New room!!...and a garden update

Talking with my mom and sister in law, Lindsay, over the Christmas break, I got the crazy idea for Jason to paint a headboard for Alder's new 'big boy' bed - 'a wooden fence with critters' is what I suggested. Jason is super creative and enjoys painting, yet does not often have the time or reason to put his skills to good use. He agreed and has been working intermittently on this project for a few weeks, and it is now complete!

Here is a brief overview of the process. He started by drawing out all the parts on paper:

He then used carbon paper to transfer the images to the wall:

Then came the paint:...and here is the completed masterpiece. A black rat snake and eastern bluebird eyeing each other amidst native wildflowers and butterflies.

..and my favorite part of this whole deal is getting to read bedtime books while lying down!! Ignore the huge belly, please...

So, now that this project is done, Alder has officially moved into his new room. This past weekend was our transition weekend and we were relieved and excited that there was little to no transition at all - he never seemed upset or concerned about the switch. We have been mentioning this move to him for a couple of months and his smooth transition was his way of saying - what took you so long! For his nap on Sunday, he did play in the bed for almost an hour before actually falling asleep, but amazingly he never got out!

We got the Capel rug and train table on Craigslist for a fraction of the price of new ones. We still need to buy him a dresser, and possibly some curtains, but here is the whole hodge-podge room currently:

Here is Alder during his nap on Sunday. Notice the books thrown on the floor during his hour of 'play time'

Ok, now to the garden update. Jason made a new bed on the south-facing side of our house. It is perfect because there is ample shade from mature oaks all summer and lots of sun and thermal mass in the winter. We are hoping for greens all year. For now, we have peas, radishes, kale, and spinach. The peas will grow up the trellis that you can see propped against the house - this was made from bamboo that he found along the railroad tracks near our neighborhood.

The first radish harvest - I am not very fond of radishes, but Alder and Jason like them...

And here is the same bed from last year. Both beds were given large doses of compost from the local grocery store (Ukrops) several months ago and what's growing now seems to like this and the copious rain we've been getting lately. Chard, broccoli (actually left over from last fall that never flowered and is now providing modest amounts), lettuce, and more peas to climb the wire trellis.

The straw is proving very helpful with keeping the soil moist between rains and the weeds at bay.
Here is a sweet boy. Happy Spring Everyone!!!