Finding ourselves on a fault line between baby and boy, Axel and I took this hot summer day to dig in the dirt and harvest perhaps his favorite garden find, carrots.

Although our entire stock measured less than a bag of grocery baby carrots, he was thrilled with every pull, every un-earthing, every bite.

Almost all of the carrots ended up in his belly, not without an examination, a puzzled look and an exclamation of "deeeeliciousssss".  It was worth all the watering, the hauling to the balcony and the wait.

Today we received a call that Axel had climbed to the top of the Montessori waiting list.  After talking with the teacher, she invited us for an interview tomorrow.  Needless to say, although I am pushing for a break, for him to make friends and to see what he is capable of, tonight I feel protective.  My little carrot eater may be on the brink of his own ideas, revelations, and life.  What would I do if he were to be my only child?  Whether he will be, right now he is, and in all of his milestones I try to remember to be thankful, smile excessively, and eat from the garden.

Perfectly happy in their new home, my garden (or "gordon" as Axel calls it) is thriving.  Not being able to wait any longer, I just had to bring in a few crops.  I decided the Basil would be my first victim and after weighing the options, I decided drying the leaves into a spice would be the best idea.

First I picked the leaves, literally stripping the plant bare!  I laid them on a dish towel for a few hours in the sun and then finished the job in the oven (pre-heating to 200 degrees, turning the oven off, letting the Basil sit on a cookie sheet over night in the warm, dry space).

I am quite happy with the results.  After a night of drying, they were very easy to crumple into a crispy and aromatic spice!

A butterfly has also found my plants and I was able to capture his picture the other day. Despite nearly destroying the basil, it has bounced back in a matter of days, bringing new leaves with promise of yet one more harvest this season!

Balcony gardening isn't for the weak! Hauling the dirt and containers up stairs and through your living room takes a bit of commitment.  Yesterday I picked and ate this lovely tomato all by myself, because thats how I hauled all this stuff up here...by myself!

In the background of this photo are the broccoli and carrots I was told by a master gardner I could "never grow" on a balcony.  Well mister, while you are worrying away about your plant eating pests and small mammals, my balcony is free of everything but sunshine!  So EAT IT! Ok, maybe a little harsh.  But just to rub it in...I grew them organically!

While inspecting the fruits of my labor (I actually prefer labour...like blonde vs. blond) I noticed that Axel is getting a few freckles on his nose.  I asked him to show them to me so I could take a picture, when it occurred to me that he hasn't actually heard the word freckle! He thought for sure they were in his mouth!  How incredible it is to actually teach things to a child for the first time!