Austin Days 2 and 3

Yesterday, Day 2, was all about hooping, hula hooping that is. In the morning after brekkie we walked over to the local bakery, Quarks, and got treats before heading to the local park. I did my usual, chatting with friendly local Austin parents. In the afternoon while the boys slept, Beth, Kate and I hooped. I still have some skills but now there are tricks! And lasso moves! And twirls! And booty bumps! On my list of to-dos when I get home is to build 3 hoops for the girls and me.

Beth arranged a babysitter from 5:00 to 7:00 so we could go out for happy hour. We went to a great Mexican place that we biked to where we had Mexican martinis that had a jalepeno stuffed inside the olive, jicama sticks, incredible chicken wings, grilled cactus and lots of other taste sensations.

Today was THE BIG DAY. Beth and I were in front of the computer at 5:00 watching Kate and Wills tie the knot while scrutinizing the fashion choices made by the guests. Biggest fashion criminal was Princess Beatrice with her antelope fascinator.

After the wedding we dropped Kate at preschool and walked along dried-up Shoal Creek. We stopped at my favorite Austin bookstore, Book People, where I bought several gifts to take home and then made one more stop at Whole Earth Provision, my other favorite Austin store before heading back to get Kate.

Thus afternoon was chillaxin and trying to make it to supper without passing out due to exhaustion.

Beth's friend Laura Sue (Kate's surrogate grandmother) joined us for dinner at Julio's for Amazing roast chicken and wickedly strong Mexican martinis. Needless, there was a lot of loud talking and laughing. Henry dumped a glass of ice water in my crotch and I didn't flinch. I was feeling that good.

Tomorrow: swimming and a pizza party?

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Austin Day 1

I won't go into my travel day to Austin. As usual it was riddled with flight delays and a baby unwilling to nap on the plane. However, Henry remained in a great mood throughout and entertained everyone around him on the flight. And due to a long delay in Chicago I got a workout in as I walked every concourse multiple times. If you know that airport, you know that means I had some serious time on my hands.

Yesterday was my first full day here. Kate went to preschool for the morning while Beth and I and the two boys hung out around home. We washed the car, got the boys to nap and went and picked up a minivan for the week. The rest of the day was playing around home. In the evening we went for a walk to the Intramural Fields with the dog after all the kiddies were asleep.

Today we plan to take the kids to the library by bike and go to Happy Hour sans kids later. That will likely be my favorite part of today.

And for all those of you in the great white north, it was 34 degrees C here yesterday. Heh heh.


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The impetus I needed

Participating in Andrea's Photo An Hour game yesterday got me back in the blogging habit for twelve hours or so or at least reminded me how much I enjoy it and need to get back in the habit on a more permanent basis. It also showed me that I can get used to posting through Blogpress on my iPhone if that's the only way I can get posts up frequently. Although I also find that my writing isn't quite as poetic when I'm thumbing. Must be all the cramping and the perpetually sticky screen.

Today I have a very long list of "to-do's" because tomorrow Henry and I are flying TO TEXAS! Oh yes we are!

So of course at the top of my list to do today is:













Not packing, laundry or shopping. Oh no. It's making strawberry jam. I've had two batches of crushed berries in the freezer from our spring picking last year in Waterloo since.... well, since our spring picking. We ran out of jam this week causing a fairly large meltdown from Hope over jamless bagel and so this is priority number one today.

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Hourly Photo Project, Easter Sunday 2011

I'm participating in the Fishbowl's Hourly Photo Project today. I'll be taking a photo at the top of the hour all day long of whatever I, or we, happen to be doing at the time.

6:00 a.m. First order of business



7:00 Shower time


8:00 am


9:00. Arriving at church for Easter breakfast


10:00 waiting for church to begin


11:00. Church about to begin


12:00. Post-service



1:00 pm. Teatime



2:00 pm. Emily shows me her wiggly tooth



3:00. Hope's Easter ensemble. It's always an event when she gets dressed.



4:00. All set



5:00 pm



7:00


7:30.... and look what happened! (this deserved a half-hour photo)



8:00

9:00 Forgotten eggs


10:00



11:00


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Thumbing

I really don't like blogging from my phone but I've come to the realization that if I don't post from my phone, I don't really post at all. And so here I am, thumbing away while Henry plays with my necklace on the floor and I make all kinds of typos. I need an iPad. My birthday is in 3 weeks. Just sayin'.

I have a few Powys that have to get up here: a few stories from my time in Edmonton, a post on the course I just finished, another one about Henry and maybe one about the baking business.

But right now Henry has lost all interest in my necklace and my thumbs are getting tired.


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