Sunday, February 28, 2010

The Wall, Take 2


We've been able to find some time over the past month to continue work on our big backyard project, the wall. Here's how it looks now.







Garden fever!


Portland had some unseasonably warm weather this February. Cherry trees, crocus, daffodils, quince, even some flowering currants have burst into bloom. We all have spring fever and garden fever as well! Gretel is watching curiously as our seeds germinate in the bedroom window and the stacks of seed catalogs get a 4th and 5th look. Above are Gretel and Pops next to the baby spinach, salad greens and mache growing in our cold frame. The front beds will hold most of our greens this spring as the back yard is still not quite ready for our beds. (We did manage to plant enough peas back there to feed the whole city though!)


Thursday, February 4, 2010

Keep on movin'

Yes folks we have a crawler. Gretel has been been sitting up for a couple of weeks, and now is crawling like a champ (I can tell already I am going to regret saying that).
She is motoring all around the house and we have been steadily staying 'step' ahead with the baby proofing.

Here are some action shots:

Gretel 'on patrol' in the dining room. Pops thinks she looks a lot like her Momma in this one...

She discovered the broom behind the fridge yesterday and of course immediately started doing chores around the house...

Her 'Exersaucer' is more like a jungle gym these days...



Adventures in Solid Food

We are officially into the wild world of eating solid food! We are happy to report that Gretel likes just about everything. She seems to be especially excited about many veggies that plenty of adults don't really like...
Spinach, broccoli, peas, corn, beets, okra, yams, squash, cauliflower and of course brussel sprouts.

We are hopeful this will last, but I am sure it won't be long at all until she will be hiding her peas under her plate!

She will put back Joes O's (Cheerios) until the cows come home and of course gets lots of rice cereal for all that iron a growing girl needs!


Beets. Need we say more?

No really... she does like Okra.


Play Time...

Gretel never shys away from a good session of playing with her toys in the living room...

Here are a few of the latest:

Spilling out her toy basket with her trusty side kick Alistair...

After bath time! (especially fun)

The empty egg carton is a big favorite.

Alistair, Mamma and the June Bug before bed time...






World of Books


Here is Mama Liesl and Gretel enjoying Grammy Liz's wonderful collection of garden books.

Lackaff Gathering

In Late January much of the Portland area Lackaff family got together at Pete and Barbara's house for nice catching up...


Gretel got to meet some her relatives for the first time! Here she is sitting on her Great Aunt Annie's lap. Gretel was great after spending a bit of the day in the car coming home from Eugene.
Gretel with (one of) her Great Aunt Barbara and cousin Tom.

Great company and conversation. We had not seen many of the Lackaff's since our wedding a few years ago. Casey chatting with cousin Dave about his new airplane...

We look forward to another Lackaff gathering again soon!