Get Out! (Week 5)

It's impossible to live up to last weekend. Impossible to get out in that way two weekends in a row. Plus, I'm kinda in a love affair with my bed right now - nothing like the rock-hard ground to make you appreciate your pillow-top mattress. This weekend we concentrated on getting out a little closer to home, and since Chuck had a wicked fever on Saturday afternoon and night, we focused on the yard, made a quick trip to the Natural Gardener, and stuck around the homestead. 

Our landscaping was way neglected last spring...I guess I was pretty busy growing a baby or something...so we decided to focus our efforts and get everything back on track. First stop? The Natural Gardener. If you've never been, The Natural Gardener is this gardening/landscaping utopia just southwest of downtown. Truly, it's magic. They have all sorts of varieties of plants, veggies, trees, the most helpful and knowledgeable staff ever, a chicken coop and goats - Charlie's favorite this time. By the time we left, Charlie had his animal fix for the day and we had a car full of plants and veggies for the garden. We eagerly headed home to dig, plant, repeat. We replanted our back flowerbed, tore out trees (and delivered them to friends), planted our lemon tree, laid sod, started our spring/summer garden, put the finishing touches on our front flowerbeds, mowed, edged, and ripped up the rotting wood lining our flowerbeds and replaced it with brick we found hiding under our deck. Ooof! What a day.

We got out this weekend, checked some much needed home improvements off our list, and enjoyed this beautiful sunshine. Austinites, I'm thinking our heat-advisory free weekends are numbered. We're going to have to start mixing in some large bodies of water to our routine! Here's hoping you got out this weekend too - soaked up the outdoors and improved your corner of world. 

Dancing goats.

Goat callin'. 

Get Out! (Week 4)

We got out in a big way this weekend. We packed up Thursday night to head to Cedar Breaks park in Georgetown, TX. With some killer coordination, the mamas and babies loaded up Friday after naps to set up camp and get dinner started before the dads got off work. Somehow the execution was seamless. Tents were up, dinner was on the stove, and babies were happily exploring as the dads arrived...miracles do happen.

If you haven't been to Cedar Breaks it's a small, beautiful park with mostly wooded and secluded campsites. There's water and electricity at every site and bathrooms with warm showers just yards away. So we weren't totally roughing it, but I think this just might be my kind of camping. Honestly, it's the first time I've camped and made it through the night in a tent. Charlie didn't sleep very well, so we walked laps in the stroller at naptimes and co-slept as best as we could at night. I wouldn't say we were rested when we left, but the weekend was still perfection. The weather was beautiful! And well, there's nothing quite like getting to wake up and hang with great friends all day. We took long walks, watched the kids play in the tents, let the dogs dip their paws in the lake, ate ridiculously delicious meals (no soggy sandwiches here!), and roasted marshmallows for s'mores. And Saturday night, as all the sweet kiddos rested peacefully in their tents, we laughed and pondered the important issues facing our world - top 10 greatest 80's movies, what the weekend would have looked like if we did this four years ago, the price of RV's (selling the house and touring the US is looking like a really sweet idea), A/C units and the price of copper, RV's with motorcycle storage, and well, you get the point. We settled a load of world problems. We packed up camp early Sunday morning to get home for Charlie's morning nap, and what a day of rest Sunday was. Charlie slept for almost seven hours between his morning and afternoon naps...whoa!

We got out this weekend, enjoyed this beautiful weather, spent time with awesome friends, and made some great family memories. I hope you did too!

Clearly, I should have taken way more pictures...next time!

11 Months!

Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. What a tiny pistol he's turned into this month. He is truly on the move from the moment he wakes up until he drifts off to sleep. Honestly, today would have slipped right by me if his GiGi hadn't texted remarking how unbelievable it is that we are officially one month away from the big O-N-E! We are so busy bouncing from here to there now because of Chuck's increasing mobility that I'm never quite sure where the day goes. But 11 months...holy cow.

Moving. For real, we're up and greeting the day often before I've really clocked in. Why, again, don't I drink coffee?! Charlie isn't walking yet, but he wants to so badly that he can hardly function lately. He finger walks constantly, and if you try to take a break because your back is certain it might break in two, he just cries and cries and cries. Thankfully, GiGi and Pops sent him an April Fool's/early birthday present - a Radio Flyer wagon/walker - and it couldn't be more fantastic and practical. We've walked 9,000 laps around the house in the last week, and he's so freaking proud of himself at every turn. He's starting to get braver with his steps. He's walks while holding on to just one of our hands and has taken a handful of steps at a time by himself, but as soon as he realizes he's on his own, he drops to his butt. Soon, Charlie boy, so soon. And then I'm certain moving will have an entirely different meaning.

Smarts. Charlie boy's got 'em. John and I are still perplexed by where he got these brains, but we're gonna roll with it for now. He's chattering all day, and while he's had Ma and Da down for the last month, the 'b' sound has been mixed into his repertoire this month and he uses it exclusively for ball and book. He's not saying the entire words, okay, but try to tell him differently. And oh books! My English teacher heart is so full because this month he's been crawling down from my lap, pulling a book out of his basket, holding it up to me saying "bah" until I take it and then crawling back to my lap saying "uh" (up!, duh) and then settling in to read. For real...melt my heart. There is one book "Where's My Mommy?" that my friend Dawn gave me after he was born, and he's obsessed. I'm not quite sure what he loves about it so much - it's way above an 11 month old's reading level - but every time I turn the first page, he starts flapping his arms and "oh, oh, oh, oh"-ing. It's just beyond awesome.

Growing. Man, is this kid a weed. We don't get his official measurements until next month at the big one year appointment, but he weighed in at 25 lbs last week at his doctor's appointment (darn fever). But what I'm dying to measure...maybe I'll just lay him out or stand him up against a door frame, duh...is his height. He is looking crazy tall these days. And if his high-water pants are any indication, I'd say he's grown a few inches from last month.

Sleeping. Oh blackout curtains, how glorious you've made our life. Great naps, great bedtimes, great sleeps.

Appetite. Charlie's eating his little booty off (or on, really). He loves pretty much any fruit (raspberries are the running favorite) and all bread products and meats. Not so into cheese or a wide variety of veggies, but he loves kale, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas and butternut squash. His favorite meal is eggs, turkey sausage, raspberries and OJ (it's totally mine too!). I'm grateful for that easy appetite and willingness to eat.

This month we've spent even more time than usual with family - yay for trips to Austin! - and loads of time outside and with friends. He's still pretty content doing anything outside, but he's not content just sitting and playing in his sandbox or on the deck or out in the flowers with me. He's got to be in the mix or exploring at all times. Although, at playgroup today he was pretty content to play with his friends toy kitchen almost the entire time...hoping he got some of his Uncle Kevin's cooking genes. His Gaga and Papa's house is still one of his favorite places to be - the clock, the window, the stairs and the wooden toy luggage that fits perfectly between the slats of the end table...it's dreamy. The library went on spring break I think almost the entire month of March, but we were back last week, and Charlie was cruising around all over again invading people's personal space at every turn. And the bike cart. It must be mentioned because it's our new favorite thing this month. Chuck's first tool around town was a little scary, but since then, he's loved it every time. What an easy way to get to the library or the park or the grocery store. We're in love!

This month was loads of fun - spring breaking, sxsw-ing, and celebrating birthdays and Easter, and next month we'll be celebrating one year since our sweet Charlie boy debuted into this world. Can't believe we're here already but can't imagine being anywhere else.

 

 

Thanks, Mama Case for the awesome pic!

 

 

 

Get Out! (Week 3)

Are you seeing the trend? One of John and my goals for our family is to get out of our house and take advantage of this great place we live in, so we're trying to truly tour around Austin visiting all our old haunts while trying some new fun too with sweet Charlie and Stan in tow. I hope you'll join us - get out and explore your city!

This weekend was a little different - Charlie was feverish and sad and sleepy. We rested most of the day on Saturday but ventured out for a couple hours in the afternoon to visit one of my favorite parks in Austin - St. Edwards Park off old Spicewood Rd. Once we moved from our 360 apartment, Stan and I discovered this park not too far away from our new place. It has great little swimming holes, a steady stream in the creek and some awesome hills on the south side. We've had some downs at this park too though, so beware if you plan to visit - John's had his wallet stolen out of his locked car twice, the parking lot (small) is really close to the two-lane busy street, so leash pets before getting back to the car, and I didn't see it, but Stan came bolting out of the brush one day running for his life, and as I tried to figure out what the hell had spooked him, I suddenly realized the rattling was more than likely a snake he'd stumbled onto. But with all that said, this park keeps me coming back for the secluded trails, mix of terrain, and beautiful water features. And during the spring there is a bend right behind a grouping of trees, where you turn the corner and literally fall into a gigantic field of bluebonnets. And if you catch it at the right time, I just swear this is what my version of heaven looks like.

Another great trip, a perfect way to spend the afternoon. Get out(side)!

Get Out!

Not to rub it in your face, but this weekend was, well, gorgeous, again. And when it's 104, and I'm melting in my air-conditioned car and Charlie's banned from the outdoors unless it's before 9 in the morning or after 9 at night, you can remind me of all the bragging I did in March, but geez, right now, I can't get enough.

This weekend we took advantage of Austin's awesome parks. We visited our old stomping grounds - Bull Creek - on Saturday, and Stan couldn't have been happier to be back. When I first moved to Austin I lived across 360 from this park, and we went over there every day after work. It's a beautiful little park with trails, water, picnic tables and plenty of room to run. We packed up a lunch and headed out for an afternoon of fun. Chuck loved...I mean LOVED...the water. It was freezing cold, but he was obsessed. We splashed our hearts out, and even then, Chuck was devastated when it was time to go. Rough life, Chuckster. On Sunday, we picked up Jimmy John's and headed to Mayfield. Luckily, my sister's family is in town, so we had quite a picnic crew. Mayfield is an awesome park with peacocks roaming freely, beautiful ponds with huge fish, great gardens and trails down to Lake Austin...perfection. Only drawback? It's a Stan-free zone. Bummer. But again, a perfect picnic, plenty of room for Chuck to cruise, and lots to see.

I hope you took the time to get out this weekend, to recharge your batteries, and to reset before the new week. Get outside, Austin!

Sweet Charlie Boy

Just when my heart feels like it'll explode at any minute, you do another sweet, funny or smart thing, and it somehow swells a little more. I love you everyday, of course, but there are some days where that love digs just a little deeper. I hope you'll know this kind of love, sweet boy. I hope you'll share this kind of love for me, your dad, a pet, a future brother or sister (I don't think we're going for both...sorry), a partner, and hopefully, one day, a child of your own. Because this overwhelming, heart-swelling love is truly awesome.

I somehow lucked in to spending my everyday with you - the sweetest, smartest, funniest, cutest, and most contented kiddo. And that's exactly what you are nowadays...a kiddo. At almost 11 months old there's no denying you're a total kid. You are, as your Papa called it, perpetual motion. And there are just too many memories I want to hold on to right now. Too many I want to keep forever.

Right now you are... 

Wanting to walk so badly you can hardly stand it (seriously, no pun intended). Just this weekend, because you had a ball in your right hand, you walked while only holding on to one of my hands. And this morning you did the same. It slowed you down and made you more cautious, but you totally did it. You can stand on your own now too, but only when you don't realize what you're doing. I know you'll get it all soon, and we'll be off to the races.

Showing your brain-power more and more everyday. We rode to the nursery Sunday to get some plants, and as you struggled to reach a water cup at the bottom of your bike trailer, I rode up alongside you and told you that your snack cup was beside your arm and pointed. I don't even know why I did it. I honestly expected we'd stop, and I'd grab both for you, but just when your dad started slowing down, you looked at me and then turned directly to your snack cup and happily went back to riding and eating. Your dad and I both marvelled at you. It may seem small and insignificant, but you are amazing to us. The things you understand and work to communicate are unbelievable. That little brain is working all the time. And even though you're not talking, you clearly understand. Amazing.

Laughing and make me laugh constantly throughout the day. Just today we were both in a fit of giggles because you were tightening your fists, straightening your whole body, and grunting all while watching yourself in the mirror in the backseat. Between grunts you would smile and laugh. I guess you were just confirming that yep, it looks as cool as it feels.

Saying "uh-oh" in the sweetest, softest voice. I can't seem to get you to do it for anyone but me and your dad, but oh my lord. I'll have to try to get it on video because your voice is just too sweet.

So big. When we stopped to eat lunch before the grocery store, a man typing away on his computer stopped for a brief stretch break raising his arms high above his head before getting back to work, and you, watching the entire thing, mirrored him over and over and over. Because to you that man was doing "so big" and well, you know all about being that.

Loving social laughter. Your friend Eddy has been in on every joke for months now, and it cracks me up to see him laugh just because all the adults start. And just this month you've started doing the same. It's this total cheeseball face and forced laugh, but it kills me.

Crazy about the grocery store. I don't know if it's your forever love of food or all the people fawning over you or all the bright colors and balloons, but we have a lot, I mean A LOT, of fun in there. You love when we push you way out in front and then yell, "Charlie - Come back!" and run over to the cart eagerly kissing your face. Giggles. Intense giggles.

Flapping your little bird arms in the air when you're really excited or want to be picked up or see a box of cheerios or want a dog to play with you. Just lately this is always happening in conjunction with your tongue sticking straight out. Arms flapping, tongue stretched, you might really be a baby bird. Which seems quite fitting because you are obsessed with birds right now - ducks, pigeons, crows, parrots (real or fake). All of them make you shriek.

Balling up on my chest and tucking your face into my neck, just like when you were a tiny infant, as you drift off to sleep at night. I get to feel your little eyelashes slowly open and close until you're out for the night. And even though I have the foresight to realize that's probably not going to be a very "cool" thing to do when you're bigger, the day this stops happening will be devastating. Every night I get a small reminder that you're still just my baby.

...

Sweet Charlie boy, how blessed we are to live our all day, everyday together and make these memories. How blessed I am to get to teach you about the world. My love is strong. I hope you feel it each and every day.

"You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness; For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable." - Kahlil Gibran

Austin-style

We had a weekend. Our first nothing-on-the-calendar, nothing-we-have-to-do kind of weekend in a while. And oh man, we took advantage of it, the beautiful weather and this sweet city we live in each and every day.

Free SXSW shows at Whole Foods; breakfast, lunch and dinner outside; a bike ride to the grocery store; sleeping in until 9:15 (thank you, Charlie!); a hike at the Motorcycle Trails; a bike ride to the nursery; St. Paddy's day; and a celebratory dinner at a sweet (new-to-us) spot - Contigo; it was a ketchup-licking good time.

If you're a Texan you know these perfect 80 degree days and 60 degree nights won't last for long. We'll be heat advisoried and sweating in the shade in no time. Enjoy perfection while its here. Get outside! And if you're an Austinite, get out and explore this beautiful city. We're crazy lucky to live somewhere with an unbelievable amount of fun, active, free things to do. Capitalize!