Everything's GROWING

When we moved a few years back I had to figure out what to do with the height measurements that were marked on a door frame. One option was to chisel out the door frame and bring it with us. But the new owner was reticent to part with his recently acquired lumber, regardless of the fact that he just became the owner of many (them's was big words). So instead I sliced a 2X4 into a 2X2 and moved the measurements over, girls on one side, boys on another, and, um, two blank sides for guests and livestock.

We would use said measuring plank every 4-6 months to record everyone's height. During the past few years everyone has had a chance to be the biggest grower during the time period... except Matthew. That is, until today when we found that he grew a whopping one and one-eight inch in the past four months, finally pushing him half an inch over the four-foot barrier! Please note his many watches... the boy is a collector!



Also growing are our tomato plants. After trying to start them from seed (what were we thinking?!?!) we broke down and bought five from ye olde Walle Marte: three Brandywine, one German Heritage something heirloom, and a standard, generic tomato. There should be a warning label on these beasts because they've broken out of their cages, actually tilting them over in four of the five cases, requiring me to stake up the cages. As for that pesky German one, well, it definitely wants to join the Third Reich and take over the world, starting with our tiny garden. Not only has it's growth required a second cage but also a stake and various lengths of yarn to keep it from bothering the other countries, er, plants.

And finally a big hearty "YO" to Brooke and Joshua, seen here respectively enjoying the first bearably warm (instead of swelteringly hot) day of July.