time has flown

OK it's been a few days.
oops, gotta go fertilize the lawn - I've had the bag of fertilizer sitting around for 2 months now and need to take care of it NOW!
more later

Monday morning

This morning we went to the Austin Zoo with the grandparents. It was fun as always.

Wednesday already? Nope, only Tuesday!

umm Sunday, went to the pool from 4 to 7 and we all had a blast. Giselle stood on the bottom in the big pool and walked all the way to the stairs without a floatie. Paul rode in a floatie for the first time and Giselle pushed him all over the little pool. Just like with Giselle, I'm getting him used to getting splashed in the face at the pool.

Yesterday, Monday, was shopping day, nothing spectacular. I fell asleep with the kids at 8:30.

Today all are cleaning out the garage so that Joe can pressure wash it and then paint the floor. Then they'll move stuff back in and I can start on fixing up the playroom (formerly known as the garage).

Fireflies

Friday was as crazy as normal - park from 12:30 to 4, pool from 4 to 6. Except that once again it was thundering so we played at the playground at the park with some friends. There is a fountain in the shape of a dolphin there that the kids enjoy playing in when they can't play in the pool. We were so exhausted that the kids fell asleep at 6:30 and I followed at 8:30. We slept until 7:45 this morning.
We went to the Westlake Farmers Market at 11. Got a small Kettle Corn, one lemonade, a large jar of Garlic Dill Pickles, a pound an a half of organic okra, a balloon giraffe on a leash, 3 small eggplant, and a pound of figs. Oh and we caught 2 shows of the Circus Chicken Dog. We were going to hook up with some friends at the pool but us going just didn't work out (something didn't happen that needed to happen before we could go to the pool). For the same reason we couldn't go play in the pool at a friend's house but we had a grand time running through the sprinkler in our own backyard. We washed the dog in the process, she was not happy about that. We fixed some dinner at home and took it over to the condo to eat.
Got home at 8:15 and, since it was cloudy most of the day and a bit cooler than usual, the fireflies were out. Giselle had been bugging me lately to catch some for her again so I grabbed her bug catcher cage and went to work. I only managed to catch one while Giselle sat inside on the sofa and Paul crawled around in the grass in the front yard. Then Joe came out and helped. 45 min later we had 2 fireflies and Giselle then decides that she doesn't like fireflies and doesn't want them to light up in the bedroom. Arrrgh!!
The kids went right to sleep and I'm doing this while Joe surfs for sci-fi (Stargate SG1 and Aliens and Armageddon) and trash (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and VH1 Total Access: :LaToya Jackson (she's 48 BTW)).
I've had enough, I'm going to eat some and go to bed.

errands

I don't even remember what time we woke up today, I think it was like quarter to 9. Got out to run errands around noon. Went by the post office to get new stamps - I bought some at HEB on Monday but they said 'I Love You' on them and Joe was a bit uncomfortable using them to mail out bills to his network clients so I got some new ones for him - the good old reliable toy trains. Garden Ridge was next for a jewelry box for Giselle. Then on to WalMart for T-shirts for Joe, some pillow cases, sweat bands for Joe and some kiddie necklaces and bracelets for Giselle. Giselle had a rare meltdown at the check out counter - we were trying to use the selfserve lane but several of our items weren't scanning and she was getting mad about it cause she was hungry, so we unbagged all of our stuff and moved over to a regular checkout lane. Then lunch/dinner at Chipotle. Giselle and I always share a Vegetarian Burrito Bol - rice, double black beans, pico, guacamole, and double lettuce - and some chips. Joe had dinner with his parents at Houston's.
The kids are about to wake up for 'comida' so I gotta run.

Where my parents are moving to shortly

Carriage Club of Jacksonville Florida

muchas gracias to Charles

This link is courtesy of my friend Charles and his blog.

I owned a LOT of these!
Wham-O products

hot sun day

We got up at 8:40. Took the dog for a walk at 10. Watered the plants at 1. Colored in coloring books at 3. Did the laundry at 5. Ate pizzas for dinner at 7. Kids asleep about 8:30. Now TV surfing with Joe.
BTW, the temperature at 9 pm was 87 degrees with a heat index of 95 degrees.

Saturday Afternoon Update

I'm having a picnic in the living room with Giselle and one of her bears while Paul crawls around the kitchen and Joe takes a nap.
We went to Slaughter Creek Park as usual yesterday, got there at 12:30 and left at 4. We went to Dick Nichols Pool afterwards but they had just shut down for 30 min cause they heard thunder. We've played that game before (thunder, wait 30 min, open pool for 5 min, hear thunder again, wait 30 min, open pool for 5 min, see lighting and hear thunder, close pool...) and weren't going to again. Our neighbors were napping and couldn't play so we went on home and played in the inflatable pool in the front yard for a bit.
Dinner, books and kids asleep by 7:55. Paul woke up at 8:30 so I went to feed him and next thing I know I wake up and it's 11:30. I guess I needed the extra sleep. I was awake from 4 to 5 am so I ate some food and read the paper a bit.
Natalie

from Friday's Wall Street Journal Weekend section

Think It, But Don't Say It Out Loud
In Boston, they shout liberal beliefs. In a small town, they whisper conservative ones.
OpinionJournal - Taste

TIVO is a good thing

The kids are asleep, Joe is out with some old friends that are back in town for a visit and I'm about to watch some of my favorite show saved for me courtesy of TIVO:
My So-Called Life
I so wish that this show had continued longer than one season!
This is all for tonight

oops!

Paul and I got up at 8, Giselle slept in until 8:30 or 8:45.  I drank some juice and was outside by 9 to mow the lawn while the kids played inside, done by 9:45 - front, top back, and side.  MaGee and PaGee came over at 10 to play and left around noon.  We ate a leisurely lunch of leftover Asian noodle soup and got dressed for the final Sara Hickman library show of the summer.  We left the house at 1:20 and got to the library at 1:40 - plenty of time to hang out before the show.  Unfortunately, the show was at 1 pm not 2 pm like I thought (too bad I can't read) and we got there as Sara was giving out stickers, hugs and high 5's.  She had her kids Lily and Iolana with her so Giselle gave them the stickers that we had made for them and I gave Sara some of the green crepe de sheen that we used to make our Summer of Sara box.  Sara gave Giselle a way cool old bell on a leather rope, it has the most awesome tone!  We checked out MORE books and turned in our Summer Reading Program charts for our free books.  On the way home we stopped by Albertson's for some diapers that HEB didn't carry (we don't usually go there as the normal clientele at our local Albertson's scares me).  Jennifer called from Massachusetts where she is living these days.  We sat on the sofa and read all of our Harold and the Purple Crayon books and some others too.  We played in the front yard for a while - Paul crawled around in the grass while Giselle pushed me in the swing.  Ate dinner - blackeyed peas, okra, tomatoes and rice - watched TV and went to bed.  Now Joe and I are watching some show on A&E about Geraldo Rivera.  I'm still not sure about him (Geraldo).
It's late, I gotta go to bed!
Natalie

Extended Nursing

I got a link to this article from a Yahoo Group I'm on. For the record, there is currently no end in sight for Giselle to stop nursing and she is delighted to be able to share 'comida' with her younger brother.
Natalie

Floridian: When it's time to let go

 

if you love someone so much it hurts...

If you love your partner so much that it hurts then you should buy this album. Sara has recorded songs about love and being with the one that you love that are so good they will make you cry. This is made possible due to the love that she feels for her husband Lance. This is the same love that Joe and I feel for each other even after being together for 16 years. I was listening to it today while vacuuming and it made me cry with joy - happy that I too have someone so wonderful in my life to love. Buy it today and share it with the one that you love!!!!!!!!
Sara Hickman - Faithful Heart album notes

Buy Sara Hickman Music HERE

bada badadada monday monday

Awake at 8, out of the room at 8:30. I swear that we will get an early start on our grocery shopping today. Breakfast for everyone; Green Juice for me, some Green Juice and some granola with soy milk* for Giselle, breast milk for Paul, frosted mini-wheats with cow milk for Joe, frosted mini-wheats with cow milk and leftover pepperoni/gp/onion pizza for the dog. Did up the shopping list, wrote some checks to pay bills since today is the first mailing day after the 25th of the month, fed Paul a few more times, played some games on the computer with Giselle while Paul napped and didn't leave the house until noon! So much for the early start!
Went to Garden Ridge to find a box for Giselle to keep all of her special trinkets in. Got that and some silk azaleas for her to play with. Got out at 1 pm.
Went to Wheatsville and got our usual stuff and 4 bags of Spud Puppies (organic tater tots - they were on sale). Giselle and I shared a pint of organic blueberry sorbet while sitting in the back of the Odyssey, last week it was Mango! Pulled out of the parking lot at 3 pm
Came back South to our HEB to get the rest of our things and by the time we got out of there it was 4:30 pm.
Called Pumpkin Patch back to tell them that I didn't want the bike trailer that I put on hold on Saturday. I checked on eBay on Sunday and saw that I can get one in better condition for less money.
Put away the groceries. Put the fresh (from the farmers market on Sat) frozen peaches from the kitchen freezer into gallon bags and put them into the chest freezer in the garage/playroom. Opened the packages of Tofu Dogs (they were on sale too) and put them on a tray to freeze them individually for later consumption. Kept out one and cooked it up for Giselle for dinner, I had a Boca Burger.
Giselle watched one episode of The Planet's Funniest Animals and they went to bed at 8:30. I finished making Giselle's Treasure Box - Joe called me Martha Stewart because I was using a glue gun, I took it as a compliment. He's out seeing CatWoman with a friend right now.
Gotta run, I gotta eat some before I go to bed.
Natalie

*we saw a comedian on TV recently who commented that soy milk should really be called soy juice since they don't have breasts and it isn't really milk. But he theorized that no one would buy it if it was called soy juice.

nothing

We didn't go anywhere and didn't do anything.  Joe worked all day on computer networks and now all night on a truck.  Oh, we did go by the condo this evening and turned on the AC so that Mom & Dad won't melt when they get there on Tuesday.  And today was laundry day so we did that too.
Natalie

Here's a list of the books that we currently have checked out of the library:

Tyrannosaurus Tex /, Birney, Betty G.  
Zagazoo /, Blake, Quentin. 
Quentin Blake's ABC /, Blake, Quentin. 
The market square dog /, Herriot, James
Smudge, the little lost lamb /, Herriot, James
Mrs. Armitage : queen of the road /, Blake, Quentin
Simpkin /, Blake, Quentin
Henry and Mudge and the starry night : the seventeenth book of their adventures /, Rylant, Cynthia
Tog the dog /, Hawkins, Colin
Zug the bug /, Hawkins, Colin
Henry and Mudge in puddle trouble : the second book of their adventures /, Rylant, Cynthia. 
The turnip /, Ziefert, Harriet. 
Three wishes /, Ziefert, Harriet
The day the dog said, "Cock-a-doodle doo!" /, McPhail, David M
Aunt Eater loves a mystery /, Cushman, Doug. 
Henry and Mudge and Mrs. Hopper's house : the twenty-second book of their adventures /, Rylant, Cynthia. 
Bayou lullaby /, Appelt, Kathi,
Bubba and Beau, best friends /, Appelt, Kathi
Bubba and Beau go night-night /, Appelt, Kathi,
Animals should definitely not wear clothing /, Barrett, Judi
Loveykins /, Blake, Quentin. 
All join in /, Blake, Quentin. 
Cockatoos /, Blake, Quentin
Mrs. Armitage and the big wave /, Blake, Quentin
Clown /, Blake, Quentin. 
The story of the dancing frog /, Blake, Quentin

Who was the jerk that reported him in the first place?

Yahoo! News - Crocodile hunter Steve Irwin cleared of endangering wildlife in Antarctica
Yahoo! News - Crocodile hunter Steve Irwin cleared of endangering wildlife in Antarctica

Sabado Gigante (big saturday)

Up at 8:15 or so I think.  Fed Charlie and then fed ourselves. 
We left for the Westlake Farmers Market at 10:45 where we were to meet up with Suzi at about 11.  It took us longer than usual to find a parking spot so we didn't get to the appointed meeting spot until 11:20.  Suzi wasn't there yet and we missed the Circus Chicken Dog so we got a small bag of Kettle Corn (Giselle doesn't like it so it's all mine!) and went back to the entrance to see the collie puppies for sale.  We met Suzi on the way and proceeded to shop together.  We got our usual 8 lb bag of scratch n dent peaches for $6, 7 japanese eggplant for $3, a cup of lemonade since we were pretty hot and sweaty, and a jar of peach salsa.  We skipped the lemon/blueberry bread and the pickled beets and pickled okra this time around. 
We dropped by Taco Bell on the way home for some beans and rice and a bean & rice burrito and ate them at home.
Then we rushed out of the house to get to the Faulk Library downtown at 2 to see the final summer reading program family event for the summer: The Colors of Africa with Elizabeth Kahura.  Giselle even got up and participated in the dress-up portion.  Afterwards she showed me how to tie Paul up on my back in a modified sling hold.  We then combed the shelves for more books to read and ended up checking out about 12, mostly Quentin Blake and 'Henry & Mudge'.
Then we went back South to go to Joann Fabrics for the final weekend of their July sale.  On the way we dropped by Pumpkin Patch since they had a bike trailer out front that I wanted to price.  The kids were both asleep at this point but I still drove on down to the fabric store.  We got to the store about 4:30 and got out of there around 6:30 but got a lot of neat stuff!
We got home, made some pasta and ate it for dinner.  Joe ate a pepperoni/green peppers/onion pizza from Domino's (they just had their IPO this last week) and then ran off to work on a computer network for several hours (still gone now).  We then watched some Crocodile Hunter (or as Giselle refers to him 'the guy who catches alligators'), read a story and went to bed.  Paul fell asleep in my arms during TV time.  Since Giselle napped at 4 we had to stay up a bit later than usual.  Now for me to have my before-bed snack, read the paper and then join the kids in bed. 
Tomorrow we are supposed to go to a picnic but I don't know...
Natalie

park day became a pool day

Today was a 9 am day. We played around some and ate breakfast and got ready for the park/pool. We got to Dittmar Park and Pool at 12:30 and met up with some of our friends to eat by the playground first. Kind of a lame playground. We hit the pool around 1:30 and by 3 one set of friends was leaving and another was arriving. We ended up staying at the pool until 5 and then Giselle played at the playground until 5:30 while I fed Paul. They both crashed on the way home, Paul right away and Giselle when we were only 2 miles from home. Giselle was so beat that she barely awoke when I carried her inside and she proceeded to sleep on the sofa until 7:15, Paul slept even longer but in my arms. Needless to say, our normal bedtime of 8 pm was put off due to the late nap. 9:45 is when they finally hit the hay. I had a bowl of cereal and some zucchini bread while reading the paper and am drinking yet another liter of water while I write this (I think that makes 5 for today). We caught some nice big squiggles for Charlie this morning while Paul sat in the grass in the back yard and watched the dog eat her frozen/raw chicken thigh.
Joe's done with his antibiotics and is now expectorating all the dead stuff - yuck!
Tomorrow is the Farmers Market!
A customer that didn't listen to Joe's instructions just showed up! At least she had cash.
Natalie

Thursday already?

Another 8:30 day.  The kids swung in the front yard for a bit.  Giselle and I caught mosquito larvae in the back for a while while Paul napped, Charlie was quite happy.  Bagged up some frozen fresh okra for the winter.  Froze some mango slices for future smoothies (Belinskies).  Made a loaf of zucchini/carrot bread.  Paul and Giselle played with blocks together.  Paul has perfected going from his belly/on all 4's to a sit, still not really crawling - more like lunging.  Played in the sprinkler over at Juliana's for 4 hours.  Well not in the sprinkler for 4 hours but over at Juliana's for 4 hours.  They fed us zucchini bread that is superior to mine.  On the way home heard rumor of a coyote that is taking out neighborhood cats. 
Tomorrow is park day again, this week we are doing it at a different park that has a pool.
Natalie