Garden Potatoes

We planted the potatoes (Yukon Gold) with low expectations, but they turned out to be the fastest growing part of the garden this year. Each plant produces about five potatoes, and took two months to grow. These went in the ground in March. So far we've had them boiled and buttered, in potato salad, and baked as french fries. Good stuff!

Celebrating Nine

Kindle (Reader), cousins, sisters, friends, water balloons, cupcakes, more cupcakes, lots of love, and the Harry Potter box set of eBooks: nine ways to enjoy turning nine.

Filoli On Instagram

Filoli Gardens with Nana, the kids, and my iPhone testing out new @keepsmesmiling account on Instagram.

Our Tour of Patagonia Clothing Company

Over Spring Break we had the opportunity to visit family in Southern California, and by connection toured the Patagonia headquarters. It was the first experience the girls had "at a workplace" besides their Dad's office. We saw where the founder first invented his rock climbing tools, the retail store which used to be a meat-packing plant, and the method Patagonia uses to recycle old clothes into new fabrics. We also saw the fabric testing rooms, product design department, and surfboard shaping shop. The hit? New fuzzy pullovers that worked great for skiing the next weekend. 

Driving back home, my eldest says, "well, I guess I know why their clothes are so expensive." "Why?" I say. "It sure takes a lot of work to make them!" 

Hamster-Inspired Creativity

The Akemann household is becoming a critter paradise. First a fish, then a cat, and now a hamster. The fish got our feet wet, the cat warmed our laps, but what was the hamster going to add? I wasn't convinced, but after three months of discussion with my almost-9-year-old I obliged. Now we have Fozzy Bear running the wheel each night.

When our good friends came over to meet Mr. Bear, the pieces fell into place. Fozzy became a live challenge for creative play when they used the recycling box to make a Hamster Maze. The options were endless, the giggles were incessant, and the hamster was far more interesting than the Zhu Zhu Pet middleman. Cute little guy.