Things I've Learned This Summer- A Summer Summary

We're back!  I'm typing to you from my new laptop- a tiny little 11" beauty that will soon be outfitted with covers and protectors on almost every inch, and will never, ever, ever be placed on the same table as a glass of water.  

After a few weeks of being unintentionally unplugged, and with Labor Day approaching, I thought a list of things I've learned this summer felt really appropriate.  Hope you enjoy catching up with our new knowledge as much as we've enjoyed our summer. 

This summer, I learned...

How to carry Etta in a woven wrap on my back.

Younger siblings really do reach some milestones more quickly than their older siblings- like pulling up to standing.  Wow, Etta.

When fishing in Prospect Park, you're more likely to catch turtles than fish.

Target is always hot.  The local grocery store is always cold.  I should dress us appropriately.

Although it may sound counterintuitive, the more people who share an air mattress, the easier it is to sleep.

Real men wear non-toxic blue toe nail polish.

Each adult entering a NYC public pool is required to have a padlock, and all children under 4 need to wear a swim diaper.

This recipe for coconut flour zucchini bread is just as good as regular zucchini bread.  Really!  (Cook's note: drain the shredded zucchini first and add a generous amount of dark chocolate chips.)

Tye thinks I look like this- and, apparently, that I have a mustache.

Any chux absorbable pads left over from a home birth make easy toddler mattress protectors.

Cheap travel spray bottles from Target make awesome replacements for water guns.

Breastfed baby sweat smells strikingly similar to breastfed baby poop (at least, Etta's does- do I just have a stinky baby?).

The Bronx Zoo's Asia Monorail ride provides the perfect opportunity for a 20 minute nap.

BabyLegs makes mesh versions with SPF to keep baby's legs cool and protected.  Genius!

No matter how many flavors of ice cream she tries, Tye's favorite is always "white."

Hot dogs are delicious- when they come from our CSA and are made from local 100% grass-fed beef.

It wasn't that Etta didn't like baths or water.  She just didn't have the right company until recently.

Stonyfield Farms Yogurt Squeezers, those plastic tubes of yogurt marketed to kids, can be frozen to make super easy frozen yogurt popsicles that happen to be Tye's favorite food right now.

Cornstarch and water, combined to form that solid/liquid goo, keeps Tye entertained for literally hours- but some will always end up in her mouth, so spending money on organic is justified.

The wine fridge makes a great overflow storage option for farm share vegetables that won't fit in our compact kitchen refrigerator.

Sometimes the hardest part of toilet training a toddler is convincing her wiping is an important step.

This tree is called a Rose of Sharon and is a type of hibiscus tree that thrives in urban (read: poor) environmental conditions.  We have four in our backyard and they are blooming all over Brooklyn.

During early summer, Rose of Sharon trees attract aphids, which attract ladybugs.  Ladybug larvae do not survive in bug jars, even when supplied with aphids.

Lightning bugs do survive in bug jars, for over 24 hours if supplied with a variety of leafy herbs from the garden.

Tye's favorite playground doesn't have a slide or swings.  Just bars to climb.

And, I saved the best for last---  I'm going to have a niece!  And Tye and Etta are going to have a cousin!!!  Tyler's sister is due with a girl in December.  This little girl is already a member of our family and we can't wait to meet her.  I'll finally be Auntie Em!