7 Quick Takes Friday, #11

1. For this week's quick takes, I've got a lot of pictures. It was such a beautiful week, that we spent a lot of time outside.

The first thing we got accomplished was planting our veggies in the raised bed. At the "seed store," as Mia called it, we got some great advice and help from the staff who went out of their way to teach me a thing or forty about growing vegetables. We came away with carrots, beans, tomatoes, red bell peppers, cabbage, and broccoli.

Mia insisted on the cabbage, for reasons unknown to me. She's never liked it, except to point them out in the store. They are huge...and round...and therefore they are interesting? Maybe seeing them grow will make her more agreeable to actually eating cabbage.

And for the broccoli, we got it planted so late in the season that it may or may not grow well. Since it's a colder crop and we're getting into the warmer days, we may have missed our chance. But the little plants were sitting on the counter so innocently, not knowing yet that they'd soon be destined for the compost heap, and I thought what the heck. So we're giving them a shot.

2. In honor of Earth Day, we had a picnic. Rather, in honor of a day that's pretty enough to be outside, we couldn't stay inside. So I popped the picnic idea to Mia and she was more than happy to oblige. The girls sat in the shade for quite a while so I could gather our food. It never fails to give me warm fuzzies when they play together so sweetly.

And surprisingly enough, Lauren sat still for the whole lunch. It shouldn't really be surprising - she's an amazingly thorough eater.

But when she finished eating, she went off to bring us some lovely spring blooms. Sweet girl.

3. One of the most exciting parts of our week has been our new swing set! The night it was being built, we kept taking breaks in the bedtime routine to go peek at the progress and congratulate the workers on their 'great job.' Mia was very encouraging.

The next morning (after swinging and sliding all night in her dreams, I imagine) Mia went outside as soon as her cereal was eaten and got down to business. She is beyond happy with our new toy.

4. The fajitas I made last night turned out really good, surprisingly enough. I prepared a plate minus cheese for Mia, knowing that the presence of anything white, yellow, or melty on her plate would cause a tantrum. She has hated cheese for so long that I can't even remember a time when she's willingly eaten it. As a baby she tolerated cheese, before snubbing it altogether. This dislike of cheese is one of the many reasons I stare at her in bewilderment from time to time. Not like cheese? You serious, Clark?

Last night, however, was a slight breakthrough. Seeing a pile of shredded cheese on her sister's plate, Mia politely asked for a pile of her own. She declared it 'delicious' and ate quite a lot. I did a little dance for joy, while Justin and Lauren stared on in disbelief (at my dancing skills, not Mia's cheese-eating skills, I think). Mia was oblivious due to her new found love: fancy shredded colby-jack.

5. I was talking to my friend Jill a few days ago about the appetites of our children. It amazes me how much Lauren can eat. She shovels food in like it's the last food on the face of the earth, asking for more when I'm sure her little belly is stretched to it's limits. This morning she had a large bowl of cereal, an entire nectarine, and a pile of cheerios. All of this after she'd nursed. She just loves food.

Mia, on the other hand, has adopted the eating habits of many toddlers her age. We often have to beg and plead with her to eat - even if it's something she loves. She gets so consumed with whatever game she's pretending at the moment, and doesn't feel the need to eat. Her fork will become a slide on which the carrots want to play; her cup becomes a trampoline. When those things are taken away, her index finger becomes a monkey, dancing out of reach of the alligator lounging on her plate. It's never ending. With all this fun going on in her growing mind, how could she possibly hit pause long enough to fill up with healthy food?

6. I've been reading The Count of Monte Cristo for a few days now, and may I just say: Wowza. I'm loving it. I've seen the movie and enjoyed it, but the book has so much more detail and emotion. It's wonderful. Isn't this the case with all movies that are based on books? Have you ever read a book, seen the movie, and then preferred the movie experience? I can't think of any instances where I haven't liked the book better.

7. This morning, Mia woke up before Justin or I had gotten out of bed. This is happening more and more frequently. (Not because we're sleeping later, sadly, but because she's waking earlier.) She used to play in her room for the longest time before coming out into the house, but now she's discovered the excitement of opening her own door and coming to snuggle with us for a few minutes.

For the purposes of this story I should also mention that she's very aware of smells, and whenever anyone has bad breath in the morning she kindly alerts them to their folly. She calls it "the yucky." Sometimes she'll even fetch the offender a cup of water to help remedy the situation. She's always startled when she wakes up having the yucky in her own mouth. It's quite a rude awakening.

So this morning as she lay sandwiched between us, she happened to be facing Jusin. After they had snuggled for a second, she lifted up and said, "OH! Daddy has the yucky!! I have to back AWAY!" At which point she arched her back as far away from him as she could, while still facing him.

I can only assume she knew the yucky would be far worse if she turned over to face me. She is a smart girl.

Enjoy your weekend, and head over to Jen's for more quick takes.