Eat Your Vegetables

A midweek all girls roadtrip to Houston

2011-02-03T16:45:00.007-06:00

Girl trip (Aunt Charley, Ella, Juliet and myself) to visit Great Grandma Rosie commenced on Tuesday, just in time for the "arctic blast" which made things a little more challenging for our hostess. We made the most of it and enjoyed every second with mine and Charley's Grandma Rosie (she is Great Grandma to the girls). Wednesday we hit up the Children's Museum which was super-duper awesome! We had been a few times when Ella was little and just crawling around the "tot spot", but this time she got to partake in all the big-kiddo stuff and we couldn't pull her away from Kidtropolis where she enjoyed being a vet, grocery store clerk, chef and an artist! If I were between the ages of 3 and 12, I'm pretty sure I would ask my mom if I could LIVE there. Here are a couple of museum day pics:

Pics from our "slumber party", as Ella referred to it, below. It was a party simply because Ella, Juliet and Aunt Charley were all sporting footy-pajamas.
D-Bear and Charlene playing.

Great Grandma and Aunt Anna through Ella's eyes (lens):

Beautiful pic of Aunt Anna. Ella artistically requested that she remove her glasses prior to the shoot. (hmmm?)

Last, but not least, Juliet soaking up kisses from Great Grandma. I totally thought she was going to fall asleep while receiving loads of these kisses. She couldn't get enough of G.G.'s love!
Our trip was a complete success! Ella went home with her Nana and Juliet is counting the minutes until she arrives home on Saturday. (me, too)

Cinnamon Rolls and Sammy

2011-01-31T22:41:00.003-06:00

We love hanging out with Sammy and Miss Heidi. They are the perfect combination of fabulous food and fun! Last week's play date began at Upper Crust Bakery over the BEST, flakiest, buttery, cinnamon-y, yummiest, rolls. K, I like them and you will notice they are not pictured because they were completely devoured prior to these pics. Here is Ella and Sammy goofing off together while Miss Heidi and I attempt to catch up on current events since our last food/fun fest the week prior. Love, love, LOVE these pics!
Please note: If you are thinking either, A:why didn't you focus on Sammy in the background or B:cool effect focusing on Ella in the foreground I have to advise that I allow my camera complete creative control b/c I really don't pretend to know the first thing about photo-magic

awwwww, I know! I would say I captured a sweet moment between these two except that Sammy is ALWAYS this amazingly sweet with little Juliet.

noticing a trend?

Sammy trying so hard to ride his bike. He did awesome!
Ack!!! No pics of glowing Miss Heidi and her burgeoning belly. Next time!
Wha!? Yeah. Zach and Ella had a photo shoot where D was their subject. Ella held the flashlight just so as Zach played with exposure times to capture the image in the otherwise dark room. The effect is a D that looks a little dead, but don't fret because he is still very much apart of our family ; )

Picture Post!!

2011-01-23T14:02:00.007-06:00

Forgive the volume, but I had some catching up to do from the past couple of weeks.
Ramsey Park on a frosty morning, thus requiring Ella to keep her hands in her pockets:

Brunch hosted by Miss Heather in honour of Brook-E's visit (not pictured is the martha stewart-esque spread of goodies she had arranged for us):

Our last playdate with Brook-E and Abby during their nearly week-long visit! This time we hit up the bounce house place called "Locomotion!". Abby working the register:

I love this pic for two reasons: first, Ella is loading her basket with french bread as quickly as she can and I know that when she is an adult and does her own grocery shopping she will do this very thing. Second, Peyton reminds me of her purdy mommy by multitasking. She is A)ROCKING a pink princess dress, B)caring for a sick puppy from the "vet" and C)getting a little grocery shopping done.

Why is Juliet smiling so big?

I think it has something to do with this lovely, skinny jean wearing girl:

Raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake + oreo cookie crust. This is how we roll when celebrating a special birthday for our friend Heidi (not pictured).

I had to include this picture because this is how Juliet has looked much of the past couple of weeks: total concentration on trying to crawl forward, but inevitably propelling herself backwards and a little snotty.

Ella riding her super duper pink, with pink frosting big girl bike!

Juliet's grin of approval while watching her big sister successfully maneuver her bike:

My beautiful Ella:

SPARKLERS!!! (they were included in Christmas gifts from Griff and MawChing!)

Friday fun days with Aunt Charley! (this will be a reoccurring series : )

Aunt Charley took Ella to pick out and paint a gift for Zach's upcoming birthday. I can't reveal the finished product, but Ella did an amazing job. She got to pick the colors and even some stamps to use to decorate the "item". Many of the stamps were things Zach would like: football helmet and a rocket ship, but the funniest choice had to be the high heel shoe stamp. She had complete creative control.

Ella preparing to devour her "bling pop". I poured some apple flavored pedialite into the gem-shaped popsicle maker and wha-la! This made getting better quickly a little easier. (another gift from Griff and MawChing)

Spring-time fun in the winter

2011-01-08T15:58:00.005-06:00

Juliet has really taken to the swings at the park. Thanks to Mimi and Papa we now have one in the backyard, as well. In between pushing Juliet, Ella and I like to play "supergirl" where she rides the swing on her belly to save me from a series of unfortunate events that land me in the hospital. Thankfully, the slide enables her to carry me safely to the doctor.

Juliet tries bananas!

Juliet doesn't really like bananas so we are just gonna put solid foods on hold. This is GREAT news on the diaper-ing front ; )

Brook-E is in town with her little Abby. They are a couple of our FAVORITE PEOPLE IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD! They live in Cali so we don't get to enjoy their company as much as we'd like to. We have been soaking up every moment of their visit this week. Thursday we rode the Zilker Zephyr (Juliet's first train ride!) and then devoured some cheese steaks at Texadelphia. I'm sad I didn't bring my camera, but I'm sure it would have been ruined in a sea of mustard sauce anyway so it was for the best. Here are some pics or our antics on UT campus with the girls yesterday. Stephanie, Peyton and Aunt Charley were in the mix, too. We are having a ball!

Steph with Peyton, Abby and Juliet. Abby needs to hold Juliet every so often.

Juliet in my lap teething on a carrot. No teeth, yet.

LOVE this one!

Abby "falling down". She would fall and lay posed on the ground for nearly a minute. It was so cute!

The girls diving into a snack bag for dried cranberries in our 30-minute pre-picnic snack session. These girls like to EAT! (like their mommas)

Peyton and Ella perched on the limb of an ancient oak on UT grounds under which we were picnic-ing.

Brook-E (that is not how you spell her name, BTW, but that is how I pronounce it so I spell it that way) and the girls in front of the massively wonderful fountain right by Zach's work and next to our picnic spot. Yes, Zach joined us for lunch!

The girls were able to do some serious exploring around the campus.

It is true that there is not enough Ella pictured here. All of our paparazzi ways have taken a toll on her and she is a little camera shy (fingers crossed this is just a phase). She refused to play ring around the rosies after I pulled out the camera. She has been really funny like that and I can't help thinking she is just becoming a little more shy and reserved as she is getting older. She enjoys sitting with the moms and just listening to our conversations. It is cracking me up. I'm also beginning to see glimpses into the thoughtful, considerate person she is going to be.
ACK!!!!! As I was typing this Juliet just rolled over for the VERY FIRST TIME next to Zach and Ella. I've been pleading with her to roll over for a few days because she has been on the cusp of doing it. I wouldn't be surprised if you read a crawling post very soon because this girl has some moves. More on that later and definitely a post packed with Ella pics to come!

A New Year's Resolution

2010-12-31T12:53:00.005-06:00

Howdy, ya'll! It has been a while, and by a while I mean a year and a half. I'm resolving to maintain this blog of the adventures my family (and a little about my own interests) so that I can glance back at the fun and love we share. This post is gonna be short and really sweet since it is basically an introduction to the newest member of our clan.

Sweet Juliet:

Here is where she tells me what to do, when to do it and whether or not I've done it correctly:

Cheeky:

She is chock-full of personality and her most favorite thing in the whole world (could she say it) is definitely her big sister, Ella. More about this dynamic duo in the coming week.

Potty Training? & a recipe

2009-05-31T18:18:00.006-05:00

Potty Training? hahahahahahahaha...NO. Now that I've got your attention, you can listen to my complaint:

I introduced the "big girl" potty at 12 months. Ella sees it, likes it, doesn't want to poo or pee on it...o.k. I've attempted to just put her in panties for a day (several times) and I sit her on the potty while she pretends to push, gets up and then pees on the floor. frustrating. I tried "potty treats" (m&m's) because I heard that it totally works. Ella was very excited about the candy and talked about it for a long time while she sat on the potty and "pushed", but was happy to watch me eat them after she decided the treat wasn't worth her effort. wha?!

Here is where we currently stand, big girl potty has been put away because it became merely a speed bump in our little bathroom AND Ella loves to talk about "pee and poo-poo" in public..loudly. Yay! This is the fruit of my effort. She really did me in today when she came in the restroom while I was washing her cloth diapers (yes, that is where our washing machine resides...weird, I know.) and she started to whine because the smell was too much for her sensitive nostrils. Oh, SORRY! I couldn't believe that she thought the injustice had been done against her!! I could only laugh because it is just another day with a two year old.

On a lighter note, a recipe. This is a FAVE of ours, totally cost effective, scrumptious and GREAT...YES, GREAT as leftovers! We'll eat it with smiles for 3 days straight!

Italian Sausage Pasta Bake (this may be like your Baked Ziti recipe, if you have one, but I use my mom's pasta sauce recipe and slow cook it to add to the dish. I'm not against the jar stuff (and would definitely use it in a pinch), but it seriously tastes NOTHING like this and I'm still short-cutting with canned tomatoes so you should just try it)

Ingredients:
Tbls. olive oil
Large Onion (coarsely chopped)
1 package Italian sausages (mild or sweet is the family preference, but you can choose hot if you all like that)
2 15 ounce cans stewed tomatoes
2 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
1 T tomato paste
Vegetables: I usually use zucchini (sliced), squash (sliced), and/or spinach. I'll use 2 zucchini or squash and use a whole bunch of spinach, when I have it.
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt (more to taste, if preferred)
2 tsp season salt
1 tsp pepper
1 package of whole wheat pasta (we prefer rigatoni or penne or ziti)
10 - 16 ounces mozzarella (shredded) *big variance in amt...if you like cheesy..go for it. My family feels less is more when it comes to the cheese so we opt for less, please note that I am a cheesy fanatic so my vote was vetoed during the family vote regarding the amount of cheese to use*
1/2 C shredded parmesan (optional, I've made with and without)

Directions:
In a large pot, swirl the olive oil around. Remove the sausage from its casing and brown it over medium/high heat. Add the onion and zucchini and or squash and allow to soften some. Dump in the tomatoes...all of them! Fill the two 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce with water (after emptying them) and add that to the pot. Pour in the seasonings...all of them! Bring to a boil and then simmer on low heat, covered, for anywhere from 1-3 hours. It is totally up to you, but if you simmer it a long, long time, you may need to add a little water. The flavor condenses the longer you simmer...yadda, yadda. Wilt in your spinach at the very end, if you are using that.

In a separate pot cook your pasta according to package directions. Shred your cheeses. In a large casserole dish (biggest you've got) dump in your pasta, cover with sauce and then smother it in cheese. Spray some foil with olive oil (or any spray you've got) and then cover your dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until the cheese is ooey-gooey. This dish is REALLY GOOD the first night, GREAT the second night and AMAZING the third night! Serve it alone, with a light tossed salad and/or garlic bread. YUM!

tips: If your biggest casserole dish is not so big and overflowing, then be sure to add a pan to catch drippings in the bottom rack of your oven. Also, this is great for parties...make it ahead and pop it in the oven just before guests arrive. They will be left pondering how the dishes could all be done when you haven't even finished cooking the meal...heh, heh! This also freezes great so if you want to eat it twice this week and once next week (or week after next) split it up into two casserole dishes (medium and small) and pop the small one in the freezer.

Yay! I love food.

We are THOSE parents...

2009-05-30T09:05:00.012-05:00

Ella gets dirty...I mean REAL dirty. We don't stop her. If I do attempt to stop her it only ends in my frustration and her still being dirty. I do get the bug to keep her clean occasionally, but like I said before, I end up mad and she is still dirty and happy. Here is my *newly* two year old in action:

getting clean, singing and rubbing her hiney on the edge of the tub:

I don't know if Steph believed me when I said Ella would ride her little people princess carriage around the house, but here she is:

Getting dirty enjoying a cold watermelon treat:

Train ride at Houston Zoo (trip sponsored by Nana and Grandpa), this is post car nap and before the Zoo adventure:

Getting dirty/clean in the water at the Zoo. Other kiddos' parents would run their children past this exhibit with their hair tucked up neatly in cute bows and their boutique dresses flowing in the breeze....not us. Dirty snow cone followed soon after the drenching:

Ella and her Daddy at the Zoo:

Ella laying her head down during lunch after a long morning of fun with Rowan, who calls herself "Ro-Ro":

Ella and Ro-Ro during one of our three weekly play dates:

I know, not so many pictures filled with a filthy kiddo, but it happens...everyday. I guess I choose not to pull out the camera during those special moments. We've resorted to afternoon naked pool time in the back yard to combat the pile of filthy laundry that I was collecting.

Updates: my sister is graduating high school next week! Ella takes swimming lessons...wha!? More fun time with Nana, Grandpa, Mimi and Papa.

pics, pics and more pics!

2009-04-15T22:06:00.019-05:00

Hi, it's me, your inconsistent blogger. Sheesh! My sister really gave me the once over about it recently "what about the grandparents? they need to see more of ella and you have this great outlet to provide them with pics and stories of your adventures, etc, etc..." (those were not her exact words, but you get the gist.) I defensively thought, "I'm too busy." Bottom line is that she is right and I'll try to continue putting things up, as consistently as I am able.

It is funny, but before going through the pics on my camera for this blog, I knew which ones I wanted: our play date on the capital lawn with a bunch of friends on Monday and dinner/play date with Rowan last night and today's play date with Sammy...but I hadn't taken any pictures of these events. I feel like my mind is overloaded with snapshots of all our adventures, but I only document a tiny fraction. It made me sad for a bit, but also thankful that we are so blessed with good times that it would be impossible to capture them all. Here is the pick of the litter:

A recent rainy day:

Fun time with Joshua and Tabby when they got to come over one Friday morning recently:

Aunt Charley and Ella at one of the Friday noon concerts at Austin City Hall. These are sooooo much fun and happen every Friday during the Spring and Fall here. We pack a picnic, throw down a blanket and dance to the music. It is a blast! Uncle David was at this one, too, though not pictured.

Enchilada FACE! Los Tios with Aunt Anna and Uncle Joe. We LOVE this place and Aunt Anna and Uncle Joe spoiled us by fighting over the bill. Thanks, it was YUMMY!!!!

Hanging out with Uncle Pat (the ONE and ONLY), Uncle Joe, Aunt Anna and Great Grandma Rosie. We tried to put out eggs for Ella to gather in her basket, but she just liked roaming around the property....she has her own idea of fun.

Mugging for the camera.

Picking Strawberries at Froberg's Farm in Alvin with Nana, Juanita, Aunt Erika, baby John, Nancy, Luis and Maria.

Eating fried apple pie during a break at Froberg's.

The homemade strawberry pie that Nana made with our handpicked berries...YUM!

Bedtime stories with Nana:

Play date with Cooper and Chloe. Cooper had a giant mug in EVERY pic I took. I love that kid! ...and his beautiful 'lil sis, too.

Working on her one of her Easter gifts from momma and dada (phone from a thrift store to be installed in her play house)

We had dinner with Aunt Charley and Uncle David on Easter. Uncle David hid the eggs and Charley and Ella hunted them. Ella started just pointing at eggs for Aunt Charley to retrieve and place in her basket. She has it too good!

I only regret not taking more pics when I think about things like my brother Nick hiding Easter eggs for Ella and making her a special basket and I don't have one pic to show for it. It was the sweetest thing and it keeps me reminded that we are so blessed to have our circle of family and friends. They are all special to us and if taking time to post a few pics brings a smile to their heart, I will keep trying to bring these updates. Love you, Elizabeth

L'Ella

2009-03-23T20:44:00.012-05:00

Special guests last monday for dinner, mark, jun-E and phillip (courtney, too)! we loved having them to run around with. mark and jun-E make a terrific team.

Saturday at Waterloo Park listening to the Mess With Texas SXSW lineup:
eatin' an apple

sittin' with aunt charley

trying to escape

made friends with a pile o' wood chips

Girls Night

2009-03-20T07:17:00.002-05:00

Warning: No PICS. I'll post pics soon.

While Zach is busy enjoying SXSW with friends, Ella and I have had the opportunity to share some much needed GIRL TIME! (Definitions 3 & 4 from the link) Last night we started by making m&m cookies together. She stood in a chair while I mixed the dough, approved of it through a taste test and then added the mini m&m's, one tiny paw-full at a time. She was very proud of her contribution and I let her know that I was proud of her, too.

While the cookies baked we painted her pigs to match mine. We both have shiny purple toes. This is the first time I've done this. I was too concerned with her squirminess, but it was not an issue as she sat still and contemplated what was taking place. She did test one toe with her finger, but realized her mistake and allowed me to make a little correction after her finger was clean.

We played outside a little (more) until the batches of cookies were complete. She got an early bath and then I set her up for dinner at her little pink table in front of the TV where we watched her "dog" movie together. This would be the Disney classic, 101 Dalmations. She loves this show since she watched it once at "Papa's House". Sorry Mimi, but you were not included in Ella's version of the story behind the movie.

We ended the night with a little "Mouse Cookies", which is listening to the CD from Ella's book Mouse Cookies and More by Laura Numeroff. Ella loves this CD because it is a mix of stories, told by famous actors, and fun music to dance to. We listen to it at least once a day while we play around in her room.

Time to Get Crafty

2009-03-08T13:00:00.010-05:00

All the credit goes to my sister on this one. She has been wearing these cute little flower clips for quite some time. She ingeniously took a few scrapbooking materials, mixed them with some inexpensive hair clips and wah-lah: beautiful hair clips. I asked her about them for Ella and she gave me a big 'ole box of leftover supplies to get me started. Ella now has about 50 of these cuties and I've shared the recipe at a recent Mom's Night Out and we had a lot of fun putting together creative combinations.

DISCLAIMER: This is not for teeny-weeny's who enjoy dismantling and sucking on everything. This contains small parts and is not intended for those in the oral fixation stage.

That being said, let's get started:

1. Buy silk flower scrapbooking materials, brads, and plain ole metal hair clips like so:

Flowers and brads from Hobby Lobby (they often have them 50% off and it is worth the wait)

Hair Clips from Sally's Beauty Supply, 100 clips for $5.50

2. Put the brad through the stack of flowers you want for this hair clip:

3. Open the clip and thread the brad through the hole in the middle of one side of the clip and spread the tines apart so that it stays in place:

4. ALL DONE!

They are each unique because of the thousands of combinations of silk flowers and brads. You can get polka-dot flowers and jewel brads or brads in the shape of flowers, etc, etc. I love these and it is just a little touch to bring some sparkle to your special lady. These are for adults, too! My sister wears them all the time, but she mentioned they are perfect to add a splash of color to your wardrobe if you are going out in you favorite little black dress. You can throw on a purse/belt or heels to match your flower hair clip....LOVE IT!

Since this is a crafty post, I have to mention a blog called The Artful Parent since it is BURSTING full of toddler craft activities. This mom has a list up now for a crafty activity to do with your *little* everyday in March! You don't have to be crafty to do this stuff...just give your kiddo the supplies and watch them go.

Tiny Toes and Scones

2009-02-19T15:48:00.008-06:00

Weird title, huh? Well there is more than one thing I want to talk about here and I didn't know what to call it. Anywho, today as I was filling the washing machine with Ella's little things and grumbling to myself because I have to spray-n-wash EVERYTHING, I came across this sock:

Needless to say it made me smile and it made my heart hurt thinking about how much she means to me. It is literally inexplicable! Even when she is a stink, like running around outside in socks/no shoes...guess who taught her that one (*super hint: Zach). I love this girl:

Onto a recipe note: There has been much demand...er, scratch that, just Heidi has asked that I share my scone recipe. I didn't come up with it, but I did find it first : ) It is for Dried Cranberry Scones with a hint of orange zest and I have to admit it is YUM! What???? You don't bake? Me neither, traditionally, but it is because I don't know how to follow directions and in baking it is MANDATORY. I always throw all the ingredients in the bowl and start to mix before I get to the "Set your oven to 350 degrees." Yikes! This recipe has it broken down so that the ingredients are listed and then some directions and then more ingredients and more directions...I love that! I need all of my baking recipes translated this way. Forget that because then I'd feel compelled to bake more.

I want to add that I only use real unsalted butter, no margarine, and grind it all in with my hands until it is like little pebbles. It is fairly easy and relieves a little stress, too. Also, it suggests cutting each pie into six pieces...well, maybe that is satisfactory for the birds at the New York B&B where this recipe is from, but I cut mine into four pieces and sometimes eat TWO. I don't really time the cooking, either, I remove them from the oven when the house smells great and they are golden on the top. (My problem with following directions is obvious from this last statement, but it works for this recipe) Here are some pics to wet your appetite:

Happy 31st to my Man.

2009-02-17T22:14:00.009-06:00

Besides being President's Day, this past Monday was Zach's 31st birthday. We started off the day at Maria's Taco Express. In one word: Yummy and in two: Yummy & Affordable. This is a must go-to breakfast taco place here in Austin. Back in the day we fought our college-age contemporaries and hippies for tacos at noon on Saturday, but we've outgrown that scene and get there when they open..during the week..no crowds, just perfect : )

Birthday Boy:

His Daughter, dancing to the Latin grooves rocking the place at 7:30 AM:

Birthday Celebrations!

After dropping the Birthday Boy off at work, Ella and I had to come up with a sweet Birthday treat for the night. We searched high and low in the baking aisle and came up with this:

It is a Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownie mix (+ chocolate chips) made into cupcakes with a cream cheese mixture. The recipe was on the back of the box and SOOOOO easy and even more DELICIOUS! I will make these again and would recommend you do the same. I have been trying to pay more attention to what I eat so that I am not overindulging EVERYDAY, but these have made life difficult. Luckily my sister and her husband dropped by for a birthday cupcake and a gift certificate for Zach. I sent them home with a couple and the recipe doesn't make much so after tonight's snack I'm only left with two. Even if I eat them both, it isn't as bad as eating the whole lot, right?

Onto other matters. I cook...a lot. I enjoy it and I love finding new recipes. I have a couple criteria: easy and good, scratch that GREAT. Did I mention EASY? Here was dinner last night and tonight and Thursday and sandwiches this weekend for a crowd: Pulled Pork slow cooked in a crock pot. Ever done it? If so, you know where I'm going here, if not, tune in. Here is the recipe:

4 lb. pork butt or shoulder bone in or boneless..doesn't matter
2 red onions (or regular, but I've only used red)
salt
pepper
cloves (I use the already ground cloves)
water
BBQ sauce

Throw that hunk o' meat into your crock pot (borrow your Grandmother's if you don't have one yet). Sprinkle her with salt, pepper and the ground cloves and cover her with the sliced onions. Fill the pot 2/3 of the way with water. Cook on low for 10-12 hours. You will know she is ready because when you jab her with a fork she will fall to pieces! I throw her in at night and then sleep easy knowing that a week's worth of meals has been prepared in 5 minutes.

Pull out the meat and onions, remove any bone, fat and/or gristle. Shred it up with a fork or just your hands (I prefer my hands because you can catch any fat/gristle that is hiding). To date I've used a store-bought bar-b-que sauce to flavor the meat, but I'm leaning towards making my own in the future to avoid the "corn syrup and other icky things I want to stay away from". I found this recipe which I will likely be trying. I also found another option for cooking/seasoning the pork that I may dabble with in the future here.

You thought the super, duper easy cooking method was the climax of this recipe, but you would be wrong. Here is the list of meals you can make with it (feel free to add more if you have them):

Bar-b-que sandwiches (I like it on whole wheat buns w/ jalapenos and served messy with a big green salad and this dressing)
Pork Nachos (Zach's favorite, extra guacamole)
Bar-b-que baked potatoes (My personal favorite...I saute a little onion and veggies in olive oil to throw on top)
Tacos (Roll up the pork with some fresh salsa in a corn tortilla..YUM!)

Even with all these terrific options, I end up freezing a lot for a great weekend lunch. In this economy, you can't beat the price for a week's worth of meals.

Catching up and Valentine's Day!

2009-02-16T21:05:00.016-06:00

We had a terrific day at the park with the Villas on Thursday. My friend since high school, Lyndsay (and former college roommate), has started a mom's group for us to "Get a Grip" on everything from our schedules, finances, health, etc. It has been a wonderful introspective look into my life and it is good to hear God's wisdom on these areas and the experience of other mothers. I am enjoying it immensely, especially since the littles are all well cared for during our one hour lesson/talk and then we get to grub together afterwords. It is totally a win/win! This past Thursday Joshua, Tabby and Ella had some extra energy to burn after lunch so we made the trek to their local park...here are some pics:

Ella enjoying a cinnamon roll from Upper Crust Bakery care of our friends Heidi and Sammy who had dropped by the day before with this sweet goodness and Valentines Day Wishes:

Ella and I are on this side of the see-saw and you can see Tabby and Lyndsay on the other side!

Joshua and Ella clowning around on the swings:

Valentine's Day was GREAT! Ella got a stroller for her babies and a Strawberry Shortcake kite. We have yet to try out the kite, but the stroller has seen some miles already. I went to work while Ella and Zach went on a bus ride adventure to HEB to score some donuts and a rose for me! Ella says the rose smells like candy and I caught her trying to lick it once. I agree that it does smell THAT sweet. That afternoon we got ready for our guests, the O'Baugh's. We planned to make heart shaped pizzas and sit out by the fire in the back yard. I'm so lame-o that I only took pics of the set up and NADA of our lovely guests whom we enjoyed so much and see so little:

Ella putting on her dad's hat and shoes during the day:

All of the sweet cards/gifts we (Ella) received this year:
(includes a tiny puppy from Nana and Grandpa and a very sweet little card from her Great Grandma Rosie, full of stickers!)

Reaching for her little puppy:

The spread, whole wheat pizza crusts, recipe is here & the toppings included: cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan cheeses, bell pepper, mushroom, black olives, pineapple, jalapenos, pepperoni, sausage, fresh tomato and red onion:

The kids' pies:

Harris, age 4, was a hoot. Ella thought he hung the moon and copied every move he made (sometimes to his dismay as he is an 'independent' older kid). He was very sweet with her. Whitney and Justin came bearing gifts from girl scout cookies and chocolate covered strawberries to a tutu for Ella and homemade soap goodness for me! We enjoyed making memories with the O'Baughs and intend on doing it again real soon : )

Ella PICS!

2009-02-11T22:17:00.018-06:00

I have tons to say, but I'll save it for later and just post up recent park/around the house pics of Ella. Much belated, sorry.

Mug I used for the 20 valentines "we" made this year:

Play date with Sammy:

Wearing Daddy's hat:

Walking around Town Lake after the museum on a lazy Sunday afternoon:

THE playhouse:

'nother angle:

Very important with her badges and mommy's pashmina:

Reading before bed all by herself:

Sad face (note: next picture was a happy face...don't know why she was sad that one second):

Playing with window cling-ons:

On a crazy swing at the park:

On a crazy circle-thingy at the park with Aunt Charley:

At the park (moments before "D" went missing for a couple hours...please see "date night" story for additional details below)

Climbing the stairs to the slide:

Play date with Zoey!:

BADLY in need of a haircut...we'll be calling Auntie Heather soon:

I've had a special request for a recipe so stay tuned for Cranberry Scones coming soon!

Date Night with burgers and lots o' BSS!

2009-02-01T08:28:00.002-06:00

WARNING! This post contains no pics of Ella, though they are soon to come.

WOW! I must have been good this past year because karma came back around and slapped me with a good one...scratch that...GREAT ONE! Zach and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary this past November. We had tentatively planned a show and dinner and then backed out on our sitter (my sister) at the last second...too cold...too tired...some combo. Anywho, we saw that one of our favorite bands Broken Social Scene would be playing Bass Concert Hall. Great show + AMAZING newly renevated venue = SUPER FUN, right? Tickets would be pricey, but we would save our pennies and enjoy a night out. So, I buy the tickets...late. Bad seats? They were in the back of the first balcony so they wouldn't be the "greatest", but it is a concert hall so you have a decent view from every seat. Well, two days before the show I get a call, I actually missed it, but they left a message on my machine saying "stop by and exchange your tickets when you get to the show, you are on the orchestra (floor) level". Cool. Didn't think much of it, but it sounded fine to me.

Last night, the sitter (my sister) comes by and we are frazzled after having left D-Bear (the only "can't live without" item in our home and Ella's prized possession) at the park...down south...after a playdate with our friends Shannon, Aryn and their neice Zoey. YIKES! I'm hungry and my night is diving towards disaster! Zach says, "I'll go get him and you get ready". I can do that and so I did. "D" was retrieved, though a little off the beaten path from where we remembered seeing him last. It is possible that he made friends with a dog for a bit.

Ok, back on schedule: 6 pm and we have time to grab a burger and be early for the show to exchange our tickets. We go to Burger Tex where I get my fave veggie burger on a homemade wheat roll, extra BBQ sauce and no less than 20 jalapenos..YUM! w/ fried okra...uh, huh...you can substitute it for the fries! Zach grabbed a 4 oz burger with pepper jack cheese and the tasty house fries. We thoroughly enjoyed dinner and left for the show a little before 7 pm, show started at 8. We find free parking around UT and enjoy the brisk walk in cool weather to Bass Hall.

There are students passing out fliers for an after party for UT students with DJ's and we get snubbed...don't we look young enough to be a Master's student, at least? A little hurt (not that we would have stayed for the after party nor did it require the flier) we stumbled inside to exchange tickets. These GOLDEN tickets(litterally) said "A 1 seats 119 and 120". "A 1" sounded pretty good to us, though we could not yet imagine. We had a drink at the bar and walked through the many levels of lobby while gazing out of the building's glass facade towards downtown. When we took our seats about 40 minutes later we were in SHOCK! "A 1" meant down in the front and seats 119 and 120 were smack dab in the center!!!!!!! Wha?! I smiled and waved for the non-existent candid camera. I do have to clarify that we technically had 3 rows in front of us, but I would still have considered our seats the VERY BEST IN THE WHOLE PLACE.

Lymbyc System opened the show and it was a nice calm Stars of the Lid'sy performance (though a little more raw) before BSS. We really were stoked about our seats. BSS rocked for 3 hours! The lead singer complained of having a touch of the flu, which I'm sure we caught due to our seats being about 10 feet from him. They played some of my favorite older tunes in combination with the new good stuff and some of the band members' side project work, which we are also fans of. Everything they touch is GOLD and we knew that going in. It was midnight before we left the Hall and headed home to our sleeping little. I have no pictures because I was sure that they wouldn't let us in with a camera...WRONG-O. Everyone had a camera. I caught a couple on my phone, but it is really a phone and not good for pics, especially show conditions. I'm searching for some photos of the show to link to, but I don't see anything online yet.

For those of you going to the Houston show...HAVE FUN!

Me 'n L'Ella

2009-01-13T14:27:00.008-06:00

So, we've been a little sicky. Not for long, but long enough. Today has been our recovery day and tomorrow we plan to have some play-date fun...and the next day, too. Here are some catch up pics from New Year's Eve and in between then and now:

This one was snapped while watching Austin's First Night Parade. Ella was dancing and she even yelled "Come Back!" to a hool-a-hooper who had been hooping in front of us until the parade started moving again. The parade was so cool because it was sooooo arsty-fartsy. None of my photos are ready because they are too dark and Zach is gonna have to work his photo-shop magic on them so they are visible to the human eye.

After the parade, across the street from the Paramount Theatre:

My beverage of choice for New Year's Eve was hot coffee poured over cold homemade vanilla Blue Bell ice cream. I think Juliette Binoche drank this in Bleu, one of the French Three Colours Trilogy films. I am no critic, but 'twas good. (Note: I'm sure the one in the movie used espresso and some other creamery besides our own local Blue Bell)

Ella feeding D-Bear her apple slices. According to Zach, Ella is also trying to teach "D" to walk by standing him up and telling him "Walk!". He, unfortunately, is a bit slow to pick up these fundamentals that Ella is teaching.

Ella and her "D".

Operation Organization '09

2009-01-03T11:14:00.002-06:00

So, this process really did begin on January 1. This is the best, scratch that, ONLY time we could do it since Zach is home and we'd be wresting a 1.5 year old while tearing apart the whole house. We are *thinking* about *planning* for another kiddo sometime in the *future*. I added the *'s to slow you down so you won't get too excited because we are still in the *planning* stages. Since we have been thinking about things, we knew that our current set up of Ella in the tiny-est.room.ever. was not going to work since she will eventually have to SHARE her space. That being said, we have transposed our office (previously the most spacious room out of the three) and Ella's room. This means we crammed ALL OF OUR JUNK from the giant room into the 10'x10' middle bedroom. We had to make some sacrifices...I mean that I had to make some sacrifices and currently my entire craft station is boxed up in the garage...boo-hoo! This meant we had to clean out the garage!!!! Now, if you know me at all you would understand the magnitude of this situation. I have junk...ALOT OF JUNK. We are clearing out and currently have stacks and stacks of things: some to post on craigslist, books to take to half-priced books, CD's to take to cheapos, clothes to take to Buffalo (most to Goodwill), items that belong to others that are in need of return and just a lot of other misc. that will go straight to goodwill. Eek! In all of the chaos..and yes, there was CHAOS, we managed to keep Ella happy and fed and not go completely insane. We did hit a bump when we realized we would have to have our internet provider come and do some "reinstallation" into the new office, but even that has been sorted out...though we are without internet until next Tuesday.

I have even taken to clearing out some of the kitchen cabinets...since we will be hauling stuff away anyway. I have not resolved to become an organized person because it is totally against my nature, but things are looking bright for 2009! Pictures to come when the internet is back up and running...

THE playhouse.

2008-12-30T23:31:00.005-06:00

Technically, this is not a Christmas gift, but it did arrive just days later. This is Ella's playhouse hand-made with love by her Papa. She has affectionately dubbed it "Papa". Here are some pics of the barn...er, playhouse raising that took place yesterday in our back yard:

Phooey!! I didn't get one pic of the beast in all its glory. Stay tuned for a pic of the whole thing. It is AMAZING! Ella is soooo fortunate to have this bad boy in her own yard at the ripe old age of 1.5. She is going to enjoy this for many, many, many years! Aunt Charley and I are looking forward to decorating: curtains, hanging plants, lights, a little garden, a little kitchen and all the fixins. There is even a spot just under the roof for the installation of a box fan during the summer...Papa thought of everything!!

Ella hurdled out the door today to rush inside it and peek out one of the three windows. She literally says "peek-a-boo". I think it is because she has been reading "Peek-a-boo Moon" with her Nana. She also enjoys hanging over the railing on the porch of her "property". She tells the cat "no, no" if it enters her domain (though I have a good idea it will be the cat's domain at night to slumber).

Christmas...is it too late to post this?

2008-12-30T23:10:00.016-06:00

We.had.fun. Ella LOVES her family and I mean EVERYONE. Every Aunt, Uncle, Grandma and Grandpa (including the "greats"). She has everyone's name and title down and looks forward to any opportunity to belt them out. I know she is spoiled and you know she is spoiled so I will save you the details on all the bounty she received from her very generous friends and family. We are blessed!

Here are some pics of Christmas at Nana and Grandpa's (on the 24th, before the two parties we attended of which I have NO PICS!):

Riding her new box of blocks:

Playing with Nana:

Feeding baby chicken:

Christmas at Mimi and Papa's (Christmas morning). Ella did not actually open a gift at Mimi's, here is what she did instead:
Passing out gifts:

Sorting gifts:

Riding gifts (a theme?):

Eating gifts:

Playing with gifts:

She took an apple AND a banana break during the chaos:

Later she took a spin in her wagon with her new dogs (technically frogs) on:

Here is a couple of other fun pics from our time in Houston:
Lorelei! She was a boat load of fun and the girls ran around for hours together:

Around the smoldering "yule" log (this is a stump behind my inlaws that burned for 3-4 days throughout our time there...it was fun just hanging around the burning stump):

Zonked out on the car ride home...foot resting on my chair:

Trail O' Lights

2008-12-22T10:05:00.010-06:00

Wowsers, this was fun! All the lights and kiddos and activities...it was a winter wonderland! Without the winter...er, it was nearly 80 degrees. We are such weenies we ran to the trail on Friday night when we heard there would be a cold front blowing in on Saturday. It is SO MUCH more fun to hang out without being hampered by a coat AND gloves AND a hat AND the whining (mine, not the kiddo). Anywho, here are some pics of the fun to be had. Love that the Trail is here every year : )

She made most of the trip on her dad's shoulders...there were just so many people that a tiny could easily run into the crowd and never come back to mom and dad:

Sorry, my camera doesn't do scenery pics, but it was really, really beautiful. There were dancing trees and music, etc, etc, but my very fave were the trees covered in lights:

Ella, literally dancing and clapping while sitting on dad's shoulders:

funny dancing pic:

Mom, wearing Ella's new glow necklace:

End of the line, back at the car with new glow necklace and bag of burning hot kettle corn that we split (fought over):

There is something to be said for ROUTINE

2008-12-17T22:25:00.013-06:00

So, I would LOVE to think of myself as a spontaneous, fun, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda girl...but then I would only be talking about someone else. That just isn't me! I thrive on routine and December has thrown me for a loop. Here are a few things out of the ordinary that could be the cause of my frazzled-ness:

-there is a giant, glowing tree in my living room (which I do heart)
-shopping for stuff other than food...wha? this NEVER happens.
-it is COLD (I liked that for all of 10 minutes and then I was ready for Spring..BLAH!) we are totally stuck inside. honestly, we took a field trip to visit zach's co-workers...tell me that we are not dying to get out of the house. everyone there is great, but we are such a giant distraction that i can't help feeling a little bad about it....until ella gets tons of hugs and brings joy to everyone she runs past (even though i'm chasing her...ugh.)
-daydreaming about ella enjoying christmas with our families : )--this can be very time consuming
-christmas cards....A LOT of them + our christmas CD for those who enjoy new music (so much work, but very rewarding cause I get to send my best wishes to those we love the most. i think cards are like hugs. we send out about 100, but i always think of a ton more people i'd like to "hug")
-sicky-ness from the constantly changing weather..first me, now ella

yadda, yadda, yadda...I'm hope it doesn't seem like I'm complaining because in reality I love all of these things that make December so special, but I just wish I could be a little more flexible and just go with the flow. I stink with change. My REAL problem is remembering to complete my normal daily functions amidst the new found chaos and so my house is a mess (totally out of the norm..tee-hee) and my to-do list is out of control and I ALWAYS choose the fun things over the mundane...oops. Maybe I should have saved this whole rant for a week and a half for my "New Year's Resolution" post (don't hold your breath for that one).

I'll post pics now. Sorry to force you to sit through that when you really just came here for the pics. Before I go I want to send hugs out to all those who check in here for a dose of Ella. She is pretty special to me. Here are some Christmas card rejects and other fun stuff:

Sock Monkey Manger Scene at 39th street Christmas Display:
For a better description of the scene, check out Heidi's blog

Tabith, Joshua, Ella and popcorn at The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Christmas luminary display:

LOVE this mug:

So pretty:

For the record, I am totally JEALOUS of the Harrell's new toy and Katie's less new toy!

We're still here!

2008-12-10T22:46:00.002-06:00

Well, we weren't here for about a week and a half and if you count the time it takes to prepare for that sort of event and the time it takes to recover....then you've got about 3 weeks that have just flown by and a very aching back. We had a lovely time with our Houston friends and families. Ella had a blast. I think she is going to be on overload at Christmas seeing all of her favorite people...AGAIN! We are looking forward to it.

Speaking of Christmas, I feel like I missed the jump start after Thanksgiving since we were away. Immediately upon our return home my list looked like this:

1. Unpack
2. Christmas Tree
3. Laundry or just buy new clothes
4. Christmas Lights
5. Must do laundry b/c new clothes are not in budget
6. CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!!!!
7. Austin Trail of Lights
8. Make all the gifts I had PLANNED to make (and bought supplies for)..EEK!
9. SLEEP
10. Christmas cards

I have done well in our few days home and have only the Trail of Lights, final touches on Christmas cards and making gifts left to do. Trail of Lights starts Sunday and I just know that Ella will eat it up. I'll post pics after the event.

I wish I didn't have so many gifts to make, but they are things I WANT to make because they are better than anything I have seen to buy...if they turn out right. They aren't overly wonderful, but they are just right and personalized. Please motivation, find your way to my door!!!

Six Years and counting...

2008-11-17T14:46:00.011-06:00

Yesterday, Zach and I celebrated number 6. The anniversary has become a time to reflect, especially since we have some years under our belts to reflect upon. Last year I made a little list of questions for us to pour over together, like 1. What are some tough times we've weathered together? 2. What are some terrific life experiences we've shared? 3. How many addresses have we lived at? etc, etc... It was fun, but I was surprised by the number of "tough" things we were able to recall. When I think about my marriage I am shocked by how easy and natural it seems and yet we had worked up such a large list of "tough times"...so many, in fact, that we had to chuckle and agree to move on to the next item on my little list! I believe the key to this phenomenon lay in the way we handle the difficult times...TOGETHER! Tough times happen, losing my dad being the very toughest, but I had my rock to lean on. I needed that rock and he was there for me. It means more to me than he'll ever know. Zach is there for me and now he is here for Ella. He is an AMAZING father. I loved him passionately when I said "I do" six years and 1 day ago and I love him even more today.

Ella playing "dada" with his headphones on:

The new cold weather called for a new coat:

The park at night (last night after our Anniversary dinner at Chuy's:

A First Haircut

2008-11-12T15:31:00.005-06:00

I don't know if you have noticed from recent posts, but Ella's bangs got OUT OF CONTROL! Heather and her assistant, Josie, were nice enough to make a house-call for Ella's first clip. Here are some pics:

Items used: bumbo, a dum-dum sucker and the great outdoors.

Snip, snip...

Josie, the assistant:

Ta-Da!

Major kudos to Heather because it was altogether a totally painless experience. Plus, Ella can SEE NOW!

Back to Normal

2008-11-08T09:27:00.003-06:00

Things are completely back to normal. It was a little erie Friday morning because there was litterally no evidence of the previous day's events. Our neighborhood was as quiet and boring as every other day : ) I was able to hash things over with a couple of neighbors and hear their stories and that was fun. Our immediate neighbor to the left said that the SWAT team actually knocked on their door around 6:45 AM and told them to stay inside...we did not receive the same courtesy knock, but were well aware by then of the events unfolding. The same neighbors had the trunks of their car and truck checked no less than two times by officers. We also did not get searched...weird how we were so close in proximity, with different experiences.

The other neighbor admitted he was scared to come out and stayed home from work until almost noon. I understood that position, too. It was very surreal and we are happy that it is over. He said he was OK with the situations because: 1. The actual scenario did not begin in our neighborhood, it started a few miles away in another part of town and just happened to *crash* into our neighborhood, randomly and 2. The police were all over it!

The final story is something straight out of The Wire, our favorite series: the gunmen were kids (17 to 24 years of age) weilding AK 47's and wearing bullet proof vests and initially robbed a poker game at a private residence. They tortured and shot a few victims at the poker game before stealing their loot and attempting a get-away. The police chase ensued after cops were alerted to the situation and then *BOOM* the crash and police shoot out around the corner from our house. Can you say CRAZY? Two of the five are in custody, one is dead (a result of the police shoot-out) and two are still outstanding. The police know the identity of one of the two and are on the look out.

So, that about wraps things up. Zach has saved the story from the paper for Ella's scrapbook. My response to that is, "What scrapbook?" I put him in charge of that. LOL! I do have a bag o' stuff that I am keeping for her...I guess that is what he means. I wish, wish, wish I was more productive. Someday...

No worries...NOW.

2008-11-06T18:45:00.006-06:00

Shortly after my previous post we saw our neighbors leave, presumably for work. We formulated a plan for our exit as well. Ella and I dropped Zach at work and headed for the Villa's for an ALL DAY play date! Lyndsay is always super accommodating (this is not the first time she has put us up for the day) and even served us up some yummy pizza for lunch : ) Joshua and Tabitha are growing more cute by the minute. The kids played until they were worn out and then had a good snooze while Lyndsay and I got caught up and then I made some phone calls.

I thought my mom might be worried after the AM call about our neighborhood SWAT situation, but I had no idea how worried. She had called Austin Police Department and advised them that I was not answering my home phone (no cell-y) and she was worried. They, in turn, took this as a tip and came over to secure the premises. We were not home and that was the conclusion they came to before phoning my mom back. YIKES!

The search carried on until dark and has just dissipated, without results. They had a very small area blocked off, which included our home and they had AMPLE police officers/SWAT team members so it was determined that the guys were not in the area. We are OK with this and intend on sleeping well tonight....after double checking our doors and windows, of course!

Thanks to everyone for their care and concern over our little family. We are all doing great and enjoying a peaceful (aka: without helicopter) evening at home.

I'll leave you with a couple pics from our visit to the Museum with Sammy:

Ella, behind the controls, at the Austin Kiddie Limits~

Sammy, climbing the steps in the train tower~

Ella, driving a city bus!

SWAT Situation....'FO Real!

2008-11-06T07:58:00.003-06:00

Here's my timeline:

4 AM: Police Sirens, POP..POP......POP,POP,POP! (Zach and Ella are both sleeping soundly)
4:40 AM: Helicopter *seemingly* lands on our roof for 20 minutes! (Zach and Ella are both sleeping soundly, my heart is pounding out of my chest!)
Just before 5 AM: I wake Zach, advise him of the pesky helicopter and gun shots and ask him to bring the phone into our room. We turn on the news.
5 AM: News reports this.

It is now 8 AM, our neighborhood is on LOCK DOWN. A few friends have called after seeing our neighborhood on the news. We are smack in the middle of this thing and the suspects are still at large: ARMED AND DANGEROUS! I have seen 5 SWAT team members with rifles patrolling our street.

Here is Zach and Ella staying abreast of the situation on the news:

Our new "friend":

PICS, w/ minimal commentary, Part 2

2008-11-01T21:19:00.013-05:00

Halloween, mid-morning, a visit to Aunt Charley's work:

Ella, waiting impatiently for Aunt Charley to wrap up behind the counter and come visit, even though she has a pizza pretzel and her very own cup of water with a straw!

Aunt Charley as Sally from Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas":

Halloween photo op with the Villas:
Ella, begging to not have to pose for pics~

Ella, content to pose with a sucker : ) Joshua is Handy Manny and Tabby and Ella are both flowers!

Halloween, time for Trick or Treating with the O'Baughs. Here is everyone exiting their house to hit the streets. Notice there are no children besides Ella in any of my photos. They were waaaay to fast pre- and post- sugar. It was all I could to to keep up with my 1, but we stayed with our group of about 10 kiddos:

Ella, running with reckless abandon from house to house. Here she is pushing an adult out of her way:

Taking stock of her inventory:

Professing her love of Trick or Treating:

Where to next?

More running! This is the main view I had of her all night:

PICS! w/ minimal commentary, Part 1

2008-11-01T20:58:00.011-05:00

Dinner at The Meurers Three on Wednesday. Kudos to Heidi for the delicisouso chili and beer bread...YUM!

Ella, not so sure about this Haunted House thing:

Ella, on the keyboard:

Sammy and Ella...IN THE SAME FRAME..shocking!

Sammy, charging down the hallway with the biggest smile EVER:

Halloween morning, carving the pumpkin:
Before~

During, Ella and Gizmo fight over the innards~

Done, It was inspired by Gizmo since he was hanging around us the whole time. I even tacked on some foam ears to complete the transformation, but they aren't shown here in this pic:

Halloweeeeeeen!

2008-11-01T07:14:00.002-05:00

Wow! It was better than I could have imagined. Ella had no trouble keeping up with the big kids last night. We started with dinner and pictures at the Villas. Thanks for the scrumptious burgers, Lyndsay!

NOTE: Since I am at work, my post of pics will have to be delayed a bit.

We then headed over to the O'Baugh's for a Halloween bash for kiddos. Summed up in one word: CRAZINESS! It was so fun. The parents and kids were all decked out for the festivities. Whitney had a great spread of food/treats for everyone. By the time we arrived, the sun had just set and it was time to Trick or Treat. Ella walked slowly and cautiously to the first house with her dad. There were so many other littles she got pushed around a bit...understandably...there was candy involved here! After the one house, she was HOOKED! She held tight to her Elmo head Halloween bucket and ran...yep, ran from house to house. She had no regard for adults and would push them aside while going top speed to the next house. Sure, she needed some direct...ok, a lot of direction, but she KNEW what she was doing. She would even pick a single candy from the bucket if it were offered to her and place it ever so delicately into her Elmo head. She selected her favorite candy from the mix: SUCKERS! Mom and dad could not get over it all. I didn't know that an 18 month-old little could participate to this extent, but she was all about it. She hit a dozen or more homes before she sat down on a porch and said "no, no, no"...which meant she was done, the bucket was too heavy already and she was ready to be carried on dad's shoulders around the rest of the neighborhood. She was so happy grasping her lute and watching the bigger littles continue to run top speed from one lighted doorway to the next. I know I'm rambling here, but it is so fresh in my mind. Ella had TWO suckers when we got back to Whitneys and a box of animal crackers, thanks Miss Judy! Mom and dad scored some good peanut butter items from her pail which she is not quite ready to have...Yay!

Pics to come shortly...

Last season's sweater fits better this season

2008-10-28T11:51:00.005-05:00

Six months old, last November

Yesterday, 17 months old

I want to just kiss those 6-month old cheeks right off!

Pre-Halloween Weekend

2008-10-27T15:47:00.010-05:00

I hope everyone else is taking advantage of the cooler temps outside.

Friday night the new "urban" neighborhood down the street held an outdoor showing of Casper (newer version with Christina Richie). Tons of families came out to enjoy a picnic dinner and let the kiddos run free on the lawn before the flick:

Ella and her dad:

Making friends:

Rolling around on our blanket, under another blanket:

Me, attempting to get a pic of Ella and I together but ended up with this instead:

Ella, chilaxing with a glow-stick and some animal crackers (why are they called crackers? they are totally COOKIES!):

Saturday we went to the Arbor Day tree planting for the city which was hosted at our local park. No pics. I felt a little bad because we went to play, but there was a call out for volunteers. There were plenty of people so the guilt subsided quickly.

Sunday we attended a UT sponsored Halloween festival for staff/faculty families. It was soooo much fun. We got to see some of Zach's co-workers with their children and play some games, too. They had two stages set up, one for performances which ran pretty consistently with everything from troupes of girls hip-hop dancing to a cool drum performance. The other stage had a mad scientist (professor) conducting crazy experiments with little volunteers. There was plenty of candy for all. Ella even sat through getting a star painted on her cheek!

Ella, convincing her dad to ditch his nap for the party:

Fishin' for candy:

Our little flower ran into Snow White AND Cinderella at the party:

Ella is a flower this Halloween. My girlfriend and I made the costumes for our girls together. Kudos to Martha for these no-sew gems.

Ella has become quite the celebrity the past few days. She was filmed at the movie screening to appear ? and then a photog asked to follow her around at the UT event to possibly appear in the Daily Texan. If her mug doesn't appear anywhere, I think she can live with our own growing file of pics her dad is archiving. I'm pretty sure she'll never be interested enough in herself to sit down and view the thousands we have collected to date...maybe HER kids will want to see them someday...

My Ode to Craigslist

2008-10-22T09:48:00.005-05:00

Okay, so you KNOW about my love of thrift shops so it is probably obvious that I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Craigslist. I have an affinity for gently used items, especially vintage, that no one else can purchase when they tell you, "Hey, I like that...where'd ya get it?"

{Note: the link to Craigslist is MY Craigslist, here in Austin. Just click on your (nearest) city on the right side of the page. You don't want to drive to Scranton for a beat up, old chair, do you?}

Here are some recent finds:

I LOVE these chairs! I got a set of four on Craigslist. Imagine them with a fresh coat of shiny black paint and some updated fabric and wa-la...Art. This is my plan, but I'm limiting to myself to a heavy, canvas fabric in a dark color with a pattern. This is harder to find than I thought...'specially when it has to be on clearance...eek!

I can't say enough good things about this little 'ole IKEA loveseat. It COMFORTABLY sits two and converts into a bed for overnight guests...not your Grandma's futon, eh? Any cookie crumbs and cat hairs you see on this couch are all mine. I bought it in "like new" condition for half the price you would pay at Ikea. LOVE IT!

The other *Spectacular* thing about Craigslist is that you can sell your old junk there, too. I have unloaded a lot of stuff with mostly good experiences. Some people give you a haggle on the price and terms of retrieving, but YOU are selling it so YOU have the last word : )

Good Tips: 1. Only accept cash for items you are selling. 2. Remember that you are dealing with strangers so keep alert when retrieving items or if someone comes to your place to pick them up. 3. When there is something good, at a good price then you have to be the first one to respond to the seller, so check often when you are searching for a particular item.

Happy Hunting!

This and THAT...

2008-10-20T12:42:00.012-05:00

Yes, I know the "THAT" in my title is very dramatic. No reason, really, everything has been pretty, darn great around here. We are loving the weather! Here are some park pics from the end of last week:

Aunt Charley and Ella on the swing:

My bohemian child:

Ella, Joshua and Miss Tabitha:

Tabitha and Ella, close quarters:

Note: Ella eats apples...WHOLE! I love this trick because she works so hard for about 30 minutes to get every scrap of apple and hands me back the stem with a tiny portion of core and a couple seeds. I am certain she has eaten some seeds and there is an apple tree sprouting in her protruding belly as I type!

News Flash: Friday night I went out...and by out I mean, OUT..with the ladies. Soooo much fun. Unfortunately I didn't snap any pics of my beautiful gals/fellow moms hanging out, but I can tell you that it has been too long since the last girls night out! We started at Cork & Co., a wine bar where Amy had made reservations and moved on from there to listen to a DJ spin some tunes at Red Fez where we continued the GAB-fest. Look at this lovely I ran into:

Yep, it is Susan! We were so stunned to see each other we just snapped some photos as evidence and went on our way with promises to see each other again soon.

Saturday the fun continued when Shanto and Aaron stopped by for some Ella, burgers and hanging out around a fire:

Shanto and Ella:

Zach, the Fire Marshall:

The FIRE:

Ella staying a safe distance from the flames with the help of four adults:

Shanto spoiled us all with a coffee cake full of apricot preserves and toasted almonds...YUM! Poor Ella just ran around in circles yelling at the top of her lungs, "HOT, HOT, HOT" because of the smoldering barbeque pit and flaming chimenea. She always has a good time when there is company to show off for. The more Shanto and Aaron soaked it in, the more she would dish out.

See what I mean?

New, cute Ella pic

2008-10-08T22:32:00.002-05:00

Yep, she is ALWAYS this adorable AND she gives kisses now!

The past two weeks...

2008-09-16T20:43:00.016-05:00

I've got some catching up to do, not just on this blog, but around the house, too. Our A/C went out the Friday before last and it took a week for us to get a new one installed. Am I complaining? No Way!!! I feel so blessed that we were able to get a new A/C and we are getting our house "weatherized" on top of that. It is all a part of Austin's Green Energy program. ANOTHER reason to LOVE living in Austin. Don't get me wrong, they are not giving us anything, but they did provide us with a 5-year, no interest loan which made it all possible. We are also going to have a city inspector come and review the work before and after to ensure it is done correctly...that is priceless! In addition to the A/C, we are getting a radiant barrier in the attic, our current insulation brought up to code, new attic ventilation and our existing duct work repaired to 100%! We can't wait until it is all completed (estimated a few weeks, at least).

During the week without A/C our routine became dinner & sleeping at Aunt Charley and Uncle David's (THANKS YOU GUYS!), play-dates at Miss Lindsay's with Joshua and Tabitha, including lunch & nap time (THANKS YOU GUYS!) and trying to come home to pack up and put food together for the following day. It is always a terrible feeling to be displaced, but Ella really did well..no fussing or complaining. Here is a pic of our impromptu dinner outside before the humidity set in the first weekend:

A popsicle for dessert:

Dinner turned into a party when the neighbor kids stopped by. Luckily we had enough popsicles to share:

Note: Our adventure without A/C is nothing compared to the lack of electricity and running water that our families are currently experiencing in the Houston Area. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and the millions of others affected by Ike.

Some pics from a picnic w/ Zach at his work:

Pre-bath ritual "water falleth from the ceiling":

Play-date with the Sam-ster:

Too fun: my friend Amy and her little girl Rowan (only 1 1/2 months older than Ella!) invited us to a bar downtown for a dance party for littles. The idea is hilarious to me. It was at Momo's where I've Zach and I have seen some pretty crazy bands in the past. They had shakers and hula-hoops with ribbons for the kids to play with on the dance floor and a DJ on a laptop. The whole scene just cracked me up. The bar was open with everything from juice for the littles and cocktails for the big ones. We didn't partake, but at least it was an option if things got out of hand...

Rowan, pretty in pink:

Ella, dancing:

Rowan and Ella, a little obsessed with the shakers:

Ella, straight hording the shakers:

We've been enjoying the cool morning air at the park this week. Here is a pic from yesterday morning..look! she is wearing pants! It is THAT cool!

PIGTAILS!

An old friend.

2008-09-02T11:49:00.002-05:00

Ella and I enjoy doing most things together, but she cannot stand one of the things I really, really LOVE to do...thrift shopping. I love picking through trash to find my treasure and I always find some treasure. I attempted to go several months ago, juggling her in one arm and sliding hangers at rapid fire pace with the other hand. I left with clothes with holes that didn't fit correctly because I couldn't maintain her and check/try on my finds. It was so disappointing!

Well, yesterday was a Holiday..YAY!..so Zach was home and I decided not to work, either. This was a big day because we were able to get lots of quality family time, do all the yard work, share breakfast, lunch and dinner together AND I got to squeeze in some thrift shopping/gardening during their nap. I went to the one just around the corner. It is big enough to spend a whole day, but I knew to use my time wisely b/c I was working with an hour..give or take. Due to the Holiday everything..EVERYTHING was 1/2 off! Double Score!!! I waltzed out with 3 shirts, 2 skirts and a dress for under $15 bucks! Two of the items still contained their original tags and a couple were vintage-y. I'm washing my new wardrobe today because I can't wait to wear my new finds.

The moral of this story...don't wait too long to do something you LOVE. It was worth the effort to sneak out when I found the opportunity.

We will always have Matagorda....

2008-08-27T08:23:00.024-05:00

We spent an unbeatable four-day weekend in Matagorda. This place holds a very special place in my heart for one important reason: my dad took my sister and I there regularly when we were kids. My great aunt and uncle used to own a beach house there where we would stay. Sure there are mosquitoes by the thousands and if you get there at the right time of year there may be too many jelly fish to swim, but I can honestly never remember a moment there that I haven't enjoyed. I relish the memories of my dad there. He was a very spontaneous person, so you never knew what he had up his sleeve. When we would wake up in the morning my dad always had a new adventure planned for us: crabbing, playing king of the island-sized float he had splurged on, slumber parties on floaties in the lower level of the house, sand castles, sleeping ON the beach, etc, etc... We laid his ashes to rest there, too...right where the Colorado River feeds into the Gulf just about 1/2 a mile from the beach house. He had requested this before he passed on June 2, 2004.

My FAVORITE memory of my dad there was seeing him sitting at the long table in the front of the beach house facing the ocean in the morning enjoying his cup of "starter juice" (that was his name for coffee) with his bounty of sea shells laying before him on the table. He collected them before the sun rose each morning, hours before we woke up. He would be beaming from ear to ear when we finally woke up and ran to the table to greet him in the morning so he could pick through the shells and show us his favorites and we could find our own favorites.

My great Aunt has passed and my uncle no longer owns the house we used to stay in so my sister and I have rented a house there a couple of times since my dad passed. We invite our family and friends to come and celebrate there with us when we go and there are always lots of takers...more than 30 very special people came out to enjoy food, fun and sun with us this year!

My pics mostly contain Ella, but I know that my sister has some great ones of the attendees that I will have to snag.

Ella on dad's shoulders making the trek across the dune to the beach shortly after we arrived in Matagorda on Friday:

Ella making sure that EVERYONE was following her to the beach:

Castaway Ella:

Ella, enjoying a little R&R on the couch w/ a good book:

Cousin Michael whipping up a bacon, egg and toast breakfast on Saturday morning:

Charley enjoying some solo time on the deck:

Ella taking part in the ceremony we held for my dad:
(note: my Grandmother brings a couple dozen roses for everyone to release into the ocean in memory of my dad)

Alyssa, as a mermaid:

Ella playing hard during one of our 8 trips to the beach:

Ella taking an hour and a half nap in a chair she crawled into on the deck...you can't tell that there are 30+ adults and children enjoying themselves around her the whole time. THAT IS WORN OUT!

My brother, Michael, shortly after sun up on Sunday morning with his 25+ inch trout he caught while wade fishing just in front of the beach house! It is is largest trout catch to date and he was VERY EXCITED! The guys all ran out to fish after that and I believe the total trout count for that morning was 13. We had fresh fried trout tacos for lunch that day : )

Ella and Mimi goofing around early Sunday morning:

Ella and I goofing around:

Ella set up shop on the deck:

Dad and Ella photo op:

Monday morning's sunrise:

Everyone who came made the weekend so very special. Thank you's to: Aunt Anna for the wine, cheeses and fresh fruit. Melissa and Wayne for saving the day with the coal chimneys and beautifully decorated cake. Grandma Rosie for the fresh roses, dessert, plates, paper towels, fresh watermelon from the garden, and saving baby Chloe from crawling off the deck while her big brother was causing a distraction for her mom! Uncle Pat for providing hours of entertainment for the kiddos and adults, alike. Kim, Jessica and Uncle Pat for bringing the kiddos that kept us laughing. Zach and David for putting up with Charley and mine's big ideas for the weekend. George, Jan, Kenny and Lisa for being there, you are apart of our family forever! Mimi and Grandpa Mike for all the sand toys, floats and legos that you brought. Cousin Michael for cooking breakfast on Saturday. My brother Michael for leading the charge on catching lunch and sending us all home with BIG bags of fresh trout. Mike for cleaning all of the fish. Neal for killing the GIANT rattle snake and leaving the dead head on our frisbee (lol!). I'm sure I am leaving out many contributors since I was distracted with a one year old and kitchen duty (and lots of fun) so thanks to everyone who came out!

Dinner with Samuel & My BIG/little girl.

2008-08-27T08:13:00.009-05:00

Last Wednesday (whoa! a whole week ago already) we had Heidi, Will and SAMUEL over for dinner. There was too much fun to be had.

Playing outside:

Playing inside:
(Sammy on the mic)

Ella being UBER sad after Sammy had left (w/ food on her face):

BIG GIRL PHOTO:

little girl photo:

One thing is for sure, we are going to need a regular dose of Samuel around here.

BOOKS!

2008-08-21T16:20:00.002-05:00

I'm always dropping book names to friends, so I thought I would just make a list of some of our favorites...some are new faves, some are old (in no particular order):

1. Llama, Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
2. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
3. Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
4. All books by Mo Willems : )
5. Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss (all Dr. Seuss)
6. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
7. That's Not My Monster by Fiona Watt (another good series)
8. Birthday Monsters! by Sandra Boynton (she has lots of good ones)
9. The Monster at the end of this Book, starring LOVABLE, FURRY OLD GROVER by Jon Stone
10. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Numeroff (great series and coincidentally I met the author's sister a gold exchange store...wonderful and weird)
11. Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
12. Last, but not least, VROOM VROOM, author unknown and Ella's favorite..we read this one at LEAST 10 times a day.

...and I can't think of anymore, but everytime we go to the library it seems we find a new treasure. Please post your favorite books to read with your munchkin(s) because we would love to find more!

Coloring, shorts head and a play date.

2008-08-20T13:07:00.007-05:00

How do I sum up Ella and my time together? It always sounds so goofy....and IT IS!

This week I spent $2.75 on a big roll of white paper and a box of fat crayons. Ella and I have been creating masterpieces together ever since:

Shorts on the head:

Today's play date with Tabitha and Joshua was so much fun: coloring, dragging out every toy, "sharing" toys and baking chocolate chip cookies! Do you notice anything similar about these three crazy kids?

Joshua:

Tabitha:

"Oh, she is SO well behaved."

2008-08-18T09:33:00.003-05:00

Ha! This is what I heard when the family attended a cocktail party on Saturday evening. I wanted to burst out laughing. Picture this, I am carrying Ella (in a magnificent dress) through a crowd of people in a small candle lit room filled with fancy glasses containing fancier drinks and there are comments flying: "She is so beautiful." "Look at those curls." and then *gasp* "She is so well behaved.". Don't get me wrong, the sweet words were very much appreciated, but the bottom line is that she is ONE. She doesn't know what "behaved" means nor is she anywhere close to being able to pronounce this word. Really she is stuck on the repetitive single syllable words like, mama, dada, kiki (aka kitty, kitty), etc, etc. This comment has had me giggling for two days. Maybe I'm delirious...it is possible, but I'm chuckling inside just thinking about it now.

Sorry, no pics of our cocktail evening, which really consisted of us playing in the backyard with the beer drinkers. It was a fun experience and Ella was being good, as is her M.O. when there are new things to see and do and lots of attention to be had.

I have actually started some projects and I'll try and get some pics/how to's up soon in case you are feeling the itch like me. I feel "complete" when I am being creative and I should make the effort more consistently, but it always seems to fall at the bottom of my list of things to do. You know how it is.

Laundry and a Special Gift..

2008-08-13T20:48:00.013-05:00

Today was laundry day, ugh....

Ella took it all in stride:

My favorite part of laundry day..the tiny clothes on the line!

What's this? A gift for me? Is it my birthday?

From Auntie Linda!

Unwrapping..

Unwrapped!

Yay, Crocs!

Thank you, Auntie Linda!!!

It is a little known fact that Ella not only enjoys wearing shoes, but will carry them around in her arms for a good deal of the day. When I line up her shoes on a shelf and she spots them, it makes her smile : )

Swimming, playing and stuff

2008-08-12T08:49:00.006-05:00

That sums up our recent history. Here are some pics:

At Auditorium Shores pseudo water park:

Aunt Charley's Birthday Dinner at our place:

Shipe Neighborhood Wading Pool:

Miss thing after an hour of swimming and wading, barely able to sit up and eat a box of raisins:

A little after swimming swing:

Indoor bike riding:

CRUNCH!

2008-08-04T10:34:00.003-05:00

That was the sound I heard first thing this morning when I set my elbow on the pillow where my glasses were resting comfortably beneath. I woke up in Ella's room. I remember intending on staying in there for a bit last night when she was fussing around 10 pm (unusual), but I obviously crashed and never got back up.

Here is me today wearing said glasses:

--excuse me for a ANOTHER moment while I pause to play the kiss*tickle*flip game that Ella and I just made up--

Ok, back to this post. The pic pretty much says it all...black electrical tape between the eyes. Un, huh. This will be me for a week until my new specs arrive in the mail...all $8.00 of them, + $4.95 shipping and handling for a grand total of $12.95!!! This will be my second pair of specs I've order through Zenni Optical online. The first were my aviator sunglasses which I LOVE...mostly cause they block the sun from my eyes, but having some style is a bonus, too. Though I am looking forward to the new glasses, I will miss these trusty ones which have lasted me 3 1/2 years without a scratch! Here are my rules for glasses: use whatever is handy to polish them up (t-shirt, paper towel, sandpaper) and lay them where they will receive the most abuse at night, when removed. I hope my next one can live up to these standards.

McCrack

2008-08-03T06:51:00.002-05:00

I'm so addicted. Before I got preggers and craved McD's fries the first month I would have said it had been YEARS since I had been there. After that first month of pregnancy I stayed away..."they don't make anything I can't live without". Those days are LONG GONE. I'm in love, true love. My order: "One medium vanilla iced coffee, please!" The price: $2.05.

Here is the deal, I loooooove coffee. I couldn't get by without it...I mean, Ella's childhood would not be as fun-filled if I didn't have it. I can wake up a grumpy-grump, still managing a smile and a song when I see my baby-dolls bright, shining face, but as soon as Ella has her breakfast I brew up a cup and the transformation begins: I'm light on my feet, the dirty dishes and floor that needs sweeping don't bother me and with this energy-packed feeling I'm sure I can get to both today anyway! Yeppers, I'm addicted.

In fact, I run a no-splurge budget (the $1 bin at Target doesn't count 'cause I can get cool stuff for Ella there that makes us happy for weeks : ). Pre-baby I loved Starbucks, but found it difficult to justify the expense. My sister hooks me up with gift cards and I have a favorite, FAVORITE drink there, too: dirty chai on ice w/ soy....YUMMY! If you haven't tried it and are a caffeine fein like me, you HAVE to. I've suggested it to others and they loved it as much as I do. I obviously cannot afford this amazing $5 concoction on my budget, but I can pretty easily talk myself into spending the $2.05 on the Mc'D's McCrack iced coffee version. On really exhausting days I don't have to do any convincing...I promise myself the drink just to make it through the early morning.

Am I weak for giving into this temptation? probably. Do I beat myself up about it? NO. Life is too short and, besides, I NEED IT!

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

2008-07-30T12:45:00.029-05:00

We had a terrific vacation last week, thanks to our generous friends and family who showered us with shelter, food and TONS OF FUN!

Sunday: Our week started out with an Astros game where we met up with Uncle Spencer and Aunt Erika. (Thanks to Aunt Chris for the amazing seats!) It was Ella's very first game...there were a lot of "firsts" for Ella this last week:

dad and ella walking to the game:

ella & uncle spencer:

us:

Monday: The beach with Nana and Grandpa!!! We got there early and the weather was perfect. Nana and Grandpa rented some chairs and a large umbrella so we could cool off from the sun whenever we wanted to. Ella LOVES the water. And by "LOVE", I mean REALLY, REALLY, REALLY LOVES it. She walked in the water until she couldn't anymore and then sought refuge in a big chair under the big umbrella while Nana handed her snacks and entertained her by building sand castles.

on a mission:

loving the water:

Tuesday: Nana hosted a party for the girls and babies. There were too many babies to count. We had a blast and the food was delicious! I managed to get a few pics of the kiddos in action:

ella and dad on the slide:

baby john:

jessica and chloe:

jack showing the young ones how to successfully scale the rock wall:

the line to the slide (luis, mark, alyssa and cooper):

miss lorelei, looking like a baby doll:

just chillin' (ella, courtney and june):

Wednesday: We went to Mimi's house with the intention of going to the zoo that afternoon. We drove there, but hurricane Dolly had landed so we made a v-line for the Children's Museum instead. I don't have any pics, but Mimi does so I'll have to get those out later. It was a TOTAL BLAST for Ella. The Tot Spot was like a miniature world for toddlers and Ella played like Mom, Dad and Mimi weren't following her around . We can't wait to do this again!

Thursday: We hung out with Mimi, Grandpa, Uncle Nick, Aunt Hillary, Uncle Michael and Kristi at home. Dolly was bringing more rain and it was just yucky outside. We had a little birthday party for Uncle Michael and also got to congratulate Michael and Kristi in person on Ella's new cousin that should arrive in March 2009! Ella got all dolled up for the festivities:

Friday: The ZOO and an afternoon play date with Miss Kim and Collin. What a terrific day!!!

this is too good to be true:

taking in a show:

clowning with the elephant in the show titled, "what the poop?":

on the carousel:

passed out before we got out of the parking lot:

Saturday: Spent Friday night at Great Grandma Rosie and Great Grandpa Steve's. We went to Aunt Dawn and Uncle Tony's house on Saturday for a birthday party for Aunt Anna. We got to take a boat ride...Ella had mixed feelings since she had to wear a life jacket the whole time.

at aunt dawn's and uncle tony's house on the water in sargent:

ella and great grandma rosie, looking out at the water:

playing with cars:

Sunday: We hung out with Great Grandma and Grandpa on the property before heading home.

on the tractor:

hanging out:

There were a million sweet moments with friends and family that weren't captured on film. We were so happy to share this time with everyone. We look forward to making many more memories...

We are PAR-TAY'd out!

2008-07-06T21:25:00.008-05:00

Harris turned 4 on Thursday, but we celebrated this milestone with him and lots of other rug-rats today. There was plenty of grilled meat and water splashing to go around. Here are some pics of the "kids" in the pool:

Ella wanting to get in on the action:

Ella and her new friend Caleb with a MOHAWK: (he was soooooo sweet and sooooo cute!)

Ella could scale this vertical ladder in about 30 seconds flat. Of course, Dad was a spotter just in case....

Ella and I crashed on the couch as soon as we made it home:

The end of our action packed 3-day weekend? NO WAY!!! Our overnight guests have arrived...YAY! Great Grandma Rosie and Great Grandpa Steve are here and have even agreed to accompany us to the playground first thing in the morning : )

Here is Ella eating up all of the attention that Great Grandma could dish out..and a little ice cream:

With that I am going to bed! 9:30 pm and still enough time for a good night's rest.

Happy Fourth of July..and Fifth!

2008-07-05T22:11:00.007-05:00

So, Friday was a fun day. We had a few friends over for hot dogs and homemade ice cream. The exotic dog of the day award went to the salmon weiners brought by my sister and brother-in-law. They said they tasted just like......a hot dog....smothered with all the fixin's of course. It was warm and at times, down right hot. Ella and her friend Rowan found a great way to cool off together:

There was the wacky sprinkler and froggie swimming pools also available for the kiddos..in the shade. I don't have pics of those things, but I'll have to ask my sis because there is a good chance she has some : )

Today we were able to wind down in the luxurious estate of our friends Eric and Shannon. They have a REAL POOL! Here are some pics of Ella enjoying being the only shorty and getting all the attention:

Shannon is playing with Ella in this pic:

Overall, my pics are crummy (the watermelon shot being excluded as that was actually taken by Rowan's daddy, Sean) and don't reflect how much fun we've had the last couple of days. On our way home from our friends today we surprised Aunt Charley at work which was fun. We made it home in time to grab a late dinner and bath and squeak into bed just an hour late. Tomorrow....HARRIS'S BIRTHDAY PARTY! He is 4. I will have to do better with the pics.

24 hours with NANA!

2008-07-01T18:40:00.009-05:00

On Friday when Ella heard that Nana would be in town Sunday afternoon, she got so excited that she started to walk and hasn't stopped. Here are some pics from their time together:

Sharing a popsicle just before bath time

On the Zilker Zephyr

Nana counting toes

Enjoying lunch at Mi Madres

it was lip-smacking good

If we can squeeze this much fun into just 24 hours, imagine the possibilities for our July mini-cation with the Grandparents. We can't wait!!

Friend's B-day and Breaking in a NEW SKIRT

2008-06-29T15:04:00.007-05:00

This weekend is the best! Ella's friend Tabitha just turned one year old so we got to party down with her and a few other little friends. The theme was puppy dogs and kitty cats, hence the kitty ears Ella is sporting in all the pics:

Enjoying a dip with the birthday girl and her older brother, Joshua:

Cooling off in the wacky sprinkler:

Chilling in mom's lap in the shade after a long morning of playing hard:

Ella received a package in the mail from her Great Grandma Rosie and Great Grandpa Steve this weekend, too. It was a belated birthday gift of her own. It contained some cute clothes. One of which is this skirt in which Ella is dancing a little jig:

Nana should be here anytime...let the fun continue!

Why?

2008-06-26T16:47:00.002-05:00

Tell me something...why do snow cone stands in Austin not open until noon? It is hot enough for one by 9:30 am.

Ok, I am just bitter because Charley, Ella and I were on the hunt for one at 11 am this morning after a *brisk walk on the Lady Bird Lake trail downtown and came up empty handed. We nearly died of a heat stroke AND our mouths were watering for one before we made it to a stand and found it to be CLOSED. I know there are bigger problems going on around here, but this one is climbing the charts for me, especially as we are rounding a record heat wave of 18 days over 100 degree temps within the month of June here in Austin. Argh! I might just write a letter....but to whom?

**Please note that Ella was riding coolly in her shaded stroller with a cup of water that she indulged in regularly to stay even cooler. No babies were harmed in our snow cone hunting efforts.

Thanks for your responses to my "call for help"

2008-06-25T21:47:00.003-05:00

Emails, comments, talking with friends have all helped. I have come to the conclusion (a couple of days too late) that I could have left the turkey there (thanks Aunt Anna). That would have satisfied my non-confrontational style and I wouldn't have had to mutter a word (which is good because I was speechless), but still have gotten my point across. I'm not beating myself up about it anymore, but I do realize that I'm going to have to be a little quicker on my feet next time and stand up for what I know is right. I don't think it could have made me any more uncomfortable than I already was.

BTW: I know why I was embarrassed now. I think it was that the boy thought I looked like someone who would be okay with that nonsense. Well, I'M NOT!

Family Time

2008-06-25T08:23:00.009-05:00

I've disappointed a few of Ella's fans and for that I am sorry. I am now making an attempt to mend the tattered bridge so that we can all be friends again. Here are some pics from Sunday's family canoe adventure:

This would be the captain of the vessel, A-town in the background.

Daddy, AKA Row Master, in the back of the boat.

Here I am. My list of canoe duties included: sunscreen application, picture taking, keeping the kid from jumping out of the boat, pointing out all wildlife, giving the cue to say hi to other canoes as they passed and trying not to move so that the canoe didn't flip!

Ella discovering:

If you are ever in Austin, we highly recommend this trip via canoe.

After the HOT adventure on the water, we decided to chill in the shade of the playground for a bit before heading home for a nap.

A note about this last picture: Ella and her dad play the "keep away" game and Ella loves it (obviously by the pic). I have noticed Ella attempting to play it with other children, but they don't like the game. When she is playing it, it looks like she is trying not to share and she gets totally confused by her little friends' lack of enthusiasm. I feel so bad because we taught her this game. I think it may be time for a new game...

Going back in time to our visit with MIMI

2008-06-25T07:55:00.009-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we attended the graduation of my little bro, CONGRATS NICK! Since Zach had to travel for work the following Monday through Wednesday, Ella and I extended our time down with my family through Wednesday also. It was loads of fun. My mom took off work. My sister Hillary was out of school for the summer so she was our sidekick. One day we visited the Bayou Wildlife Park in Alvin. It was a blast!! I couldn't believe how accessible the animals were and everything would eat right out of your hands! Here is a pic of a very exotic and rare beast:

HA! GOT YOU! Here are a few more:

Aunt Hillary feeding...an animal.

This one is so my fave: Mimi and Ella having fun together.

Here is an ostrich gobbling up the food we gave to him.

Let me give you a little background on Aunt Hillary. She doesn't want children (which is good because she is only 17). She doesn't like them so much. By the end of our stay here were the inseparable pair:

Of course, I don't have pics, but Ella would snuggle with her in the mornings to try and wake up Aunt Hillary (who is NOT a morning person and actually took over my position as the grumpy goose in the house during the A.M.).

I cannot end this post without this following pic of Ella rolling with her Great Grandma Dacey (GG):

The trip was great, the car rides were great and it was REALLY GREAT to see dad again!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-06-24T12:02:00.002-05:00

I dig this. It packs a real one-two punch with the crispy outside and chewy middle. You may want to substitute real butter for the shortening. I didn't add the nuts to please everyone in the household, but I think I would love them in here:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups uncooked rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

Sift flour with salt and soda. Cream shortening and sugars; beat in eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in sifted dry ingredients, chopped walnuts or pecans, rolled oats, and chocolate chips. Drop chocolate chip cookie batter by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake chocolate chip cookies in a preheated 350° oven for about 10 to 12 minutes; cool on racks. Makes about 8 dozen chocolate chip cookies.

Stealing is wrong...so why did I do it?

2008-06-23T21:34:00.002-05:00

Ok, let me clarify this title. I was in Walmart today (don't tell my sister because she is TOTALLY anti-walmart and I get that, but if it allows me to buy more food for my family, I have to be for it...ugh)...back to my story...I was in Walmart today, this evening really, to pick up some chocolate chips to make oatmeal, chocolate chip cookies...YUM!..and I thought I'd pick up an extra package of shaved turkey meat for lunches this week. I am in the super-duper, lightening-fast express lane (ha! no, really it was 'cause I walked right up to check out) and the boy checker asked if I was making cookies. I said (waaaay too excitedly, cause I could already taste the warm cookies melting in my mouth..and the cookie dough, too) "YES!!!" He proceeded to scan and bag my 2 items, but wait..he only scanned the chocolate chips and not the turkey. I'm trying to ponder this in my mind when he says, completely nonchalantly, "I gave you some free ham." My initial reaction was total embarrassment. Don't ask my why 'cause I don't know! I paid the man, err, boy and thought I was totally going to be busted and even more embarrassed. I walked out the door just kicking myself, "what is the right thing to do here?" I sat in my car, "What is the right thing to do here? Stealing is wrong! What if I was recorded by that TV show to catch a thief or something?" I drove home, "I could have told customer service, but then the kid would likely get fired and I didn't want that to happen." The manager in me thought: "I should have told the boy that it is important to do his best at his job and if he wants a better one then he will need a good recommendation." Now (an hour later) I am thinking, "What if Ella was older and she had been there? I have to be a good example for her."

Help me out here people. I pose this question: What would you have done? I appreciate any feedback I get. This will weigh heavy on my mind for a while. I know myself too well. Over and Out.

Family Reunion

2008-06-02T17:40:00.004-05:00

We had a terrific time this past weekend. It started a little early when Juanita, Andrew and baby John came to visit Austin and we headed over to Frank and Angies to share a couple pies:

Friday included more fun with the Thomas's when we met early at Barton Springs and ended the afternoon with crepes from Flip Happy Crepes. Juanita had seen it on the Food Network and was dying to go. We live here and had no idea this little nugget of goodness was in our backyard. The crepes were delicious and I'd recommend it to anyone. The Thomas clan headed back to Wimberley (the site of the reunion). Here is a great pic of John at the crepe joint:

After Zach got off work, we packed up the car and drove to the 7A Ranch. It was only an hour from our house, so that was convenient. The scenery couldn't have been better and we were only a stone's throw from the river. Ella had a blast with all her cousins:

I'm excited for Ella to get to know all her cousins and for her to look forward to seeing them, just like my sister and I used to do.

The weekend went well, but Ella is growing impatient with being little and starting to assert herself. I don't know if I am ready for this feisty little one, but ready or not, here she comes! Wish me luck and drop me some words of wisdom if you have some to share.

We did it!

2008-05-28T12:13:00.001-05:00

Ella's MRI is over and she was a champ! The nurses were all super sweet with her and she paid them in cuteness. She is back to 100% and it is just noon, a few hours since the procedure : ) Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

Bad Blogger

2008-05-26T12:05:00.002-05:00

The summer season has put some zing in our calendar of events. Ella and I have been so busy that it is difficult to remember the camera in the frenzy, much less sit down and look at what we've snapped together. Play dates with Joshua and Tabitha and even a recent visit to our newest tiny neighbor Samuel! We were so lucky that our small friend Collin came and visited and we were able to grill and chill with his mom and dad, along with Lyndsay and her family. We did Barton Springs two times this week! Ella loves the frigid water, even though I have to warm up to it a bit. We are hitting the trail a couple mornings a week with the park as our destination of choice. Aunt Charley is squeezing us in her busy schedule at least twice a week : ) We love spending time with her out and about. We are looking forward to Zach's family reunion this weekend and Uncle Nick's high school graduation and blow out party the next. It is all very exciting and the double dose of vitamin D from the sun keeps our wheels spinning.

We have one small hurdle and that is Ella's MRI scheduled for first thing Wednesday (yep, day after tomorrow). We are going in to make sure her surgery at 2 months old was a true success and to ease concerns of any future complications. It wouldn't be so bad, but she has to be put under, IV and all. Zach and I will be together at the hospital and will be sure to report as soon as she is done. We get the official Neurologist's report next week at our visit, but I will feel great once the anesthesia part is over. I just don't like it and neither does Ella. This is all very confusing to a newly 1 year old.

Ok, summer updates and pictures will be added soon. I thought I should just drop a line about what us girls have been doing lately since I haven't been posting at all.

Later,
Elizabeth

Back to normal?

2008-05-14T13:41:00.002-05:00

Pretty much, but Ella still has a little diva in her from all the attention this past weekend : )

Part III: Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11th

2008-05-13T12:09:00.007-05:00

Could there be a better Mother's Day gift than to have your family in town to share it with? Nana, Grandpa, Uncle Spencer, Aunt Erika, Uncle Travis, Mimi, Grandpa, Aunt Hillary, Great Grandma Rosie, Great Aunt Anna and Great Uncle Pat all stayed to share lunch together on Sunday. We met Aunt Charley, Uncle David and all the afore mentioned crew, including Shauna at County Line for some good 'ole barbecue and a little relaxation on their patio on the water before everyone had to head their separate ways. Ella was loving day 3 of the party extravaganza.

Drinking milk while hanging with Uncle Spencer:

Watching the turtles with Uncle Trav:

Feeding the turtles with Aunt Charley:

Ignoring the turtles for one moment to pose with the whole Vowell crew:

Part II: PAR-TAY! Saturday, May 10th

2008-05-13T12:00:00.007-05:00

Wow! The day was a whirl-wind of activity. Zach and I put the finishing touches on everything from the lawn to food just minutes before our first out-of-town guests arrived. Nana, Grandpa, Uncle Spencer and Aunt Erika arrived first with cupcakes for the party...so good! Great Grandma Rosie, Great Aunt Anna and Great Uncle Pat followed shortly thereafter and then the flood gates opened wide with Mimi, Grandpa, Aunt Hillary and all of the Austin crew! There were so many people here to celebrate Ella's birthday that it brings tears to my eyes. Here are a few pics that were miraculously snagged on my camera (though not by me). I'll be posting more as Aunt Charley gets them uploaded and sent over:

Ella and Aunt Erika:

Opening presents...

Eating birthday cupcake:

The day couldn't have been more perfect. I definitely will be posting pics of the party attendees when I get a chance. Ella slept one tiny hour the whole day due to the festivities.

Part I: Let's go back in time together....Friday, May 9th

2008-05-13T11:50:00.006-05:00

Today is (was) Ella's birthday! She is officially one year old. Mom, dad and Ella shared a birthday breakfast of banana pancakes together:

Ella waking up to an overwhelming amount of balloons and attention from mom and dad:

Mmmmmmm, mmmm...

Ella stuffing too much in:

The rest of the day consisted of a morning visit from Aunt Charley and Miss Whitney (who came to help mom clean house for tomorrow's party....three cheers for Miss Whitney!) lunch with dad at his work and playing at home with mom until dad came home and we were all able to play together.

Now Ella rides in her big-girl, forward facing car seat and drinks milk from a sippy cup....my how things change in the course of a week!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY TO MY PRECIOUS ANGEL!

Date Night

2008-05-08T08:58:00.003-05:00

I have to talk about last night because it was the first real date Zach and I have been on in well over a year! Aunt Charley was gracious enough to babysit, even though that consisted of sleeping on the sofa while Ella slept, too.

We knew it was gonna be a late night because we had a shmancy dinner and a show on our plate and we did not leave the house until 9 pm (my usual shut down time). We went to vespaio, compliments of our friends Justin and Whitney who bestowed us with a VERY GENEROUS gift certificate. So generous we were able to indulge on a three course meal, with drinks! Everything was delicious and the candlelit atmosphere really made it special. This gave us some time to talk and I didn't realize how few uninterrupted moments we really share because we had so much to talk about. We started off with a couple glasses of wine and some calamari for an appetizer. Zach chose a salmon entree that was offered as one of their many daily specials and I had a pasta stuffed with butternut squash smothered in a brown sage butter w/ walnuts and parmigiano reggiano cheese...magnific! I forgot my camera and have no pics of these succulent dishes so you'll just have to make the trip to take it all in.

We left the restaurant around 11 pm and made the short trek to the Alamo Drafthouse on 6th street (our first visit at it's new Ritz location) to see the Stars of the Lid show that we have had tickets to for months. The ambient music was so relaxing I found myself taking much of it in with my eyes closed.

Our adventure downtown included all the regular kooky characters: a couple friendly homeless men walked us to the show and shared some good conversation, there was a "swat" team breaking up a cat fight on the street where we walked out of the show and a short punk kid was trying to fight people in their cars and a few frat guys on the sidewalk right next to us. We made it home at the crack of 2:30 AM!!!! I believe that I was breastfeeding the last time I saw that on a clock.

Anywho, the sleep deprivation I am battling today was well worth the event and I am looking forward to many more dating adventures with my Honey.

Bathroom Renno, Part Deux

2008-04-28T15:43:00.000-05:00

I cannot wait for this "little project" to be complete.

Floor prep for the new tile consists of: removing existing laminate, removing adhesive from said laminate through back breaking scraping technique, removing vinyl tile that has warped from water damage in the bathroom over the 40 years of it's lifespan, replacing the removed vinyl tile panels with new ones (requires some creative cutting), patching leftover holes/dips with floor patch (wet cement). Once this is complete we can start the "oh so easy" 3-step process of adhering, grouting and sealing the new ceramic tile.

and

This has turned out to be a smelly process, so we have had to improvise with bath time:

It is times like these that I am happy we live in a tiny house. If that bathroom were 20 more square feet we would not be undertaking this project. Luckily, Ella doesn't mind the mess. You might even say she is used to it ; )

Not quite shorts, Not quite pants

2008-04-24T22:05:00.000-05:00

They are capris for babies! I think Ella sports them very nicely, don't you?

She has been killing me with cuteness all day! I dumped some things fresh from the dryer on the couch and returned to the garage to put the next load in the dryer and returned to Ella wearing my nightgown. I have NO IDEA how she wrangled it on while standing. She has never even attempted to put something on before...that I know of. I was gone *maybe* 45 seconds.

Bathroom Rennovation

2008-04-24T00:09:00.000-05:00

What have we gotten ourselves into? Easy stuff turns out to be hard, hard stuff is totally doable. Home improvement is definitely not our strong suit. It started off with replacing the sink. I wanted a pedestal sink...well, after the purchase of said pedestal sink we realized that our off-centered drain line wouldn't allow for it. That was alright...I'm a gal who can roll with the punches. I got another cabinet sink..."euro-style", of course. I guess that fancies it up a bit. I have already left out the part about ripping out the old sink months ago so that we are completely without a bathroom sink. Under the old bathroom cabinet was the old floor. We would need to update the floor, too so that the room would flow nicely. I decided we needed to do ceramic. Do we know how? No. Were we willing to try? Kinda.

OLD:

NEW:

Now, I have added bead boarding the lower half of the room, replacing the old medicine cabinet with a more contemporary (though still cheap) mirror and throwing on the bucket of paint I bought for the room 2 years ago upon purchase of the place.

BEAD BOARD:

PAINT (Herb Garden Green):

Paint is done. Bead board is 1/2 done. Floor is 1/5 done. Sink is being installed as I type. Trim work, wall hole patching (from old medicine cabinet space) and fine tuning also still on the list. Please, wish us luck and harness all of your carpentry energy our way.

Today, I am 30.

2008-04-23T23:04:00.001-05:00

No complaints here. I certainly don't feel any different. I started the morning with Zach bringing me flowers in bed, along with his gift of a big 'ole bag of Starbucks crack (oops, did I say that?)...correction, coffee. Then Ella woke up with a giant smile and a song in her heart, per usual. My sister came over shortly thereafter and we scooped up my very preggie girlfriend Stephanie for some Kirby Lane pancakes...mmmmm, mmmm! They were wonderful. Steph and Charley wrestled over the check and it might have killed my pancake buzz, but Charley had just presented me with *bling* a new diamond necklace! WOWSERS! I totally love it. Here it is:

After breakfast Charley, Ella and I hung out around the house and in the backyard.

Here are Charley and Ella, racing to tell me Happy Birthday : )

Here they are listening to birds in the backyard.

This afternoon I was showered with cards and phone calls from family and friends. Zach, Ella and I ended the evening with dinner at Hut's Hamburgers and a milkshake to boot! So, maybe I gained a few pounds today, but I don't have to watch my "girlish" figure anymore because now I am a WOMAN!

Our Upstairs Neighbors

2008-04-18T10:29:00.001-05:00

You buy a home and your only problem is that your new landlord doesn't get around to fixing things as quickly as you like (you only have yourself to blame). Your years (and years) of living in an apartment with noisy neighbors is over, right? WRONG-O, because just when you settle in to your cozy new nest, so do your new upstairs neighbors. Those of you who have been to my house are saying "Wait a minute, your house is only one-story!" You would be correct, but you are assuming that when I say neighbor that I mean human. We have a nice young family of squirrels, a.k.a. rodents, that have nestled into the insulation just above our bedroom...above our bed...directly over our heads, to be exact. Sure, we have evicted them. They relocated for all of a day. They have ripped a fresh hole in the screen that covers our attic ventilation system and they are back. For how long? I'll keep you "posted" and leave you with this image....

Introductions

2008-04-17T21:55:00.000-05:00

Hello to you, whomever you are. I am new to this gig, though I have several favorite blogs that I read and learn from each day...err, weekly. I want to start this thing off with a *BANG*, so here goes nothin':

Mmm,hmmm, that is only my favorite girl with her bubble goatee. She wants to be just like her dad and that would be alright with me, sans a real hair goatee.

If that wasn't *BANG-Y* enough for you, then the rest of the junk I have to say/capture in this space might not be up to par either. If, on the other hand, you enjoyed my *BANG* you should stay tuned and don't forget to EAT YOUR VEGGIES!