Nesting!

As we approach our baby's August 22 due date, we are also awaiting some unknown due dates, as there are some other expectant mothers at our house...


Here is Soozie Duck, nesting alongside our old kitchen sink (we thought it would make a nice nesting box, but she did not). The females don't escape from the pen anymore, as they are content to lay around on their eggs, only leaving long enough to get some food and water occasionally. We only have three females left (one got sick or poisoned), and the eggs are kind of community property, with two of the moms sitting on adjacent nests.

We are wondering who will be first, us with our baby, or the ducklings.

We've been busy on our myriad projects and jobs, and especially were getting ready for an upcoming visit from Grandma and Grandpa Klein, so attempts were made to clean up, and everyone had something to do. Here are the little boys doing "furniture diving"


Since our our kitchen is so lacking in cabinets, most of its furniture is freestanding stuff from garage sales. Actually, this is nice, because you can move it around wherever you want to put it (like they do alot in Mexico). However, stuff accumulates, so its good to regularly clean out underneath it. You find utensils, pens, hardware, the occasional banana peel, the occasional undergarment, etc.

If you've got bandwidth, here is the video, so you can see what childlike fun really is...

So, everyone was pretty busy, but some of the older kids were just standing around for a long time...


After the Kleins' visit here last year, we were really hoping to make some headway in the kitchen. We are afraid poor Grandma had nightmares about our old counter/sink! Before that could get done, we had to attach the matching backsplash against the wall. The material had to be clamped for a while, so the adhesive would take.

Zak really pushed on getting the counters done and finished hours before the grandparents arrival...


This is the long, L counter, upside down. To help conceal the uneven floor, we made the sides extra deep, or tall..

Zak has studied up on making countertops so much, he could probably do it in his sleep. First you glue on the edge pieces and trim them with a router.


Since they were working with contact cement, we did most everything outside.


And here you go! The formica pattern was chosen to match the floor model sink we already had. The counters around the sink will be tricky, but the main counter was done! You can just make out the sink in the background hopefully. The installation of that will make this seem like a brand new house to us!

The garden has been growing like gangbusters, but production seems a little behind last year. We are thinking that the bees are just not doing their thing. Our cucumbers have produced zero, even though they are vigorous and flowering. Tomatoes are growing, but not prolifically. The green beans and snow peas have done well though.


Zucchinis are doing well, and we have three rows of them! But I think even they are not producing like last year. Our favorite zuke dish is to dice them up and put them out in the bus, in our big roaster oven, mixed with basil, garlic, onion, chopped pepperoni, diced tomatoes, and some oil. We stir it every 20 minutes or so until done (375?). Then we drain it and top it with mozzarella. Its yum!

And of course, we have made a few loaves of zucchini bread.

Green beans are Mommy's favorite, eaten fresh and raw of course. Why anyone cooks them, I will never understand. Most of the little kids now eat them raw too. Delicious! But we are trying to save some for freezing too.

Well, more on baby soon! I am just trying to deal with all these pixels!