Quotes by Mom

Remembering her traumatic experience with Altoids (which were much spicier than she expected), Filia asked, "Mom, can I PLEASE have one of those mints that make me cry?"

Cuddled up under a blanket and watching a movie with her brothers and Sis, Filia said, "This is SO much fun watching a movie with all of the girls!"

Stella made a comment about "breathing in chlorine."  Filia misheard her and broke into a verse of "Bringing in the Sheaves" which she learned from "Little House on the Prairie."

 After hearing Dad make the comment that Stella was going into high school, Filia asked in concern: "Sissy goin' away?" We reassured her that Sissy wasn't going anywhere.

Tert: "How many years are in college?"
Stella: "Two or four."
Tert: "Well...I'll take two,but if there was ONE I'd TOTALLY take that!"

Tert saw that I was falling asleep at the dinner table:  "Mommy, if I have a scary dream tonight, I will NOT disturv your sleep."  

And now for a quote at our nosy neighbor's expense...

 I was enjoying my evening walk with Stella and Filia when a lady stopped me and said, incredulously, "I just HAVE to ask...Are you having ANOTHER GIRL?!" When I told her that I didn't know this baby's gender, she just shuddered, assuring me that I'd be ripping my hair out with a 3rd kid. Stella and I cracked up, realizing that she didn't even know about the 3 rough and tumble brothers at home. My sweet, 13 year old "walking buddy" and 2 year old daughter who rides like a little doll in her stroller are the least of my concerns!

Memorial Day Cook(in)

Here are some pictures of our Memorial Day cook(in)

  

Sweet Potato Fries

 Chips, Potato Salad and Coleslaw

 Cherry Salad and Ribs ala Mom

 Corn, Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Sweet Potato Fries, Chips, Cherry Salad, Ribs, and Creme Soda=Yum!

Brownie Cupcakes with Hot Fudge and Whipped Creme Ala Stella

Gardening 2013 By: Stella

Hello Everyone!
Welcome to our gardening post for 2013.  I have a slideshow at the end with pictures, but first I'll share a little bit of our research with you.

 Above is all our plants.
I know it doesn't look like much in the picture, but the list is a little bigger ;)

Bug Repelling Flowers:

4 (6-pack) marigolds      (Plant these by the tomatoes mainly and scatter the rest)

2 (6-pack) petunias

2 (6-pack) impatiens

1 (tub) Begonia               (Plant by the broccoli/DON'T plant by the cucumbers)

1 pack sunflowers

Herbs:

1 parsley (6-pack)

1 dill (6-pack)

1 sage (tub)

3 italian basils (tubs)

1 rosemary (tub)

1 thyme (tub)

1 garlic chives (tub)

2 sage (seeds+tub)

1 cilantro (tub)

1 oregano (tub)

Tomatoes:

2 celebrity (6-pack)

1 roma (6-pack)

1 sungold (tub)

1 cherry-grape (tub)

Squash:

1 yellow (6-pack)

1 winter/butternut (6-pack)

1 zucchini (6-pack)

Pepper:

1 ace (6-pack)

1 golden summer (6-pack)

Lettuce:

1 ruby red (6-pack)

3 lettuce (6-pack)

3 mesclun seed packets

2 Salad blend lettuce packets

Beans:  (plant by potatoes)

1 purple seed packet

1 yellow seed packet

1 green seed packet

Misc:

2 cukes (6-packet)

1 broccoli (6-packet)

1 cauliflower (6-packet)

1 lb. Yukon gold seed potatoes

1 seed pack of peas

3 6-pack of flowers (whatever type we think is prettiest ;P ) for the front of the house

 It took a total of five hours! That includes tilling, weeding, planting and watering.

Here is a list of supplies:

5 bags mulch for the front/4 bags of mulch for the fence areas/2 bags mulch by garden (11 total)

1 bale hay

2 bags moo mix

2 large canvas bags for lettuce

Plastic flower pots

Landscapers’ canvas and staples

Tomato cages

Garden stakes

Manure

Compost

Gas for tiller

(and the above plants)

Want to know how to plant potatoes? Look no further! Here is a simple, quick way to grow potatoes:

Choose egg size tubers or cut larger potatoes into two or three seed pieces, each with an "eye" or sprout. Make cuts the day before planting and let the cut surfaces dry or "heal" at room temperature overnight.

Loose, well-drained soil with a generous amount of organic material is ideal for potatoes. Garden compost makes an excellent soil amendment to mix in after deep digging. Compost keeps the freshly fluffed up soil from recompacting. Decide on the length of your row and dig a trench four inches deep and 12 inches wide.

Plant potatoes four-to-six weeks before the last frost which means April in the Denver area. Place seed pieces in the trench with the cut side down or orient whole potatoes with the eye facing up. Push seed one-half inch into the loose soil in the bottom of the trench and space 12 inches apart.

Fill the trench with six inches of clean, weed-free straw -- not dirt. As potato plants emerge, add another four-to-six inches of straw. Water as needed to keep the straw evenly moist, but not soggy. Do not overwater.

Straw promotes healthy plant growth, smothers weeds and protects tubers from turning green in the sunlight. The straw also acts as a mulch to keep the soil moist.

 You'll be ready to harvest in the fall.  To do so, simply reach into the straw and pull out your potatoes!

We had a lot of fun gardening as you can see from the slideshow below.  We will post more pictures soon of the plants when they're developed a bit more ;)

Click here to go to slideshow

Echo and Narcissus By: Leo

 A Myth Retold By Leo

            Echo was a beautiful nymph.  She was very fond of the woodlands and dedicated herself to their games.  Echo had but one fault-she always had the last word in any argument of conversation.  One day, while conversing, she offended Juno.  Juno punished Echo by forcing her to forfeit her voice with which Juno had been cheated. “You will, however, be permitted to use your tongue for the one purpose which you relish-,” Juno continued, “Reply. You will always have the last word, but no power to speak of your own accord.”  From that day Echo helplessly repeated the last words of any sentence.

            As Echo wandered through the woods one day, she spied Narcissus, an attractive youth, as he chased game through the hills.  She approached him quickly, waiting impatiently for him to speak.  Narcissus, having lost his hunting companions, heard the nymph and called out, “Who’s there?”

            Echo replied, “There.”

            Narcissus looked around, and seeing Echo approaching, said, “Come.”

            Helplessly, Echo replied, “Come.”

            “Stop repeating!” shouted Narcissus irritated.

            Echo powerlessly called out the same words.

            Narcissus, being a self-absorbed young man, turned angrily from this apparent mocking.  Echo sadly stole away to a cave where she faded away in despair.  Soon, the only thing that remained was her voice, which eagerly repeated the last words of any traveler who called her.  The gods on Olympus watched Narcissus as he haughtily departed.  They determined to punish the young man. 

            Narcissus wandered through the woods after his encounter with Echo when he happened upon a clear fountain.  It was unused by any beasts of the field or the forest.  The grass around it grew green and lush, and the overhanging rocks provided shade for fatigued travelers.  Narcissus, being weary and parched, bent over to drink of the cool refreshing water.  Suddenly, a majestic form appeared in the water.  Because he had never before seen his reflection, he presumed that it was a beautiful water-spirit.  Upon seeing the reflection, he fell in love with it and was unable to tear himself away.  As time passed, Narcissus pined away for lack of food and water.  After his death, the wood-nymphs prepared a funeral, but when they came for Narcissus body, it was nowhere to be found.  In its place was a beautiful flower, which forever bore the name and memory of Narcissus.

By: Leo

Age: 11 Grade: 6th