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I like to grow things. I'm not really that good at it, but I keep trying. Chris worries about coming home and finding yet another plant. They don't always make it, but I'm getting better. We don't have a spectacular garden this year, but here are a few pictures of what is growing at our house. P.S. Kudos to anyone who can guess the book quote in the title of this post.

My uncle Kurt and Aunt Val invited us on their family vacation to Topsail Beach where they had a beach house for the week. Tiffani flew to Charlotte and we headed to the beach together last Wednesday. We had a great time reuniting with family and relaxing together on the beach. The house was lovely and we enjoyed our stay. The Stevensons brought boogie boards, so we spent a good portion of the trip trying to catch waves and playing in the ocean. Davin and Deva, my cousin Shellee's daughter, played together like little chums. We loved spending time with the Stevensons and can't wait to see them again soon. Thank you for a great trip!

I was talking to my mom the other day and our conversation went something like this: Katie: blah blah blah. Do not attack my baby! (background noise: thump, thump, clatter, slam) You crazy thing, get away! Ah, ah, ah, away away!!! (background noise: swish, swish) Davin, come here, we need to run inside, hurry, hurry. Mom: What on earth is going on?!! A massive wasp-thing was swarming around Davin as he tried to bat it away. I ran outside with a large broom, trying to swat it away and ultimately grabbed Davin and ran inside. It was by far the largest wasp I have ever seen. I called our pest control company and learned that it is called an Eastern Cicada Killer . Fortunately the wasp is harmless, though I destroyed its nest to encourage it to move elsewhere. I got a picture of the cicada killer attacking a cicada, another large creature, and it was like watching King Kong attack Godzilla. We have plenty of cicadas around the yard. At night, they sing to each other and it is almost deaf...

I am often amazed at the reaction that strangers have to two little boys in a double stroller. Many think they are darling, or at least they say so and perhaps secretly groan when they see us wheeling by. Last week I experienced both ends of the spectrum in terms of kindness to a mom with two small boys. The first experience happened when I went out to eat after picking up my sister, Tiffani, from the airport. We stopped at a pizza place that we recently discovered. The food is decent and the atmosphere is upbeat but nothing too fancy for kids, or at least I thought. Admittedly Davin can be a challenge to keep entertained in a sit-down place. I have learned to ask for the check as soon as the food is served so that we are ready to go when we are done eating. Davin was getting a little restless, as was Rowan, but nothing that was too chaotic beyond our booth. However, I kept getting the vibe that the hostess, a twenty-something female who seemed too busy to understand the meaning of the...

What goes through the brain of a toddler? Scholars, philosophers, artisans, and dreamers have been pondering this question through the ages. I have often riddled over this one for hours, wondering what the motivation is for the latest game. Today in the car (we were driving home from a trip to the beach, so our car trip was over 4 hours), Davin played a game called “I want this, I do not want this.” He was watching Curious George on a lap top and decided that he was done half-way through the movie. I turned off the movie, and then he decided I was being mean and unfair by turning off his movie, thus requesting its revival. When I asked him if he wanted the movie on, he changed his mind and informed us that he didn’t want the movie. This game went on for several minutes and included our first “If you do not stop, I will stop this car!” We did stop the car, but to no avail. The game continued on until Davin passed out from exhaustion. When he awoke 45 minutes later, he started up again a...

It's that time again, folks: football season! Well, it is almost here. We are in a new town and so we thought we would start off the season with a new experience: the local NFL team, the Panther's exhibition game against the Colts. It was our first NFL experience and we were happy to share it with our new friends, the Francoms. The fun Francoms! Pictures courtesy of Charie Francom Davin was bouncing off the walls with excitement to attend the game. However, as we started to make our ascent to the highest realm of stadium seating, the height and the noise got to him. He cried and complained for the first half and we ended up heading home early. At one point during the game, I noticed that Davin had a trickle of blood coming out of his nose. I guess they call them nosebleed seats for a reason. We had a great time despite a few mishaps. It was a lovely evening, perfect for a football game. The view from the high seats was beautiful, and we enjoyed the game with fun friends. I...

After reading my last few blog posts, I realized that perhaps I'm not being entirely accurate in my reporting. Life at the Rees house is not all glossy photographs and pleasant moments. The past few days have been particularly evident of the constant flow of chaos in our house. It all started with Monday morning. I was feeling good about our Monday morning. I got up early and was on my way. We took Chris to the office and I went home with ambitions to get things done. When we got home, Davin objected to getting out of the car. Usually I insist that he gets out, but it was a pleasant morning and I needed to do some gardening outside, so I let him stay in the car. He sat in his seat for quite awhile, just hanging out. A nagging thought popped into my head. I had some quarters in the front; Davin is clever at putting things into slots and I worried that he might try putting the quarters in the vents. I opened the door to find Davin shoving quarters in the cd player instead. "Dav...

One of my favorite aspects of living in North Carolina is going to famers’ markets. The markets have great produce picked that day from the farms, and there is nothing better than fresh produce. We hit the market on Saturday to take advantage of the multitude and variety of vendors. In addition to fruits and vegetables, the farmers sell meat, eggs, cheese, honey, baked goods, and crafts. The prices were not much cheaper than a grocery store, but the quality is amazing. Tomatoes are certainly the exception in price, at least right now. I think I go to the market just for tomatoes. We got vine ripened tomatoes for $.79 per pounds and heirloom tomatoes for $.99 per pound. I am convinced that those who claim to not like tomatoes have never really had real tomatoes. Grocery store tomatoes are only pretend tomatoes; real tomatoes, ripened to perfection by the sun, burst with flavor. There is something about the warm rays that carmelize the sugars in a tomato, accentuating the flavor to the n...

Rowan’s first two teeth have arrived, two little pearls in his mandible officially known as central incisors. It is a good thing that Rowan has teeth because he loves to eat. In addition to being a healthy nurser, he enjoys a wide variety of foods. Some of his favorites include several fruits and veggies, humus, ham, eggs, cheese, yogurt, bread, oatmeal, and the occasional top sirloin. He loves cold water, refrigerated if possible, and a little juice for a treat. Today was a special Sunday because it was the first time that I gave him Cheerios in church. Most of the time, Rowan is a congenial little fellow, happy and content with the world. However, if there is something that he wants to eat, he will let you know it. Sometimes he even turns into the fire-breathing demon baby. Davin and I were having fruit Popsicles the other day and I let Rowan try some of mine. Before I could help it, Rowan snatched it out of my hands and attempted to devour it. He was so angry at me when I took it aw...

Life here has started to settle into a rhythm. The day starts with Chris heading for the bus; on some days, we take him to the office as well. I hesitate to wake Davin, but he leaps out of bed when we mention that we are taking Dad to the “big buildings.” Davin loves the chance to see the big buildings in uptown Charlotte (there is no downtown Charlotte). The city is growing and there are several construction sites, some near Chris’s office. Davin points out every crane, bridge, city bus, tractor, and other vehicles that contribute to the pulse of a burgeoning city. Both boys love breakfast and they are usually eager to eat a good meal, so I try to make breakfast for them when possible. We tried a new variety to one of our favorites: adding blueberries to “german pancakes” or “puff oven pancakes.” I love eating breakfast together. As new residents of Charlotte, it has been fun to seek out new adventures. Part of the adventure is the fun of figuring out how to handle two boys at once. (...

One evening, Chris had a dinner appointment and was away for the evening. Davin and I took the opportunity to make some sparkly snickerdoodles. Davin “helped” me with the cookies, though they started to disappear from the baking sheet. Notice image a: cookies on tray waiting to be baked. In the upper left hand corner of the baking sheet there is a cookie ball with green sprinkles. Image c was taken a few moments later; notice the missing green cookie ball. Image b is the evidence as to the missing cookie ball’s whereabouts. When he wasn’t snatching cookie balls from the tray, Davin spent his time dipping his fingers in the sparkly sugar. Doesn’t that thought make these cookies all the more appetizing? Chris’s dad said once that the high temperature in the oven bakes away all germs and I hope he is right. To say the least, we didn’t share this batch with friends.