The avocado pit I “planted” shortly after Benji was born: Not only have two long roots emerged from the bottom, but a little shoot with a couple leaves delicately wrapped around it has begun pushing its way up through the top.

So exciting! Remember how it felt as a kid, when you planted the bean and miraculously a sprout appeared a while later? Same feeling, only on a very slow time scale.

Our rain garden: Yesterday Deborah and I put the ferns in the ground. The big one didn’t look so large out in the woods. Just sayin’. I hope everything survives, but I’ve heard huckleberry bushes do not transplant well, so I won’t be surprised if those don’t make it. This really fills the garden in nicely; all I want is a few more reeds/grasses for the standing water area.

Benji (pictured here sucking/chewing on Rudy the Rattling Reindeer): He’s woken up in the night with a little thought bubble containing a milk-ful bottle hovering over his head. All he wants to do is eat and sleep, with just enough wakeful time to consume many ounces of food.