Deer watching from the house

Merry Christmas Eve Eve

Numb thumb

So this is my brace, which i'm grateful for because: 1- doc wanted to do a cast and I can remove this to bathe 2- i have a lot less shooting or burning pain

Seems that when I hurt it at the beginning of November I sprained it and broke a small little bone in my hand which is *bizarre* since MY super power is super strong bones. But I digress... I pressed on thinking it would get better and it didn't. It got worse. Like when I picked up an envelope (not kidding) and it damn near brought me to my knees in pain. Or when I went to pull my hair into a pony tail and just about cried. So to the PT I went for a few sessions. Stayed the same then got worse. Funny, once my thumb went numb I about lost my mind. You know that throbbing sensation right after your thumb gets slammed in a door or under a book or something? Yeah, well, a few days of that will about put you over the edge.

So on to another sports medicine dr who X-rays and does a few other tests and voilà! Hand out of commission.

So there it is. The story of my gimp hand and why I've not been emailing/blogging/texting/ much for the past couple months. As it turns out: you can opt-out of those activities. You cannot, however, opt-out of: diaper changes, bath time or general baby holding and picking-up. So I'll do what I can and hopefully when I go back in 6 weeks to the dr, it gas improved and I don't have to get that cast afterall.

Mind crossing your fingers for me?

Brain Teaser

As I was cleaning up tonight, I asked myself: Which of these items seems out of place?

Hot Mess

Me or the shorty?

 Photosession yesterday =disaster. Missed nap, refused bottle. Stoic, spacey, red-faced, non smiling Shorty. Poor little buddy. But Ashley is incredibly talented -easily the most gifted photographer I know or have met - so I'm sure she did something magical. 

Meanwhile, I talked the dr out of a cast today so instead have a massive brace that seemingly has my arm on lockdown. More to come on that. 

Typing (well, almost all tasks that involve hands and/or arms) is especially challenging and I've realized that while I write left handed- I do almost everything else right-handed. 

Happy hump day team! 

Sent from my iPhone

Roots

My paperwhites are well on their way to a lovely post Christmas bloom! I feel like a kid all giddy each day when I see that they've grown some more.

California Playdate

I LOVE Angie's post.

Not only because she includes pics and gives a great recap, but she is so positive. See, it's true, the Shorty did beautifully on his first flights to and from San Fransisco which Angie so sweetly highlighted. However... at lunch with the Paulsons at The Ritz at Half Moon Bay... he has never been so loud, discontented and rambunctious. All while sweet little Hank looked on, slightly amused, slightly confused by his little friend's squawks. A key part of the day Angie happily omit. So lovely of her. As for the munchkin: I'm not sure what to make of it, but he *might* have an opinion of the The Ritz Carlton that he was trying to convey... we'll leave it at that.

As for the rest... we definitely had a great time with Team Paulson and eagerly await the day when you guys tell us you are packin' it up and movin' to Austin!

Sat morning coffee & contest

It was a bit chilly this morning and we needed to drop off tickets at my parents' house so we loaded up the car and are having coffee at our favorite local gelateria & coffee shop. Turns out, they are having a hand-turkey contest so the shorty & I happily participated. Unlike many participants' theme, we did not go with the "peace, love, no dead turkey, eat tofu!" theme. But we are proud of our submission, nonetheless.

Happy thanksgiving spirit.

The Enemy of Perfection

So this evening as I ate my dinner, talked about work and fed the baby with the (seemingly attention-starved) cat sitting in my lap, it hit me: I haven't blogged in awhile. Was it the business trip that took a week of prep to match my week on the road? The photo sessions and related post-production endless task list? Maybe it was because of the newly-crawling, teething kiddo and adjustment to the time change and all that entails? Could it be the trips to the vet and the kitty-girl overcoming her illness that just about sent her to kitty girl heaven? Maybe it's the house redecorating? It surely wasn't the distraction of UT football. For all the times I get super busy, I still find time to blog. Why haven't I? I have tons of stories, updates and vignettes in my head, just bouncing around and itching to get out... so why?

My cousin recently emailed and asked us to compile photos and stories for my Grandmother's upcoming 90th birthday (yet another undone-to-do) and something she included at the end of the request was compelling. Maybe I should think on it a bit more until it REALLY sinks in... but on to it: "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good enough" In an effort to make things just right, don't put so much effort into it that you don't finish it and move on to the next thing.

You laugh. Think this was directed at me? Case in point?

So yes, I have managed to skip over some blog-worthy happenings which about drives me bonkers. It's one thing with things are just crusin' along, nothing to report, and I'm feeling the creative impulse to scribble. But uggh, to have content yet haven't captured it is like an itch I can't scratch. Did I mention I *actually* worked out? YES! THREE, count 'em THREE trips to Vinyasa Yoga (that's three 90 minute sessions of power yoga in a heated room). I mean, that's SOMETHING.

With all these things scrolling through my cabeza, I kept thinking I'd back-blog them. But alas, I give up. Maybe I'll have a very slow next couple weeks and have the chance to do just that. Ah, note to self: next week is Thanksgiving. Is it possible? (Time to bust out the Charlie Brown!)

And so in summary, I offer the following... Here 'tis:
-work trip damn near did me in... but I made lemonade: flew the boys to meet me in San Fran and we enjoyed spectacular weather. Even the locals were in awe.
-for now, I've managed to stave off the 2 week trip to Brazil. Seriously? Brazil. Don't get me started on the irony. and related eye-rolling frustration.
-The kitty girl is in full recovery. However, she has a new problem... for years she was a bit, shall we say, overly fluffy? (read: morbidly obese and on diet food for years, to no avail). She has dropped from ~20 lbs to a frail 5 1/2 lbs and as we have been working to pack the pounds back on, she has made progress. Along with it, she's become less irritable. whew. few things as mood altering as a cranky kitty. ESPECIALLY an hour after the baby has gone to sleep.
-yoga. see above. Mmmmmm. yay.
-the house make-over has been delightful. makes me wonder why i didn't do this early.
-we had our first over-night away from the bebe. Mr. Price and I got away for about 36 hours for a lovely stay at Barton Creek Resort while the shorty's delighted Nana got the pleasure of snuggling and playing with the little charmer. And a good time was had by all.

that's all I've got for now, team. Diving back into photoshop for the balance of the evening for a photo shoot of a babino with several large souvenirs of recent fun-gone-awry (aka scratches, bruises and bumps) that we'd prefer not preserve. good times.

over & out.

Good nights rest on a good trip home

Greetings from the Golden Gate

Bright lights

In the
Big
City

Tomorrow: San Francisco

About to leave

Not what you want to see when you're about to push off

This Week

summarized thanks to some classic kiddie lit:

Neil Young

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, Nov 6, 2010 at 5:01 PM
Subject: Neil Young

Waiting for my last photo shoot of the day while listening to the wedding band play Harvest Moon, one of my favorites. Not to mention the typical wedding songs: canon in d, etc...




Sent from my iPhone

Happy Halloween

From the giraffe and his keepers...

Spur & Mini Spur

Hook 'Em

Getaway

Our first night to both be away from the babino went quite well. I had a lovely visit to the spa and we had some quality time...albeit slightly missing that cute little fella. Props to the MIL for keeping him while we got some R&R.

Monday afternoon sunshine

Hanging out with my baby

Almost back-up and running

I've been completely sans phone for two days now. So THIS is what an upgrade is....

Thankfully, my trusty calico sidekick is steadfastly overseeing the process. The last back-up took over 12 hours (from 11 until past when I went to sleep last night) because the prior attempt to back-up my old phone errored-out just before completion. Nice. And for my birthday, I spent two hours with the ah-hem, Genius, at the apple store to no avail. Actually, the fellow was quite nice and acknowledged the fact that I'd likely rather not spend a chunk of my birthday day with him.

Hopefully we are nearing the end of a process that began on Monday night. Which is good since it's THURSDAY, and i'd really like to use my phone again.

Not Going Postal -or- The Never Ending 'To Do' Item

A confessional story of inefficiency and disorganization of mammoth proportions

Generally speaking, I'd go ahead and give myself an 'A' for getting things done in an efficient, timely manner. From thank you notes to blogging, photo albums to friends' birthdays I think I do all right. Oh wait, that should be "USED" to do alright. Not now; oh, whoa, not now. I have managed to make an utter and complete mess of anything related to the post office since Shorty arrived.

Here's the saga of the breakdown of how I have managed to waste RECORD amounts of time with absolutely nothing but a disaster to show for it:

It started with the birth announcements. Before he arrived, I took the time to review my mailing list and ensure names were up to date, even getting together a set of address labels and painstakingly ensuring the addresses were all correct and present. However, I didn't complete the last task I'd intended which was to pre-select the card so I could simply pick the pic, upload and order.

Post-bebe photo uploads and camera clearing was a disaster and it took at least a month before I took any suitable pictures, let alone get them on my computer to review. Around the time I was ready to go.. (design selected, created on an online account and awaiting purchase... just needed to decide between two different versions...) Someone whom I am SURE was a well-meaning bystander strongly discouraged me from using any current pictures and waiting until he looked more like a 'regular' newborn and less like a sonogram. Ouch. I thought my baby was beautiful but seems some think preemies are scary. Birth Announcements squarely placed on back burner.

Then the three month bday rolls around and I've been receiving BA's from babies born long after mine it seems... time to get a move on. Plus, I'd really like to get some thank you notes out for all the kind deeds and gifts and how lovely to send with some pictures and an announcement! Although the 'thank you' list goes temporarily missing... we take some pictures thinking surely there will be a suitable picture from these, right? Around this time though, I head back to work and *kapow* nanny shenanigans and other figure-out-work-and-baby demands just about make this ever-present item on the 'to do' list, invisible.

Incredibly, a month or so passes and I choose some pictures but none fit into the BA design I had poured such thought and effort into previously chosen from the online gallery. Then I decide that given how late I already am with these, I just need to go ahead and create/design my own and have it printed... Given my history at this point, I suppose it might be quicker than taking more pictures and getting them loaded onto my computer (with the completely full hard drive), select, upload and order. And now that I somehow swept into this web of perpetual delay the thank you notes, I had gotten a few dozen out the door but finally gave up on finding what was a 'temporarily missing partially completed thank you list' and decided to just recreate it by wandering around Shorty's room and writing down gifts and what kind souls had bestowed them upon my son. Let's not forget the sweet love-shrouded friend who gently told me to quit thanking her. You see, without a list it seems one can easily forget thanking someone once and send additional thank you notes while remembering sending a thank you that was never sent at all. The mind reels.

Another month later, the design/announcement had created and file sitting on my computer collecting dust. At this point I am in complete awe that I could have taken this long already. Seriously, what is going on here? Ah, we aren't halfway there yet, reader. Because ANOTHER MONTH passes before I finally proclaim it to be 'finalize the birth announcements week' and enlist the help of the nearest person I can find: the Nanny.

Yet somehow, even with two people working on the effort, I manage to bog it down another few weeks until she takes it upon herself to just have the file printed. Ahhh.. a ray of light on a cloudy day. Bless her heart.

A bit unconventional, but printed and in-hand a couple weeks later. The next day, by the way, I get the most gorgeous pictures of the little man's 6 month portraits back from the photographer. Stark contrast to the photos I cobbled together. But whatever... if I keep critiquing myself on this it may NEVER HAPPEN I tell myself - anyway he is 6.5 months old... just mail them.

Somehow, -this should not be a surprise- I have lost the labels I so painstakingly worked on months before. Not wanting to recreate all that work, I look for the labels in my spare time thinking 'it will be so much faster once i find the labels' and yes, a few more weeks pass before I find the labels. The darling nanny even came over to help out one Sunday afternoon so that I could address the cards and get them out the door. I couldn't find the stamps that day so decided I would just drop them off at the post office and have them stamp them for me. I managed to find a single sheet of stamps later that week, so stamped and mailed a handful of announcements. Incredible. 7 months and barely a dozen out the door. GAH! And to save my life, I could not tell you which ones had a stamp placed on and were sent on their way.

Labels on the cards and thank you notes written (in some cases re-written, but awaiting at least a picture I tell myself- thinking i should AT LEAST include a picture for being so late to get the notes in the mail...) and around this time I start to worry that the postcard format of the BA just doesn't seem right. I need to wrap it up! So now they wait for envelopes (which can't be found to match exactly) and now the labels have already been adhered to the cards and will all need to be re-written. Again, the stack sits.

A couple weeks later, determined to finish this massive disaster of an effort: The cards are spread out on the kitchen island for a week and a half as I tried to connect thank you notes with announcements and at least package them together. Then it's time for the new nanny to return to our house with the kiddos and by Monday night I accept that with an event/activity every night for the rest of the week, i'm not going to have time to complete the effort and stack them up and set them aside.

Weeks pass and I give up and decide to just walk the remainders into the post office, stamp and ship. This was today at lunchtime, My friends. My stack of half thank you notes, birth announcements going out at 8+months with pictures of a 3 month old are finally on their way. NOT SO FAST... already feeling self conscious about some of the announcements not being in envelope (it was a really cute postcard design in the beginning)... Then the lady at the post office tisks me for not 'puttin that baby in an envelope' And after her SECOND plead from the post office lady (seriously!) to "take 'em back home and bring them back when they are in envelopes" I give in. And I sh!t you not: I heard someone say "you better hurry and get those out before he turns one!" (insert mental image of one of "The Peanuts" characters)

Yes, I returned home today with a stack of unmailed cards. Unbelievable. I'm pretty sure I've put enough time and energy into these damn cards to have sent out 4 different sets... yet, I most certainly have NOT DONE THAT... nope, i still haven't gotten the first ones out yet. However, I received a beautiful BA last weekend of a baby born (3rd child in the family) after I had the postcards in hand. *sigh*

Sadly, I've even omitted half of the fumbles and mishaps of this story in this recounting of events. And it is still WAY to long for a blog post.

At this point in the saga, I ought to just give up and start focusing on Christmas cards. Or announcements for his first birthday. Maybe they'll eventually be completed and out the door, maybe I should just pretend they are done and cross it off my list. Who knows at this point. But I definitely think that the ying and the yang has returned to come to balance out for the rest of my life when I was *otherwise* efficient.

Pure Genius

Jackson just looked up at me and said, "moma, it is 10:41 and ou sucks"! ....and I can't for the life of me figure out how he learned to tell time. 

A Black Fly

...in my Chardonnay. Oh, isn't it ironic? (couldn't help the Alanis reference)

But a lovely wedding at Mercury Hall. Congrats to Jarod & Masha

Promise You'll Tell?

Yesterday, while in the bathroom at the office I felt like I was in a time warp. Like, hello-and-welcome-to-the-late-nineties time warp. And you would have said so too if the shoes in the stall next to you were black loafers with a 2 inch chunky heel with a square toe and elasticized jersey material. to take it a step further: there was a thin woven leather belt on the ground next to it. I honestly stopped and started flipping through to try to remember if today was a dress-up day and I'd somehow overlooked it. I expressly remember when that was in style, and it would not be fair to say it was 'a few' seasons ago. I fully expected to step out and see full-on mom jeans with a heavy color blocked rugby shirt on top... tucked into said jeans and cinched at the waist.

But instead of waiting around to see, I darted out there feeling shocked and a little guilty for mentally trash-talking someone's unintentional retro outfit. (yes, of course I washed my hands)

Which brings me to this: promise that when the day comes that I am that person dreadfully out of style, even to the point that a new mom who rarely 'dresses up' past yoga pants for the day (yes, work out clothes and I've yet to work out), promise you will tell me. Drop me a copy of last season's Vogue if you can spare it, forcefully clean out my closet, demand I hand over the belt. Whatever it takes. Because a true friend will tell you.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!

As a fine first official day of not breastfeeding and just hours after returning the symphony breastpump... we learn there is a recall on Similac. Sure, it's 'not a health risk' and it is a 'voluntary' recall by Abbott... but it is beyond disguisting to learn that beetles got into the processing plant and beetle parts could be in the formula. Can I even try to explain how it feels to know you have been feeding your child, snuggled up in your arms, hungry, and you've been giving feeding him small bits of insects that upset his stomach. It shouldn't be surprising that it upsets my stomach, too.

To make matters worse: there is now no formula available since 5 million containers were recalled. So deal with the dagger of knowing your baby has been getting tained food and then figure out what the hell you are going to feed your baby for his next meal. Awesome.

So much for relishing any feeling of 'wow you made it to 8 months breastfeeding. It's a no-brainer that anyone would rather give formula than let their child go hungry. But when I stopped trying (even for the miniscule amount), it felt like a choice. Even though by the end, a 40 minute pumping session only yielded 20ml (when typical feeding might be 200-240mL, 5-6 times a day). But damn if this doesn't feel like lemon juice in a paper cut.

No Pants

This is "No Pants" the friendly neighborhood kitty that will happily accompany you on your run, walk with you down the street, jump up on you pant leg just to say 'hello' or even -if the opportunity presents itself- let himself into your home for a visit.

No pants officially lives down the street, about halfway between our house and our nanny-sharing friends. Which means that every other week I walk to drop off and/or pick up the shorty from his friend's house.

On said walk, I typically see and am greeted by ... You guessed it... No pants.

Given that the Shorty said his first word today, "kitty" and that No Pants was part if his inspirarion- I decided No Pants needed recognition on the blaaahhog

We love you, too, No Pants.

Running in Heels

I hate it when you realize on the drive to the airport at 12:40 that
your 1:30 flight actually leaves at 1:05...

Quote of the Night

This is such a starfish! He's so asexual. No one could really LIKE
him. -Becca

Obsess much?

Is it possible that I am obsessed with cupcakes? The question crossed my mind after our most delightful nanny visited NYC and managed to bring me back a half dozen of my favorite baked goods and a shirt for my son. Seemed like an incredibly generous gift.

And then an insightful and innocent bystander pointed out: "Who would be so crazy for a certain cupcake that their obsession would convince someone else to bring them 2500 miles without having to ask?"

Hmm.... okay. maybe.

Fair Warning

Ticket in Hand

For some reason, I was super excited for our season tickets to arrive today and can hardly believe that kickoff is a mere 17 days away! Alas, the end of summer is drawing near... But not the heat.

I digress...

Excited for the tickets... which we are selling. But that doesn't matter! Because -even if only for a few moments- the arrival of these pieces of cardboard remind me that my favorite season (football) is just around the corner and helps pull me out of my summer slump.

Though it has been years since my last 'real' summer (ironic that it is considered a 'real' summer only prior to entering the 'real' world, when a 'real' summer ceases to exist)... I've had a bit of the end-of-summer blues lately. Or maybe it's the mean reds. Put another way: it feels like it's that last day of summer for the past week or two. In any case, I took a quick swim today at lunch to try to shake it off. But it was the tickets that did the trick.

It's Stripey Here....

..in a primary kinda way." 

 

Crying I'm laughing so hard...  Happy Tuesday afternoon. xxoo

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ0VYgU4TPU

 

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Soooooooo 'Austin'

I love it here. It's a town where you can be yourself (a healthier version of yourself, that is) and things are beautiful and people are happy blah blah blahhhh... But every once in a few years I have a moment --where just for a moment-- a brief point in time-- where it's some sort of out of body experience that I see myself and wonder if maybe the soul if the city has taken me over...

As I walked out of the store thinking 'how cool it is that this is The Central Market where it all started. The very first store, how lovely...' When it hit me: I just bought herbs and organic foods while wearing birkenstocks.

What happened to Manolos and Martinis?

Just sayin'

Saturday Morning Coffee

Our weekly walk to our local, family owned coffee roaster.

Still Got It

Apparently, my previous post stirred quite a bit of speculation... so please allow me to share a proud moment from last weekend to clarify:

We went out (yep, that's right!!) for a friends 41st birthday which started with drinks at the Driskill and continued to Travernia on Congress and then up the million steps to Speakeasy. No, the fact that I can still physically climb that staircase isn't the part I'm most proud - albeit a noteworthy feat.

We were the last to arrive at the Driskill and everyone was drink-in-hand. What was I to imbibe? Could it be? YES! I was going to have my old standby cocktail. The Shorty has been sleeping through the night (for the most part) and I was ready to relax, enjoy and deal with it should he decide to wake up at 3am, or 5 or 7... you get the picture. Age had made hangovers gradually (yet notably) more difficult to overcome but the prospect of being up repeatedly during the height of 'sleeping it off' has turned the 'hangover' into something to be feared.

I digress.

The cocktail! So I ordered (geez, do I even remember how to do this) it was as if I was walking a tightrope: one new step with each word... martini, vodka. Dirty. Belvedere! Generous with the Vermouth!! =) yayyyy. i made it to the other side! oh, the anticipation.

then the waitress arrives my glorious reunion in hand all cold and pretty. sip 1. hmm.whew! wow. okay, it's okay... it's a been awhile.

--chit chat with the ladies about the 5 month old--

Sip 2. wha? yeah, it happened again. what is going on here? sure, its been well over a year, but could I have possibly lost it?

--chit chat about their recent trip to vegas--

Sip 3. okay, something IS wrong here. it just can't be that we aren't getting along this well. no time to waste, i helped myself to the bartender.

as I approached the bar, glass in hand (and possibly a bit of a fretful look in tow) he preempted me: "Belvedere, right?"

me: "Yes"
bartender: "I made it" (reaching to take it from me)
me: "Oh"
bartender: "I completely forgot the dirty (walks over to splash in the olive juice)"
me: (smiling and relieved) "and the vermouth?"
bartender: "sorry. that too..."
me: (as he hands it back) "thanks! i have a baby and it's the first time in over a year-- i thought it was me!"
conservatively dressed 40-something woman at the bar, looking me over with a slight smile: "impressive. You've still got it"

Sip 4: perfect.



Post Script: After finishing half the martini, I helped myself to half a glass of wine at dinner then eased up, having two glasses of water by Speakeasy and calling it a night.

Celebrating Six Months!

6 Months Old

What is it I am supposed to do with this thing??

HE IS the MAN

It is as if the Universe has shifted to make right an injustice and
rewrite history as it should have been:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&page=wojciechowski/100721&sportCat=ncf

Hook em Horns and God Bless Vince Young.

Sent from my iPhone

rotflamo

had the funniest 4-way text exchange tonight (between two phones) that I was literally rolling on the floor. Shorty was confused and amused. Mr. Price (while stiffling laughter) told me it was bed time and I needed to not be so silly... which only made the laughter continue.

I seriously considered posting the texts but decided it might dilute the supreme hilarity of it all, so you'll just have to trust me on this one.

Good times, folks, good times.

Sent from my iPhone

For Posterity...

This is the last preggers picture we have of me... Little did we know, it was T-minus two weeks to go before popping (literally)

It was rather tricky to balance, as I recall....  My center of gravity was a wee bit off.

That looks like it was fun. Let's do it again!!

Redonkytown

Um, there was a sale! And... We had a gift card... And, um, he really liked picking out toys... Uh.. Oh yeah... His mom & dad are suckas. It was super fun - like we were celebrating 6 months a couple weeks early. :)

The best part had to be the woman who huffed and rolled her eyes at us in the checkout line after her daughter tugged on her and whispered: "look at all the toys that baby is getting..."

I'm pretty sure she is somewhere in Austin tonight talking about the rediculous parents she saw today...

Depending on what she has to say, she might be right and I might agree.

Science Class

The girls came over to see what remains of our Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar colony - three were around last night and this morning Becca could only find one. Two hours after the TriPrices swirled out of here, there were no signs of the last one even. It was precious - the girls asked about chrysalis stage and guessed where the missing caterpillars had gone... then jumped up and down with excitement until we went outside to find them.

Even Madeleine who came over late last week, asked to return on Saturday morning to see Aunt Memmily's caterpillars... and remembered exactly where they were in the backyard!

Oh, the excitement!

We have found one chrysalis but that's it. Hopefully they are just heading off to form their cocoons and not getting picked off by neighborhood owls. Looking forward to butterfly watching...

The Very Hungry Caterpillars...

We have a meyer lemon and key lime tree in the backyard which Mr. Price has done a fine job at cultivating. About a year and a half ago, they were ready to be tossed out but now are thriving.

A couple weeks ago he noticed a dozen caterpillars suddenly appeared on the lemon tree, all about 3/4 an inch long and ~3cm wide. Then, not even 4 days later, those little caterpillars were now larger than my pinky finger.

So the Very Hungry Caterpillars have taken up residence on our lemon tree. In less than a week they have grown 4x and taken out quite a few leaves. We were shocked to see how quickly it has progressed. Tried to get a video of one of them chowing on a leaf but he was done by the time I got the camera and got outside. Pretty sure they are about to spin their cocoons. We considered plucking them all off, but figured at this point- may as well let them do their thing.

Of course we thought of the TriPrices and their insect interest and knowledge of crystalises and such. So I took pictures of the crazy little things and decided to document their progress.

and then....we apparently became obsessed. well, Mr. Price was, and now I'm along for the ride. We looked it up and check it out:

Giant Swallowtail Caterpillars and their later Butterfly form

after worrying we might have some massive moth colony in our backyard... looks like we are in for some 4 - 5.5 inch butterflies, 10-12 days after crysalis! guessing there are about a dozen back there. our lemon tree might be doomed, but it might be worth it for the 4 lemons it might have produced this year.

5 months ago today

5.5 to 15.5 pounds in 5 months.

Father's Day Fotos

Pics from my Daddy of Father's Day at Ski Shores on Lake Austin.

Mmmm... Fried stuff. 

Dallas Sights and Sounds

We made a trip up to Big D last weekend - we realized on our way up there that it had been almost 18 months since we'd been up there last!!  2 Christmases ago.  But we got to see a ton of folks we hadn't seen in way too long and introduce Young Master Price to lots of friends - young and old - who's sweet faces were missed.  Court (always one with the great pictures and so good at sharing!) sent me this snap from the Sip and See that sweet Kelley and Shelby hosted. 

 

That evening we made it to a friends' wedding reception and saw even more old friends.

 

It was a successful weekend away and everyone seems to be doing great and all was well in Dallas!

Student/Teacher

I have a cousin 8 years younger than me who- I'm proud to say just made the Dean's List at UT- stopped by to visit last night. While he was here, we told stories of when he was Jackson's age and things I remember.

Much to my delight: he had a memory to share from when he was 11. I apparently gave him his first CD. It was The Beastie Boys. I had two copies and gave him one. He remembered it all quite clearly (and fondly). I was quite amused about it after he left and eventually we had this exchange via text:

Me: That's awesome that I introduced you to the b boys... Was it License to Ill?
Graham: Of course, and you told me the whole cd was good except "girls." And I am forever indebted to you for the good taste in music and the appropriate way to treat a woman.

Makes me proud.

Anyway, I was reminded that you never know when someone is really paying attention and what someone is going to remember.

My Laptop this Morning

7am conference call, followed by an impromptu call with Switzerland.
Mr Price is already gone for the day and nanny isn't here yet...
Shorty woke up and started fussing, which made kitty girl sad and
start howling... Earpiece in place... This was my best solution:

hey, whatever works!

Pool night!

Old friends, new memories, good times on a Tuesday night. Even though it rained.

Though the circumstances ate substantially different than, say, a summer night might have been 10+ years ago (sans babies, husbands, 'real' jobs or anything of importance to tend to the next morning...) and the end time was early compared to back then - I dare say we had just as much fun and you could almost... If just for a minute... Think time had stood still

6-10-10

Going Down in Flames

Charming TriPrice story of the week:

The girls went to Colorado for Spring Break and hit some massive turbulence. Apparently enough to really upset some of the passengers. But not the darling girls! Nope - didn't seem to phase them.

In fact, sweet little Claire, looking out the window and in her sweet little girl voice loudly announced "We're going to fall from the sky!! We're going to hit the ground! Look, we're falling!!"

What I would give to see the faces and hear the thoughts of the white-knuckled passengers nearby.

Self Portrait on Mescalin

If I were to draw a self portrait, it would really be more of a caricature, resembling me, biting the corner of my lip while attempting to focus through the sleep deprivation and aphasia, juggling multiple items with each limb -except for one foot, pushing down on the gas peddle- while shoveling bites of food in my mouth, talking on the phone -handsfree, I assure you- and pumping. (what?! yeah, I said it...)

Of course, there would be a big silly grin on my face and my hair, dusted with dry shampoo, would be pulled up into a pseudo-french twist. Any remaining mental energy (that little bubble above my head in aforementioned caricature) would be plotting out the next 8 things I need to accomplish within the next 7 minutes, prioritizing for the order most efficient - oh, and re-evaluating the balance of my life (what are we doing for date night this week?)...to ensure things are as they should be...

Yes, the image I paint is that of a working [breastfeeding] mom. And yes, the breastfeeding part does get it's own shout-out because it is incredibly difficult and time consuming to maintain.

I know I'm not unique in this, but I have a whole new appreciation for what new parents mean when they comment dryly about 'how much work' a newborn is or the level of sleep deprivation. Ironically, I only have the energy to even comment on the sleep deprivation now that it is improving-- we are on the downhill slide with the shorty sleeping through the night(!) at least for the time being... I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop (aka the teething to kick in and the sleep schedule to run amok.

Regardless of the strain, physical/emotional/mental -- I'm sure I'll look back on it as 'not that bad' and even in the throws of this attention-deficit delight, there is a calm happiness. Oh, hello. So good to see you!

And I Quote...

Disbelief

Law Reunion 2010 and I can't believe another year has already come and gone. And can't believe how much we've changed yet how much were still the same. Or how much it seems like not a week has past since the last get-together, let alone graduation. Or how much fun we had in... Waco...of all places.
And I can't believe that we brought a shorty this year. Or that conversation still reverts to baby poo (no, I still did not contribute to that convo- though I could have had much to say this time...) Or how disappointed i am in myself for taking so few pictures. Or how much Nashty made me laugh. Or how much shock I am still in from the crazy stories I heard of, well, "firm drama"; we'll call it... Or that we'll have to wait for a whole year to pass before it happens again.
But total props and thanks to Melissa's parents for the hookup. And a shout-out to Amy S for being our token preggers girl this year.
How thankful I am for such a great group of friends, committed to our annual get together. So grateful now and years from now for the bond, connection, and history we share- despite our differences and the embedded predictablilty of it all.

Attention, Please

The attention-starved kitties simultaneously 'work-it' for their
moment in the spot light.

Fire Drill

Have I ever mentioned that my house caught on fire? Yep. Christmas morning in the wee hours. I was 8 and I remember it vividly. We rebuilt the house and moved back in several months later. Suffice to say, I guess I know what it is like to escape your burning home in the middle of the night.

Cut to today. Grown up. House of my own. Infant child in my care; under my roof. A shrill smoke alarm is unsettling to anyone at any hour, I think. Especially when it goes off multiple times and no source/ explaination can be found.

And it wakes your baby

Who sleeps downstairs from you

And it's the middle of the night

And you've checked all the closets

And you've felt the walls for hotspots

And found the nearest firestation

And your baby is going back to sleep

But you doubt you will any time soon



What would you grab? What is your plan? You've got 30 seconds...

5 years ago

Last year we celebrated on the Ile de Cite. The year, in a French restarant in Austin (Jezabel, which I highly recommend!) and this year, our anniversary included celebrating with our new small person--our new family member-- and also for the first time.... Our wedding pictures!! Yay :)And to top it off-- I got a couple dozen white and pale pink roses along with my push prizes. Feelin' spoiled. Good times.

Reinstated

So, I have a system that works now... But only half my data/ emails.

Nice.

Trying to figure out what my remote schedule should look like and what I will need to be most productive. Hmmm....

Long Drive up Mopac

The last time I made this drive it was 4AM and I was in labor. Though it felt like just as long of a drive this morning, it was very different.

Today I returned to work. With one hand strangling my starbucks cup and the other extended, locked and white knuckled on the steering wheel, I attempted to drown out my thoughts and emotions by blaring Madeleine Peyroux. Bleary eyed at 9am.

The day was a series of mishaps and realizations as I was reinstated, authorized and documented. Learned about my new role as there was a massive reorg while I was out. Discovered the mother's room and learned what it was like to pump while away from my child (and attempt to balance work while escaping for 20 minute 'mommy breaks' every few hours). Oh, and I can't omit that the hard drive on my work system crashed. Awesome. Sure hope I backed it up, but who knows how long until I figure out what all I lost.

By and large, though, the people I work with were happy to see me and welcomed me back with enthusiasm and sympathy. Even a janitor stopped me in the hall and asked in broken English and hand signals where my baby was (and noting the absence of my beach ball sized belly). I learned that I will be able to work remotely and the boss man (who got a big promotion during the reorg) fully supports "what ever it takes to make me comfortable with returning, ramped up and feeling balanced," I just need to work out the details.

The shorty did great and the nanny was verbose and cheery with her info... everything you would want in a nanny's update.

So all in, it was as good as one could have hoped for, however, I am
completely exhausted to the point of aching body. The mental and physical depletion likely lead to the development to top off the day: I had a Junior League (which I've been trying to quit that thing for a couple years now) meeting tonight at 6:30. So after this long day... I dashed home to feed him then turned around to leave again... even more time away from baby. =(

I get up there only to learn that the meeting had been cancelled, but the notice had been sent to my work email (which of course, I still cannot access). On my way out I saw my cousin-in-law who is the VP of Membership and after a brief conversation resolved to resign, with her full support. =) And just like that... it's done. Driving back home, I heaved a sigh of relief and realized it was the long-overdue 'right thing' for me.

I knew today I would start something, but didn't realize I'd finally
stop something.

Messy Morning

I managed to spill a full glass of my favorite juice this morning all over my side of the bed and the mattress cover had of course slid over just enough to not catch the spill. Awesome. All over the sheets, bed, mattress, headboard, wall, floor, my pajamas and me. Great way to start the day. The ironic thing is that this happened NOW-- when I'm finally getting more than 1.5 hours if sleep at a time- as I have for the past 3 months. For a few nights now, I've been able to get up to 7 hours ...which is mind altering, I assure you. Yet, somehow, with all this rest, I managed to achieve the biggest mess yet.

Oy!