Getting embarrassing

I'd say I meant to post last night, but that would be a bold-faced lie. Phil got home from the Pinball Wizards convention at a little past 6 last night (pictures can be found here, if you're interested in about a zillion shots of pinball playfields, backglasses, and assorted gizmos and doohickies). The kids and I were at Kate-the-Enabler's house by then (they took pity on us, God bless and keep them for ever and ever). We had a very impromptu dinner with them (thanks again guys!), and by the time we got home and the kids were in bed I was so tired that I could barely focus on my knitting. I eventually gave up, invited our dog J-B to come up on the couch with me for a snuggle, and promptly fell asleep on the couch.

So how was everyone's weekend? Didja knit? Garden? Read? I was full of good intentions in the gardening department, but time just got away from me, you know? I did manage to clear out the vegetable patch yesterday afternoon, put in some compost and more earth, so that'll be ready for seeds next weekend. Working in the garden with the kids is actually pretty easy if, you know, messy. They just sit right there with me, preferably next to the dirt as opposed to right IN it, and dig away, happy as clams. I enjoy it, despite the messy.

We also planted some alpine strawberries in a flower box, and I'm very excited to see how they turn out. I've still got 6 plants left, so I'll either get another box, or I'll plant them in the front yard. There's an area next to the steps that I think would be great for strawberries, it's contained and gets good sun exposure. But 2 things have got me worried, the first being a chipmunk that has set up shop right in that spot, underneath the steps. Will he eat all the berries? Dig them up? I'm also worried about the bands of pre-adolescents that roam our streets during lunchtime in our neighbourhood (there's a junior highschool not far from my house). They can be pretty rambunctious, and I don't think they'd feel any qualms about stripping my precious strawberry plants of all their fruit.

*Sigh* Every year I hatch all these grandiose plans for my small vegetable garden and flower beds, and never quite manage to follow them through to the end. Small bites, right? That's what I need to do, focus on little, manageable, attainable goals.

I'll leave you with this picture of my little man, Maxime, taken by his grandfather this weekend (he's an awesome photoggrapher, you can check out some of his other work here).

Émilie likes to play with balloons, and she'd rather blow them up herself then get them already inflated. And of course Maxime, the little monkey that he is, has to do everything the way she does it, right? (I don't let him play with them unsupervised, don't worry!).

Happy Knitting Everyone!