!

Making s'mores at sunset.

Free spirits.

Then it was back to reality for a few more weeks of summer. We been a bit more adventurous with summer camps this year, and the girls tried a couple new half day ones in addition to our regular Montessori camp. Evie had been wanting to do gymnastics for a long time, so I signed her up for a couple of weeks over the summer, but Eleanora was too young, so she did a camp that their dance school offers. I was a little nervous because she'd be by herself, but to my surprise, Eleanora loved hers and performed proudly in an end-of-camp performance. However, Evie did not like hers. So Evie switched back to dance camp for the last week of camps, which is this week! They also tried a music camp for the first time last week, and again, I wasn't sure they'd like it because we had to get there almost an hour earlier than what we're used to, and it also went a little longer (8:15 - 1pm). But they loved it! They tried several instruments, including the ukulele, violin, piano, and drums. They did different kinds of dances, a rhythm circle, and a collaborative art/music project. Their big presentation of the week was a soundtrack to a small movie clip, where each student took part in using instruments or voices to make sounds using music editing software. Gabe and I were impressed! It seemed to really continue Evie's interest in the ukulele, which had been sparked during our Ozarks vacation. A couple days before music camp ended, Gabe worked with her to learn The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and for show and tell on the last day, she played and sang it all by herself. Of course, we were so proud.

Now, they'll be finishing their week at dance camp, and then next week we are going to squeeze in another little mini vacation for a few days in Orlando since Gabe has a work conference there. Then, school starts the following week! We're staying at the same Montessori school this year, but switching campuses since Evie will be starting an older classroom now - first through third grade. Eleanora will be in her third year of preschool (she'll do pre-k next year, and then kindergarten after that). They'll both continue dance classes, although Evie is switching from jazz to a ballet/tap combo, and Eleanora will still do a ballet/tap/acro combo.

As for me, I am very focused on finishing my dissertation, which I am aiming to defend around my birthday - the end of October. Then some more edits (and stress!), and I should have it submitted by mid November, and then graduate in December. Squee! My loose plan for afterward is to continue working where I work very part time now as a graduate assistant, but to move into a professional position doing qualitative research on families and children (what our department does). I'm also hoping to work 30 hours per week, and so far my supervisors seem open to that, but there is nothing concrete yet. Maybe that will be my next post ;).