Niece, Toads, Jumping Pillow, Gymnastics Show, CSA Week 6

I have not posted pictures in awhile, so let's just get right on it:

Photographic proof that my niece really is all that and a bag of chips:

The four girls enjoying a bedtime snack:

Niece June is only 30 days older than Marin. She looks like she could be a year older, no?

Having her here this week is sort of like having 2 sets of twins, only without the horrid "two newborns" stage to survive through.

The Bigs played together, and the Littles played together, and I scurried around behind everyone picking up barbies and dress up clothes and polly pocket shoes and cracker crumbs.

It was fun for Marin to have a 24 hour playmate, all to herself.

Meanwhile, Joan and Kate caught about a million baby toads at my friend's house yesterday morning. They put them in a Nalgene bottle and brought them home to "train". They are the tiniest little guys you ever saw:

So far we've only had to bury 3 (out of, according to the Toad Census 2009, 26). Not bad, not bad. They've been making their home in our previously empty sand and water table. We are going to have to release them, but so far the girls have convinced me that their training is not complete and they just need a bit more time with them.

(They are being trained not to jump on each other, not to jump out of the water table, and how to "stay", among other things.)

Next, here's a snap of the (in)famous jumping pillow. It does not allow you to *really* see what we are talking about, as this thing is about the size of a tennis court, but you get the idea:

The Bigs like to put on "shows" for our family, sometimes even making up "programs" ahead of time (and sometimes even charging us for them!). They are usually a combo of trampoline tricks, Camp Rock/High School Musical songs, and some healthy bickering. Last night's was supposed to also include "Toad Tricks", but the show had to be cancelled at the last minute due to a scheduling conflict with the performers (i.e. rehearsal overshot bedtime).

Here's the practice:

Finally, here's what we got in our farm share for Week 6:

Arugula, lettuce, beets, more effing radishes that are now too hot to eat, kohlrabi, white radishes, white onions

and

beans, cucumber, & potatoes in the center

We're still going strong with eating all of this up every week, though a few stray items usually end up as food for our compost pile.

Wow, that's it. Hope your weekend is great. Cheers!