the vossler-mathews alliance

On My Watch: Tongue Injury

2012-02-09T12:55:00.000-06:00

Written the day after Lucy's first bloody accident:

Yesterday was one of those days when your heart jumps to your throat. A day when you fight back hysterical tears as bright red blood spills from your sweet baby's mouth, when you weigh the options: emergency room trauma vs. waiting it out to see if the gaping hole in your child's tongue will ever stop gushing.

So, yeah, if the above paragraph seems utterly overdramatic, talk to my raging pregnancy hormones.

I was letting her be more independent, letting her climb up and then drop down and land on her feet--it was a matter of inches--centimeters, really. She'd done it before. This time, the Precious biffed the landing and fell, arms outstretched, bumping her chin. No way was she letting me see her tongue, but when she opened her mouth to utter that injured, angry cry, I could see blood around her teeth. Maybe she'd lost a tooth? Forcing myself to calm down, I eased her onto a park bench and rummaged in my bag to find that I'd left our First Aid kit at home, leaving only boogie wipes to soak up the blood. She had been swallowing it, I realized, and when she finally calmed down enough to open her mouth, I saw the gaping hole in her tongue. Blood streamed out of her mouth and all over her t-shirt. In the moment it seemed to me that I'd never before seen so much blood. She wouldn't let me near it. At that point, panicked again, I grabbed the Precious and ran for the car, dialing Blake's number as I ran. No answer. I called the receptionist at the school and said there had been an accident, though Blake was surprisingly calm when he answered.

As I explained the situation and my thoughts on tongue stitches, Lucy played quietly on my lap in the front seat, while her daddy Googled "toddler tongue injury." "Buttons," she lisped. She'd stopped crying, but her tongue was still sporting a hole and still bleeding. Blake instructed me to head to the school, as we were only minutes away; he had a feeling we weren't going to need the emergency room. Lucy dutifully drank water and only fussed a bit when I strapped her into her seat--thank goodness someone was calm! I was again close to tears--my therapist was calling me about the appointment we were supposed to be having that day--and I breathed a prayer, aloud most likely, because Lucy said from the back, "I ok, Mommy, I ok." O, my sweet baby.

By the time I'd reached the school, I had calmed down--she needed no calming, and Blake was on his way out of work. His internet research led him to believe that there were much worse scenarios than ours on the toddler tongue injury spectrum and that we just needed to head to HEB and buy popsicles for her to eat. He magically produced gauze from his pocket and got Lucy to open her mouth--she was already yelling something like "HEB--I ride in cart!" What a hot mess--blood all over her new tee, snot all over her face, hair matted to her head.

When the shock finally wore off, we were standing in the ice cream aisle and Daddy was proclaiming it to be a calorie-free day. Strawberry yogurt pops and Blue Bell in hand, we left the store laughing, and despite two horrific re-bites during dinner, Lucy was jumping around before bed like a crazy lady on The Price Is Right. Never mind that I keep having flashbacks.

And that, my friends, is the story of Lucy's first bloody injury, more traumatic for me than for her. In fact, she talks more about the time I fell down the stairs than the time she bit her tongue. Please enjoy the pictures of her popsicle dinner afterwards.

Lucy's second experience with a popsicle. Yogurt pops are yummy!

And so cold!

You can see the slit in her tongue here but when she really stuck her tongue out you could see the inner flesh of her tongue hanging out of the hole. Gross!

This is what it was like at the park.

First Haircut

2012-02-08T13:02:00.001-06:00

While our sweet one has seen Daddy's hair buzzed off, she had yet to undergo the scissors until about 10 days ago. It was getting a little wild up in here:

One afternoon I saw the Precious pushing her hair out of her eyes. She caught sight of me staring and gave me this "Can you please do something about this?!" look. I took this as the go-ahead to chop her bangs.

I'd been putting it off for weeks--after Blake gave his permission (!), I'd faltered in my resolve, not because I'm sentimental about hair, but because I didn't want to pay $20 for a kid-cut at Bird's, nor did I want to poke the Precious' eye out. But the time had come, as the Walrus said, so I bravely gripped those scissors and went for it.

I realize the angle of this shot makes it look like I was about to stab her, but it really wasn't anything like that.

You know that feeling--the one where they've just finished cutting your bangs--there's hair up your nose and possibly in your mouth and you desperately need to sneeze or swallow or both.

So it's done and we're very glad! I didn't end up cutting much at all, and yes, I did save the hair in a baggy, though I'm not exactly sure why. Someday Lucy E. will be looking through her baby books and this bag will fall in her lap and she'll wonder what the heck it is and why I kept it. Ah, well.

And here's the glamour girl herself:

*Last photo credit goes to Lucy's Great Aunt Bonnie

Confession Time

2012-02-07T20:33:00.000-06:00

...it's hard to dance with a devil on your back
so shake him off...
--Florence & the Machine

Long, long ago, I wrote a numbered list of confessions as a post. It's a bit of a cop out and doesn't take much thought in the moment, but I've been thinking about doing another one for awhile, just to keep my internet soul (?) in line.

So here you go:

1. Yesterday, the above-quoted song made me cry. Go listen to it--it's not exactly a ballad.
2. Recently, I've been sneaking episodes of Say Yes to the Dress. Ugh.
3. Last week, to deal with the stress of a toddler injury, I ate a whole pint of Ben & Jerry's.
4. Two out of the three midwives I've seen think I'm fat. Go figure.
5. I continue to be secretly shocked that my child is starting to act like a true toddler, i.e. throwing mini-tantrums, etc. I really thought she was above all that.
6. We're going to throw away our recycling pile, as the squirrels have gotten to it. Oops.
7. I don't see what everyone (including my husband) sees in Lady Gaga, though for some reason--despite her hokey lyrics, I really like Adelle.
8. Sometimes, I forget to brush my teeth, not to mention put on deodorant.
9. I am really, really tired of making the bed, despite the fact that I like to have it made before I get into it.
10. I'm still squeezing myself into the GAP size 6 pregnancy jeans I wore last time around even though my new size is a 10. Can I get a "Love Handles!!!"?

I think I'll stop there, as my brain is hitching a bit tonight. Enjoy!

...

2012-02-02T13:01:00.002-06:00

Said it's a mean old world, heavy in need.
That big machine is just picking up speed
They were supping on tears, they were supping on wine
We all get to heaven in our own sweet time
So come all you Asheville boys
and turn up your old-time noise
And kick 'til the dust comes up
from the cracks in the floor

Singin', hard times ain't gonna rule my mind, brother
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind
Hard times ain't gonna rule my mind no more

--Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, "Hard Times" from The Harrow and the Harvest

Homemade American Chun Jie

2012-01-23T22:46:00.000-06:00

As you've gathered from this post, our Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) celebration last night included fried dumplings, made from scratch for the very first time by Blake, Andrew and me. Blake and Andrew did most of the rolling and filling, but I made the dough and started the process. I was afraid that we'd all be sorely disappointed--or that at least I would, having grown up in China, but the dumplings were spot-on, especially the pork. I was surprised at how well the dough held up, and was glad that we hadn't decided to buy pre-made wrappers at MT Supermarket.

Our preparations began on Saturday with a trek to the largest Asian grocery in town--MT Supermarket. There we picked up oils and sauces and vinegars to our hearts' delight. I even found the black vinegar that used to turn Alicia's lips white when she'd dunked too many dumplings. We bought a few tacky dragon decorations--horribly overpriced compared to what we'd get them for in my Chinese hometown, but worth it. (Lucy was "Dragon this" and "Dragon that" all the way home.) She gawked at the catfish stuffed in tanks, as well as the foul-smelling lobster and oysters in the back of the store. We caved and bought Lucy some Pocky, a Japanese snack I was fond of in China, and some weird little biscuits that looked exactly like teeny-tiny hamburgers, down to the sesame seed buns.

Sunday after church we added a leaf to the table, scoured the kitchen and prepped for the arrival of the godparents. I was about to vacuum when they arrived, so they took over and let me fiddle with the dough.* The rolling and filling you've already heard about, but we've yet to introduce the star of the show--our Dutch oven. At last we had something to fry in its shiny depths. And fry we did--close to 40 dumplings.

And then we ate, our sides being American fried rice and soggy egg rolls from an unnamed chain restaurant I dare not mention. Our guests and Blake drank two types of Chinese beer and decided both kinds tasted the same. My brother-in-law would've scolded us for not drinking Tsingtao beer, but we thought we'd try something new. Dessert was more Pocky and teeny-tiny hamburgers. Mmm, mmm good.

Because we had no extravaganza on TV to watch and no firecrackers to light, we chatted, cleaned, put the Precious to bed and chatted some more before retiring early. It was a far cry from the war-like din of Tianjin firecrackers at midnight on New Year's Eve, but for a couple of tired parents from the States, far from the Middle Kingdom, we felt we'd done our best to celebrate the remnants of a foreign holiday tied so tightly to my childhood.

*Many thanks to Andrew and Renee who cleaned, cooked and played with the Precious--they truly are family.

The Year of the Dragon...Breath?

2012-01-23T22:12:00.001-06:00

One word: jiucai.

Our homemade fried Chinese dumplings (guotie) were amazing; however, had I known that garlic chives were actually my old nemesis jiucai, I would've gone with another recipe. Though quite nice on the way down, this unassuming-looking vegetable leaves one burping up its fragrance a full 24 hours after consumption.

Growing up in China, I used to inhale jiucai bing (garlic chive flat bread) and dumplings and spend all day regretting it--in fact, I've had dumplings filled with only jiucai. They taste great and make any run-of-the-mill American apartment smell like a bonafide Chinese kitchen, but they are not kind to the digestive system. Maybe it's because we never drank warm water or tea as we ate them--my ayi intimated as much, but whatever the reason, I learned to avoid jiucai by my senior year of high school when burping up onions is not the way to win favor with the boys. Ok, some boys.

We did figure out how to finally get rid of the burping--at 9pm last night. Peppermint. We had some icy old peppermint ice cream, and it was the hubby's brilliant idea to make it into a shake to try to cleanse our palates. Thank goodness it worked or we'd have gone to bed in discomfort.

Next time, we're doing pork/ginger/garlic dumplings and that's that!

Chun Jie Kuai Le

2012-01-22T14:54:00.001-06:00

Happy Chinese New Year from the Vossler-Mathews Alliance.

The loudest fireworks have already detonated over my one-time home of Tianjin, but we're just starting our celebration here. Across the world, I expect my sister and her husband are visiting relatives, Cousin Ollie is receiving his red envelopes, and the Big Four are feasting with their respective families. What I wouldn't give for some decent jiaozi. However, we are going to do our best here--tonight I'll be attempting my first ever guotie (fried dumplings) and broccoli in garlic and oyster sauce, while our friends are bringing fried rice and egg rolls--we had to throw in some American-Chinese food. Lucy will don her Chinese silk and drink a milk-toast to the dragons on our wall.

What can you do if you had no clue the year of the dragon was upon you?
"Put a dragon on it!"

Stop PIPA!

2012-01-18T11:28:00.002-06:00

I'd love it if you--especially those of you who are bloggers yourselves--would watch this video. The Protect IP Act (PIPA) if passed could kill blogging/FB/Kickstarter, etc. and the sharing of art and music and ideas on the net, just to name a few things. Is anyone thinking Big Brother? I am. But check out the video--this isn't just a conspiracy theory.

If you're interested in helping to stop PIPA, head over to Fight for the Future to write your congress person and post the video on FB or other social media sites. Thanks!

more ketchup

2012-01-16T21:56:00.000-06:00

18.5 weeks along. 1.5 weeks to go until the first and hopefully only ultrasound. other than a sore back and nausea a few times a day, we're good to go. felt the baby move significantly the other day--even blake could feel her/him under his hand. that's always a good sign--and an even better feeling.

lucy has taken to pointing to my belly-button and saying "heartbeat" and "baby in mommy's tummy." she's always been enamoured with babies--her own baby doll nina and now "real live" babies amy and lucy scout, so i don't foresee a huge issue with adding a sibling to the mix. i'm sure she may try to stage a coup at one point--after the baby is born. it's inevitable, but i'm not going to borrow trouble by ruminating on how difficult the power struggle will be.

for now, we are basking in lucy's new-found practice of "cuddle--bed--mommy" and her love for "farmer in the dell" and "pop, goes the weasel." oh, and we can't forget "the potty song." don't even ask. it's blake's favorite as well, but i'll let it go since the precious is actually using her potty for bodily functions almost once a day. (fingers crossed that she'll be at least half potty-trained by the time the next baby makes her/his entrance.)

we are also weaned. i say "we" because the weaning deeply concerns both mama and sweet baby. thanks to the grandparents, we were able to accomplish this feat over the thankgiving and christmas breaks. the precious was a bit clingy at first--and maybe this is what is making her so cuddly--but she did quite well, as did her mommy. what i miss most is my reading time. i was burning through books while breastfeeding three times a day; now i'll be lucky to finish my book club book by our feb. 16th meeting. ah, well.

other events of note include
--constant teething (up to 16 at this point, if we include those she's working on),
--her love for certain grown-up friends and neighbors,
--toddler issues with mommy and daddy food,
--hitting--only mommy and daddy--out of frustration (followed by time-out),
and
--the use of more complex phrases:
"i ready go-go"--at the doctor's office
"i so excited!"--on the way to the park
"mommy's hair pretty. lucy's hair pretty. daddy hair."--apparently, daddy's hair is just...hair.

Christmas Night and December 26th

2012-01-13T13:06:00.001-06:00

How do you narrow down 200 amateur photos to a succinct list that beautifully summarizes Lucy's second Christmas? I've culled it to ten, but I'm still not satisfied. Multiple pictures thrill the grandparents but perhaps bore the readership at large. Ah, well. Family first, eh?

We had a wonderful time--my nana's cinnamon rolls for breakfast (yes, Blake had me make them twice in two days), beautifully brined pork for dinner and some dominoes somewhere in between. Lucy ripped open gifts until she was cross-eyed and ready for her nap, then ripped open some more upon waking. The highlights for Lucy included her first real baby doll and stroller, a wooden train from Pop-Pop, two nativity scenes, Baby TOMS, her silly sunglasses, and more importantly, time with her grandparents, great-grandmother and aunt.

Enjoy!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning at Home

2012-01-11T14:13:00.001-06:00

For the first time in our married and baby-ed lives we were "home for Christmas." Unfortunately, we were too wrapped up (no pun intended) in the moment unfolding that we didn't take many photos, however, we do have a 20 minute video of Lucy opening gifts from us. We missed snapping her opening gifts from Grandma and Grandpa V. because we were too busy making sure they could see her over Skype.

Christmas Eve was almost photo-less as well--we spent a few sweet hours with new Canadian friends who also have a baby named Lucy, and then went to the 6:30pm Christmas Eve service at our church. All was quiet and contemplative as the older children reenacted the nativity when the Precious yelled out, "Drums! Drums!" That's right, our neighbor Mark was playing the bongos and Lucy just couldn't keep it together. Thank goodness we sat in the back because we were treated a repeat performance when the angels, shepherds and star appeared. She was so excited--all her friends were there as were the entire cast of her Baby in the Stable book. Driving home afterwards, we heard this from the back seat, "Many, many lights...many, many lights!" and could not resist heading over to check out the Zilker Tree. It was wet and soggy and cold, but it was worth it, late bed time and all.

Lucy and Corban exiting the nursery on Christmas Eve

Nana's Cinnamon Rolls--a smashing success!

New toys from Aunt Sarah and Uncle ZY

ketchup

2012-01-08T15:09:00.003-06:00

a few more advent photos for the precious-starved grandparents at home and abroad:

the precious kissing her beloved Christmas angel

in her new slippers knitted by Aunt Alicia

eating stir fry for the first time

very concerned about the gator on 37th street

being tickled by her first live tree

Epiphany 2012 & a Bit of a Resolution

2012-01-07T16:12:00.000-06:00

Listening to this: "White Horse" - Over the Rhine

Some of you may have noticed I never finished my Advent reflections, nor did I post about Christmas 2011. I'll get to some of that, but to hold my place--a reflection on Epiphany.

Last night after walking Lucy through the journey of the wise men to Bethlehem, Blake and I listened to T.S. Eliot's poem "Journey of the Magi." It's one of my favorites and never fails to bring me to tears. Our pastor sent us a link to the poet himself reading it in his inimitable Transatlantic accent.* The poem is written from the perspective of an old magi ruminating over the journey to Judea to find the child king. He's old and bitter, crusty and sad and ready for death. All in all, it's not a happy poem, but speaks of the death to come for the Christ child and reveals the magi's dissatisfaction with his old world and beliefs. Christ birth (and death...and resurrection) changes everything somehow.

Lately, we've been pondering the revolutionary nature of Christ's coming to a poor couple from a seemingly God-forsaken country ruled by violent oppressors and how that compares to the status quo here in America. I don't think the whole thing was an accident or just something God did for kicks--that migrant workers were the first to hear of the birth of Christ was important, as was the fact that He chose to send a sign to learned, cultured men in a foreign country. The magi must have been as astonished as the shepherds were to find that the new king didn't reside in a palace nor did he rule thousands of adoring subjects. There was a point to the setting of the birth of Christ--the whole messy manger thing.**

Where does that leave the Vossler-Mathews Alliance?
We should fall on our faces in wonder and worship, in shame and repentance for all "the things we have done and the things we have left undone." For the ways we have persecuted and neglected the least of these--those on the fringes of our community, of our society. For the ways we cling to our physical comfort above all else, for the ways we fool ourselves into thinking we're doing all we can.

Here is our resolution:
This year we will begin the arduous process of learning Spanish, for real this time, not like in high school; this year we will continue to seek out places that aren't necessarily the cleanest or the quietest--the parks where people play and eat and live, the over-crowded grocery stores where we rub shoulders with hipsters and cleaning ladies alike, the corner of Ben White and South Congress where every day the same dudes ask for change. I want to get involved with Blake's students--start a club, sponsor a trip, something, anything. So easily my resolve is swept away by the petty conflicts of my everyday life--it's easier to throw the guy a quarter and go back to my thoughts than to leave the window down and talk until the light changes. The little things--keeping our eyes open, so to speak--make all the difference. Despite our excuses (lack of time, money, emotional resources, etc.), the following will always be true:

"He will bring us new life
and receive our death,
and the keys to his city
belong to the poor."

--Gian Carlo Menotti

We are the rich--not as rich as some, but so much richer than most of the world. What are we doing with what we've been given?

Here goes nothing--Goodbye, 2011. Hello, 2012.
Christ have mercy.

*He was born an American but became a British citizen at age 39--you'll find his poetry in anthologies of both English and American poetry. For you Broadway enthusiasts, here's a connection--Eliot's book of light verse entitled Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats is the basis for musical Cats.

**I have to credit the book we've read off and on through Advent and the 12 days of Christmas: Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas, published by Orbis Books. We've read some great pieces by the following authors: Brennan Manning, Madeleine L'Engle, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Gustavo Gutierrez, etc.

Your Christmas Morning Dance Party

2011-12-25T08:33:00.000-06:00

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:56:00.000-06:00


In the beginning was the word and the word became flesh and lived among us. John 1:14.

God of glory,
your splendor shines from a manger in Bethlehem,
where the Light of the world is humbly born
into the darkness of human night.

Open our eyes to Christ's presence in the shadows of our world,
so that we, like him, may become beacons of your justice,
and defenders of all for whom there is no room.
Amen.

--The Revised Common Lectionary

Like Mother Like Daughter

2011-12-19T19:50:00.000-06:00

We call it the "squint-eye." Or maybe the "stink-eye." Not really sure. It's hereditary, obviously.

The VMA presents "The Many Faces of the Precious"

2011-12-19T19:33:00.000-06:00

Advent 2 & 3

2011-12-19T13:10:00.000-06:00

Our wonky Loblolly Pine from Elgin

Right. After pledging to update the blog more often, I fell off the wagon. I have loads of excuses--teething, colds, nausea, more nausea, but here I am to undo some of the damage. Christmas is coming to our wee apartment in the city--just under a week until Lucy's first Christmas Eve service at Christ Church.

Lucy's favorite ornament to date

Lucy's second favorite ornament

One of Mommy's favorites

The Precious is still kissing the sheep, shepherds and angels of the nativity before bed. Today I tried it before a nap--we've been having trouble sleeping lately. She has been quiet for about a minute; let's hope it worked. She's also obsessed with an old Arch book called The Baby Born in a Stable that details the Luke account of the birth of Jesus. We haven't introduced the magi yet, as we plan on celebrating Epiphany in January. And yes, I've got an Arch book for that as well, along with a beautiful retelling illustrated by Tomie dePaola.

Toy of the month

We've not been to the park in awhile, but I had to chronicle a new skill of Lucy's--using pockets. When reminded of them, she loves to shove her hands in her pockets and walk around--a bit dangerous, but super cute!

Daddy taught her this.

We've been longing to carol at the Capitol with John Aielli and his posse for years. Well, this year we managed it...until Lucy said, "Bye-bye, go home." I love that she can tell us when she needs to head to bed.

Decorating cookies at the Old Bakery & Emporium

Craziness at La Boite downtown

If you look closely, you can see the Capitol!

And lest you might think Lucy missed out on the craziness that is Santa Claus, let me assure you that we ran into Pere Noel one rainy Saturday at the French Legation. A soft-spoken man without the annoying ho-ho laugh, he sported a real white-blonde beard and handled all the crying kiddos gracefully. Seriously, every single kid ended up crying, through no fault of Pere Noel. He was a real gentleman and reminded me of Willie Nelson.

You are by no means entirely caught up on the doings of the VMA, but at least you know we've not been cooped up at home the past month--the cooped up part was last week. Lucy is asleep which means I should be, too. Happy 4th Week of Advent.

TGIF

2011-12-02T12:23:00.001-06:00

Can you tell I'm trying to make up for weeks of "radio silence"? Plus, Lucy's been wailing for 45 minutes per nap lately, and I've got to do something to keep my mind occupied. She's teething again--at least three at once--and it ain't pretty, at least not at nap time or at 5am when I'd rather be sleeping.

And I forgot to give you my due date: I'm 12 weeks and 2 days today, so that puts my due date at June 16, 2012. The kids will be just shy of two years apart. Sure, this can have its challenges, but I'm choosing to look at it as a blessing. I was 2.5 years older than my brother, and according to my 35 year old memory, we were fast friends until I became a preteen. Even then we had fun, minus the times his weirdo friends were over--oh, yeah, there was that one time he bit me and drew blood. Siblings never forget. To even the score, I should mention that I gave him a black eye with my book bag. Oh, I meant to hit him with it, just not in the eye!

To close this terribly disjointed post, I'll leave you with a few pictures of Lucy. I believe she is trying to illustrate that "the pen"--in this case the crayon--"is mightier than the sword."

Tricky Veins

2011-12-01T19:01:00.000-06:00

I have tricky veins. I know this, have known it for years now. Wish I had a dollar for every time I was stuck without results. Only one nurse has done it well, as far as I can remember, and of course I can't remember where she works and who she is. Bummer.

We were at the birthing center today for our first check-up (yay!), and the last order of the day was that I have my blood drawn. I laughingly warned the medical assistant that most had trouble finding my veins, and she assured me it would be fine. Yeah, I walked out of there with a note to see a senior phlebotomist--not just any phlebotomist, she reminded me, the senior phlebtomist. Yikes!

Besides that, the appointment went swimmingly. The baby's heartbeat was strong and clear at 160 bpm.* Lucy clapped and said, "Baby!" and started to laugh when it became obvious that we were all happy about something. This child might actually get it--call me crazy, but I think she has a sixth sense about these things.

As for the mother, she has only gained at most 7 lbs, which is a huge decrease from last time! If I stay on track with this, I might only gain 30 lbs as opposed to the whopping 55 lbs I gained last time. My blood pressure is low, as always, and though my heartbeat is elevated, it's standard for a pregnant woman. Now if only the nausea would go away...

*Please refrain from predicting the sex of the baby using that piece of info--may I remind you that almost all of my friends, family, acquaintances and total strangers told me I was having a boy, and out popped a beautiful baby girl. If you can't help yourself, please confine your predictions to whispered phone calls that I never hear about. Thank you!

Advent 1 - Wonder

2011-11-30T13:11:00.001-06:00

The toddler is full of wonder--trees and teacups, trains, planes, dogs and donkeys are wondrous to the blossoming mind of my one and a half year old. Each evening, each morning, she kisses our Christmas tree, lets it tickle her nose, re-hangs the four felt ornaments we've put within her reach. Each evening, each morning, the Precious names the wooden pieces of our nativity, picking up each to reverently kiss it. She points to the painting of Jesus above our bookshelf: "Jesus? Baby?"

"This is Jesus when He was a man, Lucy."

Man and God at the same time, I think to myself. Should I even attempt tell her? It's confusing and something I will never fully understand, yet something I wholeheartedly believe.

She stares in awe at the painting and points to the dove above His head. "Bird," she breathes out softly. I walk away with her in my arms, tears welling in my eyes as I tell her that we love Jesus very much and He loves us, too. It's probably the hormones. *Sigh*

Later, while waiting for my lunch to heat up and for Lucy to stop fussing about her nap, I read the selection for today from Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas. Most days I would just check my e-mail or watch something on Netflix, but I'm trying to be more diligent about not giving in to the paralysis caused by constant nausea, so I crack open the book. Kathleen Norris speaks of Mary's sense of wonder, her humble acquiescence of her role as the mother of the Christ, and I am undone.

You see, I have not been humble. I have not been silent with awe nor have I let my life be shot through with wonder. I am pregnant myself--physically waiting this Advent for the coming of our own little one, yet I have done little to prepare or celebrate over the past couple of months. Moments spent in praise to the Creator have been few and far between. I've let the nausea and its ensuing loneliness agitate me, disquiet me to the point of depression and discontent.

Thank goodness someone else wrote this collect for our Advent devotional this year so I have something with which to pray:

O God, who didst reveal Thyself to us in the birth of Thy Son in human flesh, make us to tremble at the thought of Thy divine incarnation. May we, like Mary, receive the light of Thy Word with wondrous awe. We beseech you, O Lord, in this Advent season, to stir up in us reverence and admiration for Thy Christ child. May we never forget the greatness of Thy divine power, providence and love.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-29T12:29:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving Day with Grandma and Pop-Pop Mathews was a huge success, though the Alliance was thoroughly exhausted and overstimulated by the end of it. I have no pictures of the day itself--highlights include the Macy's Parade, turkey and copious amounts of mashed potatoes, and the antics of Lucy and her second cousin. The Precious was still regaining her appetite after being sick--my excuse for the fact that she only ventured to eat a few bites of cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce and a roll.

We had planned on heading home the next day, but the promise of free babysitting and a trip to the zoo proved to be too much for the Alliance. Blake and I managed to squeeze in The Muppet Movie (sans Lucy, of course), the Houston Zoo and dinner out. I missed my nap, but it was worth it.

Lucy loved the elephants and fish especially, but enjoyed the giraffes, turtles, bears and monkeys as well. The poor thing was so tired out from all the extra attention that her moods swung wide--take a look at the second photo from the train: As much as she loves trains, she wanted to get off that thing!

Oh, and I should mention that I turned 35 on Sunday, hence the dinner and a movie. We spent my birthday at church and then in Elgin cut-and-carrying a Christmas tree--Lucy's first!

The pickings were a bit thinner than in years past due to this horrible drought, but we found a tree that suits us perfectly. I have come to embrace the fact that although local trees are not the ones with which I grew up, they have a beauty all their own. I believe this one's a Loblolly pine--don't quote me on that. Its fragrance is subtle, but no one seems to be allergic to it--a definite plus in our household.

A highlight for Lucy and the other kids was the animals--a calf, llama, ducks, baby goats, chickens, horses and a donkey! The donkey brayed for us--now she knows what they really sound like.

All in all, it was a great birthday with homemade breakfast tacos, pizza for lunch and chicken tenders for dinner, plus a little less nausea. It's still there with a vengeance most days, but I'm hoping my nemesis is retreating. I may even get in the kitchen make myself a birthday cake this week--we'll see.

And that's all I have time for--Lucy is asleep and so I must rest.

Wishing you a lovely first week of Advent.

Hair Today, Goon Tomorrow

2011-11-22T19:50:00.000-06:00

Well, Blake landed himself in the paper again a couple of Saturdays ago by letting a bunch of 12 year olds shave his head and face. I have no sans fur photos at this time, but I assure you, he looks like a new man. The hard copy of the Statesman featured two more pictures of Blake in various stages of "un-hair".

Lest you think I had anything to do with it, I should tell you he was shorn on a whim--flagged down by 5th graders on the East Side who were running a salon as part of the East Side Studio Tour. The conversation went something like this, I'm told:

"Hey, mister, you wanna haircut?"

"Do I look like I need a haircut?"

"Um, yeah."

"Let's do this thing!"

Thankfully, Lucy was there, else I fear she would've been frightened of her daddy. Even so, it took awhile for her to adjust. She actually woke up laughing and saying, "Daddy!" the next morning. I assume she was having a giggle at her father's expense.

To Get You Up to Speed

2011-11-22T19:41:00.000-06:00

So, the Precious is almost 17 months old and is into anything and everything, but her faves include playing the piano, hanging with her buddy Franco, listening for trains, watching for trains, reading about trains, throwing (and catching--first time today!) her ball, reading in general (her favorite book at the moment is Pancakes, Pancakes by Eric Carle), watching Elmo (the nausea made me do it!), dancing and having tea with Mommy and Daddy.

Her favorite foods include homemade apple sauce, yogurt with frozen blueberries, crackers (argh!), chili, breakfast tacos, cheese and beans.

I forgot to mention that we've moved past the "taking the crayons out, putting the crayons away" phase; now she scribbles at her desk or easel like she's working on a masterpiece. Maybe she'll inherit talent in the visual arts from a grandparent--both of my parents dabbled in doodling at the very least, not sure about the in-laws. Neither Blake nor I are any good--my airplanes look like fingers (?) and my moons end up looking like bananas.

The Precious actually allows me to put hairbands in her hair--as long as she forgets they exist, we are good to go. See that forehead above and below? She comes by that naturally. (I hide my glory behind my bangs.)

Just today she caught the ball I threw to her--this is a new development and really exciting, but I think the biggest joy we glean from Lucy, besides her sweetness, is the way she's developing in the language department. I get a special kick out of hearing her beg for "cweam, cweam" (sour cream) in her chili; a recent trip to the children's museum with Daddy afforded the word "'cano" (volcano). We expect sentences any day now.

And there you have it--a bit of an update. Can't promise anything much due to the nausea, but we'll see how it goes.

The Longest Unannounced Break Ever

2011-11-22T19:14:00.000-06:00

So, yeah, this is the longest absence since the beginning of this blog, though it's quite fitting because we began the blog in the first place to chronicle the happenings of our little family when Lucy was conceived and the most recent delay of posts has occurred because we have another on the way. Some of you remember posts like these where I bellyached (literally) about the nausea; I was hoping for respite this time around, but alas, it was not to be. In fact, if possible, it's even worse. So, this is the part where I apologize for not posting and writing and commenting and keeping up with my life. I don't know how I'd go to a job away from home--I don't know how you hard-working types have done it! Maybe God spared you the nausea, but if He didn't, my hat is off to you!

We're due in mid-June, so the kids will be two years apart. I'll head to the midwife (we're trying a birthing center this time) on December 1st. We'll hopefully have a positive update then.

Cheers!

Bubble Time

2011-10-10T07:19:00.001-05:00

It's probably no surprise to you that the Precious loves bubbles. As Paul Rudd's character in Knocked Up so crassly says, "Kids go ape-____ over bubbles." It's true.

Lucy's not always loved them. In fact, the first time we went to Books & Babies at our local library, she couldn't have cared less when the librarian brought them out. She was more interested in kissing babies--a contact sport she still enjoys.

The pictures below document Lucy's first try at blowing bubbles herself. Success was achieved the following day, but when deliberating over my options--be in the moment with my sweet girl or take pictures of said sweet girl, I chose the former, a choice I do not regret.

Late September Photo Shoot

2011-10-08T00:18:00.002-05:00

You may be wondering why I'm so slow to post these days. Some of it is that I have acquired some semblance of a life (the life of "mom to a go-go-go toddler") in the past few months, but some of it is due to what happens when I pull out the camera:

All that for a little of this:

Lucy E.'s Picks - September Edition

2011-09-30T23:10:00.001-05:00

Well, my brother-in-law is gone, so you're left with my shoddy photography skills. I'm about two months behind, but I'll get you up to speed with another addition of Lucy's Picks:

1. My Livie & Luca shoes. Check me out! They were bought for me before I was even born and there was a time when Mommy worried that I'd grow too big for them before I learned to walk, but here I am almost running and I love these shoes! They make me say "Hoo-hoo!"

2. Grandpa Vossler. It took me awhile to warm up to him because I only see him twice a year, but now we're best buds. I've been known to kiss pictures of him from time to time--that's how Mommy knows it's time to Skype again. (And Mommy says to include that I can name all my grandparents--Pop-pop & Grandma M. and Grandpa & Grandma V.)

3. Book time. When is book time, you ask? Why, all the time, of course! I am most seriously displeased when anyone interrupts this time. Here I'm reading Red is a Dragon, A Is for Annabelle, and 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo.

4. Whole Wheat Yogurt Pancakes. Maybe you can coax Mommy into sharing the recipe. It's divine! I eat my pancakes up, down and all around!

5. My PeaPod Tent. It's the only place I will sleep (besides random moments in my car seat). I love it so much that I dive into it at all times of the day, signaling that I'd like to be tickled, please. Haven't slept in it outside yet, but I'd love to when the weather cools down.

6. My potty. I love riding my potty. That's about all I do with it, besides dragging it around the house. Mommy says this means that I'll be a sanitation worker when I grow up (see my trash can obsession below), but for now I'm ok with that. Someone's gotta do the dirty work, right?

7. Daddy's hat. Sometimes when Daddy's not home, I like to wear his hat and gaze pensively out the window. I'm deep like that.

8. Phil's Ice House. Ok, so this is more of a favorite of Mommy's and Daddy's, but I sure do like the sweet potato fries (Mommy won't let me try the other kind--something about starch?) and the playground. Mommy's afraid I'll get run over by the bigger kids, but this park has not one but TWO cows! Two cows! What are the chances!

9. Still lovin' Little Stacy. 'Nough said.

10. My trash can.

11. Spaghetti! I didn't always love pasta, but I've always loved red sauce. The last time we had spaghetti, I refused the noodles and slurped sauce alone, but this time I smeared it all over my face and in my hair. Classic, eh?

12. My H&M jeans. Mommy doesn't even have jeans from H&M anymore. I wear mine with a swagger.

13. The high-five.

14. Apple sauce. Mommy keeps making apple sauce because she can't quite find the perfect "eating" apple. If an apple doesn't make the cut, it goes in the pot. That's good for me because I love plain old smashed apples and cinnamon.

15. Playing catch with myself. I love to throw and am quite good at it. Me, myself and I are working on the "catch" part.

16. My friend Carina. My photographer and friend Carina and her boyfriend came down from Philly to hang with us, and as a result, I had my first Don Juan at Juan in a Million. Not that I ate the whole thing--I just ate off my dad's.

17. Half price admission to the children's museum. Despite the fact that I couldn't run and play with the dinosaurs (they were setting up the exhibit), I did get to see my first volcano, and we had our pick of options when it came to play. I spent most of my time upstairs in the train tower, pressing buttons and watching the train go round and round. Maybe if I don't go into sanitation, I'll become a train engineer.

18. Smiling.

19. Making funny faces.

20. Smiling.

Austin Bakes for Bastrop

2011-09-27T22:30:00.000-05:00

Because I'm up and shouldn't be, I thought I'd give you the 411 on the Austin Bakes for Bastrop event happening here in Austin on Saturday. Baked goods will be on sale all over the city--central, south, north and Round Rock--from 10-2. They still need bakers, so let me know if you are interested or go here for more info. Hungry people with money are needed as well.

A Tri-State Yankee in Texas Talks Cornbread

2011-09-27T21:12:00.000-05:00

Yankee Cornbread - You better believe I put butter on it!

I've been meaning to post this recipe for ages and ages--it comes up in conversation often enough. Let me "s'plain"...

Last Christmas (or the one before--I can't remember) we were given The New Best Recipe cookbook. Blake was instantly taken by its attention to detail, copious notes on how and why things are best cooked a certain way, and related backstories from the Cooks Illustrated kitchen. While this cookbook doesn't have the monopoly on the recipe for, say, the best banana bread, it does provide valuable information concerning the history of certain foods--in this case, the ubiquitous cornbread.

The recipe I'm about to share isn't even taken from The New Best Recipe, but as a transplant from up North who has wondered about the difference between the cornbread she makes and the others she's tasted at barbecues and picnics over the last few years, I was fascinated by the following tidbit concerning the difference between Southern* and Northern cornbread preferences: Southerners generally use 100% cornmeal and like their cornbread crumbly, dry and flat, while Northerners combine cornmeal and white flour with a little sugar for a sweeter, lighter and higher take on this classic side. Maybe you already knew this, but it was new info for me last winter.

I decided to give Texans the benefit of the doubt--as did my Texan husband who loves, loves, loves my recipe--and try the Southern cornbread. While we agreed that it was great for floating in soups and stews and making dressing (read: "stuffing" for you Northerners), our all-around favorite is found below. We suggest serving it with veggie chili (recipe without picture to follow this one).

Lucy's loves the stuff.

Yankee Corn Bread

(adapted from Betty Crocker's Cookbook, Bridal Edition)

Ingredients

1 cup milk (I use either 2% or whole--whatever I happen to have on hand.)
1/4 cup butter, melted (I use organic, salted butter, such as Organic Vally Butter.)
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups yellow, white or blue cornmeal (We used Hodgson Mill, 100% stone ground because that's what my mom passed on to us, but I often use Bob's Red Mill or Arrowhead Mills.)
1 cup white-wheat flour/wheat pastry flour (You can use all-purpose flour, if you like, for a fluffier and more decadent corn bread.)
1/2 cup sugar (Feel free to dial back the sugar if it's your first time going from Southern to Northern--I won't tell.)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Heat oven to 400F. Butter the bottom and sides of an 8x8 square pan. (Can use a 9 inch round pan.)

Beat milk, butter and egg in large bowl with a wire whisk. Stir in remaining ingredients all at once just until flour is moistened--the batter will be lumpy. Pour into pan.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm for butter-melting perfection. (If using white flour, it will bake faster than it would if you were to use white-wheat.)

Recipe works well for corn muffins - 12 medium-sized muffin cups. Fill about 3/4 full.

Vegetarian Black-Bean Chili

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 an onion, diced (You can use a whole onion--I have this thing about too many onions...)
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 zucchini (about 1 pound total), diced
1-2 yellow squash, diced (optional)
2 carrots, diced
1-2 red peppers, diced (optional)
1 tablespoon chili powder (I usually end up tasting it and adding more halfway through--start small if you don't like it spicy.)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans (19 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes (Use fresh if you have them--it's better that way!)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed (Use fresh if you have them.)

Directions

In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften and go translucent.
Add zucchini, squash, peppers, carrots, chili powder, and cumin. (You'll notice that I have a few veggies that are optional--that's because I use whatever veggies I have on hand and adjust the recipe accordingly. At times I've needed to add more tomatoes to balance it out. If someone in your household doesn't like squash, leave it out. You get the idea.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are crisp-tender. Add beans, tomatoes, corn, and 1 cup water. Simmer until slightly thickened and carrots are soft. I usually let this simmer for an hour or more--it all depends on how soft you want your veggies. With a toddler eating this, it helps if things are super-soft. Lucy loves this meal!

*I know I risk angering my Texan readers by lumping them in with all Southerners, but it seems that in this case, the cornbread preference here in Texas is for the Southern kind.

Overheard in the VMA car today

2011-09-27T20:14:00.000-05:00

We were driving home when this song by the Barenaked Ladies came on, and I said, "This was one of my favorites (that and "Shoe Box")--I can't believe I used to like them!"

And after a group mockery of the vocals--"He sounds like he's eating cheese!"

"Cheese curds," added my dutiful husband.

"No," I pushed it further, "He's eating those fries with cheese curds and gravy. Those are so good! What are they called again?"

"I can't remember, but that's fitting since they're from Canada."

Lucy, I apologize for the nonsense you have to sit through--at least now you know what poutine is!

Update on Baby Ethan

2011-09-27T19:48:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much for praying. Ethan is doing better--is breathing on his own with the help of extra oxygen. Rachel and Nate hope to take him home by Friday. They are living at the Ronald McDonald House right now and seem to be well taken care of... Blake's going by tonight--he's not sure if he will see them or not, but he'll hopefully have another update tomorrow.

If You Are the Praying Kind, Please Pray...

2011-09-25T22:11:00.000-05:00

This is Ethan and his mama Rachel. His daddy's name is Nate, and both Nate and Rachel are dear friends and co-workers of Blake's. I held this little one in my arms just a week ago; now he's in the ICU. He had surgery on a twisted intestine yesterday and was in recovery when his breathing stopped today. He's on a ventilator--he's only a few weeks old. Please, please pray.

Summer Recap

2011-09-22T21:58:00.000-05:00

September draws to a close and I'm still behind. Was looking through photos from August and realized that I hadn't posted some great ones from my brother-in-law. He and my sister and nephew are now happily ensconced in their apartment in Beijing. My parents are back home in the Middle East and my youngest sister is in her first year of college. Ch-ch-changes.

The weather here is at least in the 90s now, so that's something. We've had rain in the past week, but I'm pretty sure Lucy still doesn't understand the concept. The splashpads have been closed for a few weeks, so we're back to braving the park in the morning and running in and out of air-conditioned businesses in the afternoon. I've managed to fit in a few walk/runs as well--as long as we're out by 7:30am I can handle it. Lucy talks, sings and points the whole time. She's picking up words like crazy. Her newest today was "did it" which sounded like "di-it." I hope I'm somehow raising a British child. (Try saying "di-it" with a British accent and you'll get what I mean.) The "did it" we were referring to was the fact that she ate her lentil soup by herself--with a spoon. That's a big deal around here.

We've had some bizarre health things going on--hives and such. Lucy's been off nuts for a week or more and her hives are subsiding. I'm going to try peanut butter again in a week and see what happens. I've held off with milk too--as soon as she loses the hives and her cold I'll try again. I try not to drink it in front of her because she clamours for its frothy goodness anytime it's visible. Because we don't eat much meat, she's been eating a lot of beans, which isn't a problem for her. Tonight at Torchy's she ate a whole container of beans and rice and then had the gall to guzzle a bunch of breast milk before bed. The nerve!

As for daily life, we're still getting back into the swing of the fall semester with B. back at work. I'm attempting to write a bit of music during her naps, but I've been super tired and a bit under the weather lately, so that's not been happening this week. I hope to get back to it soon, but small group is underway and I'm starting a book club in November--there isn't much time for anything else. Thank goodness Lucy still nurses 3-4 times a day or else I wouldn't get any reading done. Dear friends did treat us to a rock show last week--I'm still paying for the lateness of the night, but it was totally worth it! Bon Iver moved and transported me--I'll be living off that show for a good long while.

Well, we've got friends in town from Philly this weekend--I'm on Lucy-duty tonight, so I will jet. Just figured that the few of you who read this for actual news could use a jolt of something. And some pictures of course--the following are from the summer and are taken by my brother-in-law, a talented filmmaker.

Peace.

Just to Hold My Place

2011-09-19T12:21:00.000-05:00

Housekeeping

2011-09-08T19:59:00.000-05:00

A few things:

1) Blake did not disappear when his FB account did. He is very much alive--perhaps more so than he was when he had a FB account. It's a miracle, a freakin' Labor Day miracle.

2) Lucy is a walking/climbing machine. I have to add time for her adventures on the way to the car when calculating how long an errand might take. Don't worry--we don't walk in parking lots.

3) Krista is seriously contemplating giving up the ol' blogstone. She was just told that she has reached her limit for picture storage on Blogger/Picasa and is kinda thinking it might be a sign.

4) Krista is seriously contemplating moving this blog to our mac.com site. This would be extremely complex for someone like her--plus a toddler and a learning curve, but it would be worth it--that is, if she wants to keep blogging.

5) Still praying for rain and an end to the wildfires, but reveling in a few days of cooler temps. It won't last long, we've heard.

Laters.

At Long Last: That Schlitterbahn Post

2011-09-08T19:44:00.000-05:00

If you don't live in TX and haven't ever visited, you've probably not heard of Schlitterbahn. What's with the weird name, you ask? According to Wikipedia, it's a made-up, German-sounding word loosely translated (from what?) "sled treck."* All you need to know is that this waterpark is the best waterpark ever. Seriously, this is the first waterpark I haven't hated**, mostly because of the dear old part of the park (Schlitterbahn West). Yes, I braved public restrooms, indecent exposure and wearing water shoes and a baseball cap (as well as a rash guard) for three days just to experience the magic that is Schlitterbahn. Need I say more? I could mention that many of the rides on the west side of the park are run with fresh water from the Comal River*** or that different sections of the park are German-sounding nonsense words (Surfenburg and Blastenhoff, to name a couple)--what's not to love?

Our girl loved it as well, as you'll see in the pictures below. Trip accommodations, park fees, water camera, food and free babysitting provided by Pop-Pop and Grandma Mathews.

Please let me back in the water! Please, oh, please!

Let the good times roll.

Lazing around in the lazy river.

They didn't even make me feed myself.

Way more powerful than Mommy and Daddy's excuse for a shower head.

*Spelling of the word trek/track (?) is not mine but the author of the Wikipedia article. I don't really know what he/she is trying to say here, so I guess it's a good thing this word isn't a real word.

**You could say that my enjoyment of a waterpark is a bit hypocritical, considering where I stand on conservation, the environment, etc. You'd be right. I'm a work in progress.

***This made me feel a little bit better about frolicking in all that water in the midst of a drought.

finished a song today...

2011-09-07T11:31:00.000-05:00

...about this little one. it's a small miracle compared to the one we're waiting for that's bringing the rain, but today i'll take it. beggars--aren't we all?--can't be choosers. video to come, i hope.

will blake cease to exist the moment he deletes his last FB friend?

2011-09-02T19:20:00.000-05:00

yes, folks, he's doing it. committing facebook suicide. it's nothing personal--he just deleted me a second ago. it's the only way. the only way he'll survive outside the matrix.

Walk in a Mile in My Shoes, Why Dontcha?

2011-09-01T23:54:00.000-05:00

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot: Haught Family Reunion, August 2011

2011-09-01T22:55:00.000-05:00

So.

My only excuse for the long blogging absence is that my family leaving town, my hubby going back to work and my kid having a cold, plus an in-law family reunion and small group kick-off thrown in there tied me up for a bit. Doesn't take much, does it? Some people life-threatening disease; I, however, battle anxiety. Poor me. (Insert the world's smallest violin playing "My Heart Bleeds for You" here.)

We left for Magnolia on a Friday night to stay at Granny's house and get a little quiet before the maelstrom that is 30+ relatives arrived on Saturday. Other than Lucy getting carsick on the way there, the trip down was uneventful. Lucy slept beautifully in her tent and in the morning hung out outside with her grandmother and great-grandmother, eating O's and woofing at squirrels and deer.

The cray-cray began when trying to get all 35+ in a picture--notice my slightly pained expression below, but in the end we got a few photos out of the deal. Michael and I must have drawn the short straws because for all our waiting on our knees, our faces were barely visible in the better photo.

And then the fun began in earnest because "Uncle Fun" had ordered a surprise for the backyard. It's obvious what Blake did all day--he was Uncle Fun Version 2.0, throwing kids down the slide again and again. In the interest of self-preservation, I'll spare you the pictures of my mother-in-law doing the bubble slip 'n' slide--just take my word for it--people were having a blast!

I know it was rough for Granny not to have her husband there--Grandpa Haught was sorely missed by all the kids, grandkids and great-grandkids who had known him, but hopefully those kids helped comfort her heart for a few hours. We were grateful for a place to meet and get caught up--many thanks to Cousin Mandy who had the bright idea in the first place.

Thanks also to the family members who took these photos--I had forgotten my camera.

stone fruit death match

2011-08-17T14:49:00.000-05:00

as i stood over the bowl, spraying blood red juice all over my clean kitchen, i cursed those cherries and their blasted pits, remembering with longing the gorgeous local peaches i had so recently blanched and peeled with care...

good thing i'm not writing a book about my life because drivel like this would be plentiful. however, i am interested in knowing which fruit you'd rather prep if you had the time and the inclination. check out the new poll to the right of this post.

(i think the title of this post might be the name of my next musical endeavor. maybe next week i'll poll you about that.)

ciao!

The End

2011-08-06T22:15:00.000-05:00

Family's a funny thing. I've been living apart from mine since I was 17--not that unusual in today's world, but different from my husband's experience. I wrote about my feelings about raising a baby away from my sister Sarah here. This summer we had the unique chance (unique for us, anyway) to live 12 minutes away from each other for a month. Before Sarah and family showed up, B. and I made lists of things we wanted to do and counted down the days. How exciting to have the cousins together again, especially because Lucy is such a social child--we figured we'd be together all day every day.

But I'm an introvert, buoyed by time spent alone after extended periods of social activity, though I've worked out a way to do that while being with Blake and Lucy. After trying to boil down a year's worth of moments into four weeks, I found myself exhausted and cranky--mostly with my husband for no apparent reason. Yet we kept going--to the zoo, the pool, the splash pad, the pizza place, the park, the pool again--and I did so with a nagging sense of urgency and loss because Lucy won't see her cousin until next summer. I kept thinking we needed to squeeze in one more thing--the last two days that they were in town were torture because we had prior commitments at church that we couldn't dismiss. In a sense, we missed their last two days here. And driving home from our meeting the last night, knowing that they were on their way out of town, we passed one of the many pools we'd visited with them and I burst into tears. Poor B.--he knew he didn't really need to say anything--he just needed to let me know he knew why I was upset.

So it goes. I wouldn't trade our four weeks together for anything, regardless of how crazy (read: emotional) it made me in the end. We'll take what we can get--it seems it's going to be like this for awhile. I'll learn to deal with the disappointment of not having them here and we'll go on with our lives, but at least we had July 2011. For that I am truly grateful.

New Background

2011-08-06T21:45:00.000-05:00

I neglected to mention that our new background was designed (not specifically for us) by Mollie at Wild Olive. Check out her super-cute illustrations and designs! Thanks for offering free designs, Mollie.

Typical Day in Borrowed Neighborhood

2011-08-06T20:56:00.000-05:00

For the month of July, my sister and her family rented/cat-sat in Austin. Now, I won't tell you exactly where this house is located--it should suffice to say that the VMA is unaccustomed to the opulence of said house and neighborhood. Therefore, we spend as much time with my sister as possible. There was a pool within walking distance, for Pete's sake! Below are some more photos taken by my brother-in-law on a typical afternoon in July.

The Day the Precious Walked

2011-08-06T20:33:00.000-05:00

Pre-walk/Post-pool time

The Precious is not really into tunnels right now. This is the only photo ZY got that had Lucy semi-smiling.

Move over, planking. Hello, swing-jumping.

My favorite in motion shot of the day.

She'll still do anything for a hug.

There are no words.

Lucy doesn't know what to think about Oliver's sudden need to cuddle.

Our pie baby. That's right--homemade crust, fresh cherries, the whole shebang.

Date Night!

2011-08-05T22:18:00.000-05:00

My mom babysat (again) a couple weeks ago and we decided to hit a couple more over-21 highlights of Austin. Ok, so some of these hotspots aren't technically only for folks over 21, but we all were, so there you go.

The date night before this we'd gone with my sister and her husband to the southside location of the Hyde Park Bar & Grill--sacrilege, I know, but the food is just as good and it's easier to get a table there--where Blake and I were treated to their veggie plate. Ok, so the mac 'n' cheese isn't quite a veggie, but at the time I had stitches in my mouth, so anything soft was considered "healthy." We followed up a big dinner with a few rousing rounds of ping pong at Lustre Pearl.

This time food was still a priority, but we'd already eaten dinner and the time was ripe to take our guests to Gourdough's. I really can't remember the flavours of the two doughnuts, but they must've been great because we all scarfed them down.

Next up was The Highball. I'd only been over there once or twice and had yet to bowl or do karaoke. Monday nights are the cheapest for bowling--only $20/hr--nothing for shoes. The lanes are almost antiques, you share a few balls with the strangers next to you and the ball return is iffy at best, but it was well worth the money. I actually beat my husband, bowling perhaps a career high at 148.

Our friend Jessica joined us later and we stayed for Motown Monday with the Matchmaker Band who was superb! A few of us actually danced--I won't say who.

The night ended with a cool car sighting in the parking lot--I think Blake is pretending to defecate on it--not really sure. I can't even remember what kind of car it was; I just know the guys were impressed. How cliche is that!

Hamilton Pool - 2011

2011-08-05T20:13:00.000-05:00

Continuing in my series on what to do when it's over 100 degrees F, I give you "Trip Hamilton Pool."

Grandma & Lucy getting ready for the 1/4 mile hike down to the water. Strollers need not apply.

Though we'd been to HP a few years ago with my parents and youngest sister, we thought it was time to try again. Mom had come into town to watch the babies so the married couples could have a date night, and she was keen to swim, as were the rest of us. Par for the course.

Make sure you use the bathrooms in the parking lot--the only ones near the pool are still not that close to the water and are portapotties. Do-able as an adult--not so much if you're carrying a one year old.

Timing with toddlers tends to be everything, and on this occasion time was on our side, which is to say that the kids awoke from naps earlier enough for us to get to the pool by lunchtime. It just so happened that carloads of people were leaving and we didn't have to wait at the entrance for a car to come out so we could enter the park. Bacteria levels were low--all systems go. (They have a handy-dandy hotline that tells you if the park is open or not.)

My mom's in great shape, so the hike down wasn't a problem. Grandma eats hikes like this for breakfast!

I'd forgotten how small the beach was, though I'm sure it was bigger this year, due to the drought. We squeezed ourselves into a spot and threw down some towels before applying lotion. Floats inflated, we waded into the pool, and good heavens! it was glorious! The water was cool, but not as bone-chilling as Barton Springs or Deep Eddy, and it was clean and clear. I had forgotten how amazingly massive the crater of HP is. Water dripped in a steady stream from trees at the top of the crater--Lucy and Ollie loved being pushed through the shower. ZY used his goggles and tried not to think about the fact that my sister had told him "Everyone pees in here. Get used to it."

You can't prove that I peed in the water.

Another thing that's nice about HP is that you can bring in food and drink, unlike at Barton and Deep Eddy. There is limited shade, but we managed to snag some of that as well. All in all, I'd give HP an A+ for beating the heat. It's worth the 50 minute drive from our house--oh, but if you're going to go, I would go on a weekday--I have no idea what weekends are like, but the website mentions that summer weekends a carload might wait an hour or more to get into the park. One more tidbit--the entry fee is paid by car, so get a carload full to go if you can. There, I think I'm finished. Enjoy the rest of my slightly tweaked photos--they don't do the place justice, but you can check out the website for a closer look. Happy Swimming!

Matching cleavage hearts. I love my sister.

Ollie's ready for a snack and a nap.

Pay no attention to my strange get-up.

A+ for family time at Hamilton Pool!

Beating the Heat at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

2011-08-03T21:04:00.001-05:00

Ok, so we didn't really "beat" the heat at the Center--it kicked me in the pants, but we went, dad-gum it, and it wasn't all that bad. I think five adults and two kids escaped without suffering heatstroke or severe burns, so we'll call this a win. And entry into the Center is free every Thursday this summer--I like the word "free."

Kids are already bleary-eyed from the intense heat and humidity.

We lingered long inside the visitors' center.

Dry as a bone...even the cacti were dying.

Too bad Lucy can't sleep in a stroller.

We cautioned her not to wake Ollie, but she came close, the little stinker.

Mom and one of her middle children.

Mom and her bearded freak of a son-in-law. Despite the heat, the Hill Country is gorgeous. And I'm not just talking about my husband.

In the heat, this was the best part of the center--Little House.

The kids did puzzles, played with puppets and explored without any extra sweat.

Vossler-Zhang Family Portrait. I think I took this...

So, if you're thinking of doing the LBJ Wildflower Center, I would recommend visiting on a Thursday (remember, free admission!) night at 6pm to catch Nature Nights. It's too dang hot out there to be wandering the dusty paths that skirt the campus. We had fun, as families often do, just because we were together, but all that heat and sun took a toll on the little ones. If you do choose to brave it during the day, bring loads of sunscreen, water and snacks. Do head up to the observation tower, too, even if the steps might kill you. The view from the top is worth it!

The Austin Zoo & Animal Sanctuary: Part Deux

2011-08-03T20:36:00.001-05:00

Gentle Reader,

I promised you more posts about what to do when the weather is well over 100 degrees F for 50 days so far--not straight, but 50 days this summer. My sister and her son and husband were here for four weeks and we were determined to beat the heat, rather than sit inside huddled around the TV (we did that at night). So, yeah, we headed to the zoo on a morning that began as one that afforded some cloud cover. By the time we got out to the zoo, the clouds had burned off, but we stayed strong and headed through the gate, double-stroller rumbling along.

If you look closely, you'll see that Lucy is already hydrating, clever girl.

Unlike our last trip to the zoo, this time we bought food to feed the animals. I figured I could keep one small child from eating goat food, especially since Daddy was with us. Oliver immediately took to the goats, while Lucy was freaked out a bit--I think the first goat was just too darn big and mean-looking for her comfort. I don't have any pictures of the petting part, but both kids petted a goat or two, so by toddler standards, it was a success.

My sister with her little one.

A happy Precious with a slightly smaller goat.

We spent awhile with the farm animals--Lucy seemed to get a kick of some seriously nasty pigs down in the muck, despite their grunting and growling. Yeah, pigs can growl. Oliver was more interested in deer.

Pointing at the pigs while taking a water break.

Daddy was glad to be along this time.

I'd say the other "highlight" of the day was the seriously offended lioness that kept throwing herself--full-body!--against the chain link fence. Boy, was I glad to have that fence! I've never seen an animal in captivity so riled--not that she didn't have a reason to be--it was bloody hot and people just wouldn't leave her alone. There are signs throughout the park, especially near the more active animals, concerning visitor treatment of the animals--they do not tolerate teasing, but we didn't see anyone giving the cat a hard time. For some reason she was livid. Here she's resting, but her ears are definitely back and closer to head than they'd be if she were content.

Errr...good kitty...?

By the end of an hour and a half, the kids were soaked with sweat and ready to move on, but they did great--I think I complained about the heat the most--all to myself, of course. Sigh...

Tired kiddlets.


Maybe next year her face will fit.

In summary, the zoo in July is worth it for toddlers if you can get them to pet and feed the farm animals. Most of the other animals were sluggish and either asleep, inside in the shade or eating lunch. There is a bit of shade, but not enough. I don't blame them for running specials on Groupon and other coupon sites all summer--they need the business. We didn't mind paying for only a couple of hours--it's for a good cause (animal rescue) and gave us something to do besides sitting in the baby pool at my sister's rent house.

Thanks to Uncle ZY for taking all the pictures except for this one here.

What You Missed - Summer 2011

2011-08-02T21:24:00.000-05:00

It's been a whirlwind month--the kind that sweeps you in, then spews you out a bit befuddled, wondering about the abyss into which the last five weeks have disappeared. I've all kinds of posts in the works--food, the Precious' toy review, things to do in Austin when it's 105 degrees, but until then, please enjoy the random selection of July photos below:

Red Sox vs. Astros Game - Mom got to see fireworks after all, but we couldn't all be winners now, could we?

That's right, my hubby still slips 'n' slides.

Oliver tries Lucy's tent; tent ends up upside-down--he's actually asleep in this photo--under the air mattress.

Barton Springs and goggles for all!

Gratuitous photo of disgustingly cute nephew.

Baby Carriers take over South Congress.

Farmers Market Breakfast with the Vosslers

Yes, we went at midnight to the first showing.

Supposed chicken pox--your guess is as good as mine.

Rock Star Baby

Early Sir Elton John

Gigi & the Precious

Date Night!

First Headband

Lucy's Newest Trick

2011-07-30T13:21:00.002-05:00

Uncle ZY's Photos: Lucy's Second 1st Birthday

2011-07-24T23:03:00.000-05:00

What a lovely time we had at Lucy's second party. This one was more of a "congrats!-you've-kept-a-small-human-alive-for-a-year" shindig. In fact, in church that morning as we walked down the aisle for the birthday prayer, Blake was given a resounding high five by our friend Jon who is also a new father. I was a bit embarrassed, but these two cannot be contained--and yeah, we had a reason to celebrate. As you'll see in the following pictures, this party was more about us, though the kids had a good time too. I think it was only fitting.

After much deliberation, we had chosen Little Stacy Park as the site of the party because of the possibility of open picnic tables and a wading pool for the wee babes, but as we drove over on the day of the party, I was praying that we'd get the one large picnic table in the sun. In my mind the success of the shindig depending upon this--who wants party guests fainting from sunstroke? Not me! Thankfully, we got the perfect table, complete with a place to hang the famous bunting. Despite our slice of shade, it was hot, but our guests were good sports.

We definitely had waaaay too much food, as is usually the case when I'm making the desserts--I tend to stress about guests going hungry and they haven't--not yet, anyway. We didn't even get to the peach cupcakes due to the plethora of cookies I had made on Saturday. Plus, it was just too dang hot to eat. (Have I mentioned that it was hot?)

People trickled in for a couple of hours--even a long-lost friend from Houston showed up. Some did the bean bag toss; kids and parents were in and out of the wading pool; everyone else hung out around the food and tried to stay cool. We decided to forgo gift opening, as there had been too many gifts at the last party--we didn't want Lucy getting spoiled.

In the end, rain brought an early end to the gathering--thankfully, what Blake calls his "daddy instincts" kicked in and he whisked the gifts away to safety before anything was ruined. Our only casualty was the bunting, or so I thought--in all the excitement I had forgotten to rip it down; it was only when we arrived home that I realized it was probably still hanging in the tree, sopping wet.

We headed to my sister's to dry out, as we had no room (not to mention no free dryer access) to dry chairs, coolers, towels, etc., and Blake offered to go back to the park to look for the lost bunting. He returned triumphant--the folks partying at a nearby picnic table had taken it down and saved it for us.

And thus ends the saga of Lucy's birthday week. I'll try to do some kind of photo log of some of her favorite gifts (and maybe some of my faves), as well as recipes for some of the food. Thanks to all who celebrated with us--we are so blessed to know you and have you in our sweet baby's life.

Here's to more years with the Precious!

and another thing...

2011-07-19T21:10:00.003-05:00

thank-you notes are coming. they are late, but they will be coming your way eventually. i've had a little run-in with a periodontist, so i'm a lazing around a bit this week.

Uncle ZY's Photos: Lucy's First 1st Birthday Party

2011-07-19T20:54:00.000-05:00

Where to begin...

It's already been two weeks since the Precious turned a year old--I feel time has gone rushing by us without so much as a "by your leave." Our summer is half over; my sister has less than two weeks left at her rent house, which means we've only a paltry week and a half to spend with my nephew. But enough wistful thought for now--we've a party to share!

I've blogged before about decisions regarding the Precious' party--fortunately, the family party was easy to plan--especially once my bunting and cupcake flags had been cut and sewn. My sister Sarah had already offered to host, despite the fact that the "small" gathering had turned into a medium to large soiree. The Alliance slept at my sister's the night before the party and woke early to prepare. I really didn't have all that much to do, as my cupcakes were made--only the brown sugar frosting remained. We hung the bunting and waited for Blake to finish a half day of work.

As we waited, I started to fret--we had no party hats, no balloons, no centerpieces. Initially, I'd scoffed at these things--calling them so much waste--throw-away party items with no recyclable parts, but this was my baby's first birthday, dang it--surely party hats wouldn't enlarge my carbon footprint too terribly much, would they? In the end, I yielded to temptation and had Blake buy hats and balloons--I'd made the other decorations from fabric scraps and they could all be used again, so I let the rest go.

Gigi (Lucy's Great-Grandma V.), Grandma and Grandpa V. and Aunt Alicia arrived early bearing food and too many gifts, but we were glad to have Gigi there early, as she hadn't seen Lucy since last July. Lucy behaved beautifully, holding her arms out to Grandma and later going down for her second nap at just the right moment. Sarah cooked and baked until the last second--she did the lion's share of the work, making cake pops, a main dish and multiple to-die-for dips.

Sarah puts the finishing touches on her Buffalo Chicken Dip.

The in-laws arrived on schedule with drinks for all; a few cousins showed up soon after and we were off! Everyone wanted a piece of the Precious--she cheerfully submitted to party hats of various colours; Uncle ZY dutifully took pictures from every which angle to ensure a lasting imprint of the day.

Grandma & Pop-Pop Mathews arrive.

Daddy frosts the cupcakes

Grandpa V. and Gigi

Grandma V. and Aunt Alicia

The food was amazing--Mom contributed veggie lasagna; Sarah whipped up her version of one of my favorite recipes from Mom's stash--Western Chili Corn Bake. We had cream cheese and raspberry chipotle sauce, Blake's take on Chuy's creamy jalapeno dip, plus a few more dips and three kinds of dessert. Good thing I was flitting around the house; this extra movement warded off a food coma.

Brown Sugar & Cream Cheese Frosted Peach Cupcakes

Aunt Ashley and the Birthday Girl

Vossler-Mathews Family Portrait

Limeade Cake Pops

Honestly, it was a mad-house. So much for a quiet, low-key day of celebration--this was a raucous family jamboree! After lunch we moved straight to the presents in order to expedite the advent of pool-time. Lucy liked tissue paper as much as she liked gifts and could not be persuaded to sit in one place and neatly open packages. That left Mommy and Daddy with the task--good thing they enjoy opening presents that aren't for them!

Lucy's a natural at the glockenspiel!

How many books can the Vossler-Mathews Alliance read at once?

Curious cousin--we were happy to have her!

Right before Lucy was whisked away to play with her cousins in the pool out back, we pulled out a candle and cupcake. You'll notice below that she was a little unsure about the flame before her, but Mommy and Daddy took charge and blew it out. She had no problem with eating almost an entire cupcake, but definitely liked the cake part best--she's a girl after her mother's own heart. My favorite moment occurred after half the group had wandered away from the messy kitchen scene--that's when Lucy decided that she could inhale her dessert faster if she eliminated a step and went for the cake with her face!

Candle...I don't know about this...

Getting by with a little help from her friends.

Lucy loves fruit as long as it's in cake form.

Face plant

The grand finale was time outside in the backyard--I think everyone made it out there at least for a few minutes, despite the heat. We grown-ups were entertained by the kids flip-flopping in and out of the pool--and by my husband who decided that even if everyone else was too stuffy to do the slip-n-slide, he was game. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the event, but I think I can get a hold of a few in the next few days.

Good ol' summertime fun!

Roar! It's my birthday!

A wonderful day was had by all--we played dominoes and croquet after the Haughts/Mathews contingent had gone home, and tired as we were, Blake and I were ready to do it again on Sunday. But that is a story for another day.

Uncle ZY's Photos: SplashPad

2011-07-18T09:44:00.001-05:00

Uncle ZY's Photos: Reunion

2011-07-18T09:27:00.001-05:00

To Save My Place

2011-07-12T08:54:00.001-05:00

Yup. I'm doing the whole "here are a few badly taken photos while you wait for the real thing" thing. I figured you at least deserved some pictures of the Precious on her birthday itself. And pictures of the birthday bunting I finally finished--so here you go--

finished at last

the Precious on her birthday

cousins at hopdoddy on south congress

who are these people and what have you done with my real parents?

waiting for her guests to arrive

picking your boogers is more fun if there is someone to wipe them on

post-party swim

Lagging Behind

2011-07-05T10:30:00.000-05:00

Yes, we are lagging behind on posts these days. Perhaps this is because I was sick for three or four days last week; perhaps it's because both sets of grandparents have seen the Precious regularly in the past few weeks. Perhaps it's because I haven't finished the bunting for the Precious' birthday parties--coming up this weekend! The best reason for not posting is that the Precious refuses to stand still!

I have loads to tell you about--a Boston Red Sox game and a trip to The Woodlands, cousin fun at the splash pad, croquet, slip 'n' slide, etc., but it will all have to wait. Thankfully, my sister and her husband are documenting it as we go--he's a professional and spends hours editing his photos, so we will eventually have great photos to share. But for now you'll have to be satisfied with these:

Happy First Father's Day!

Lucy's toy of the month

Reading Danny and the Dinosaur

Godzilla!

More splash pad fun

Super Baby

Croquet with the Vosslers

Cousin Ollie

Xtreme Croquet in the long grass

Count Down to One

2011-06-24T22:52:00.001-05:00

Planning. Parties. The Precious turning one. Shock. Awe. We've kept her alive for just shy of a year.

Apparently, people in blog-land plan parties for months and months. And then it's over, gone in a flash--cookies eaten, stenciled cups crumpled, fancy cake smashed into the carpet. How do they have the time to plan, execute AND blog about it while caring for their kids, cooking dinner, doing laundry--not to mention vacuuming (something I haven't done in weeks)? It's taken me two weeks to get halfway through a string of bunting, let alone take artsy photos of my progress. (Insert self-deprecating snort here.) The party is less than two weeks away and we just nailed down the location last night. Or at least I think we did. I'll have to confirm with the husband.

A pool party would've been nice, but we didn't get our butts in gear in time to reserve space anywhere. We were looking at Lustre Pearl (local bar with ping pong tables), but I don't think a child's birthday party is very high on their priority list--they haven't gotten back to us yet after multiple calls and e-mails.

Seriously, why does this have to be a big deal? What about that rule--the number of guests should equal your child's age? So, invite one person. Awesome. Actually, we love a reason to celebrate, so we're inviting a bunch of people. Will there be a theme? No. Will there be spiffy decorations? No, unless you count my first try at bunting. But there will be cake and snacks, beanbags and sunlight and water spurting up out of the ground. There might even be seating, but it would be wise to bring your own chair just in case.

Fun at the Lake

2011-06-17T23:39:00.000-05:00

Summer is when Grandma & Grandpa V. come home to the lake, so we headed up there for a few days this week. Lucy was thrilled to get reacquainted with Grandma who sang and played the piano for her, though I think her favorite Grandma activity was sitting in the rocker on the porch, listening to wind chimes and looking for deer.

Grandma even came along for a trip to a splash pad, but Mommy forgot her camera! No matter, Lucy was happy to pose for pictures inside. We didn't get down to the water this time, but next time we will. Lucy seemed content to motor around the house on her knees, looking for electrical sockets and indoor potted plants. She gave everyone a run for their money, but did Mommy and Daddy a favor by sleeping through the night ALL THREE NIGHTS! Unheard of!

Ya Happy Now?

2011-06-17T23:22:00.000-05:00

Sunday, Fun Day

2011-06-17T23:16:00.000-05:00

A Momentous Occasion

2011-06-17T23:11:00.000-05:00

You see that look of joy below? That's right--the Precious has finally been to Chuy's to taste the sweet nectar of the Tex-Mex gods: creamy jalapeno.

Five Years

2011-06-17T23:05:00.000-05:00

I was going to post a few posed pictures from the night we went out for our anniversary, but honestly, this one is more "us," if you will. Yes, Blake's beard is threatening to eat my face and if you look closely you can see the now permanent yellow under my eyes, but it's still my favorite photo of the bunch. It was taken after watching X-Men: First Class, after discussing where to go next, after pumping gas, before deciding in favor of a coffee shop--the hubby's concession to my fear of drinking while I'm still a breastfeeding mother.

Five years. Doesn't seem that long, really. We've been to Philly and back, to grad school and back, to the West Coast and back. We've lived in tiny apartments with only a stove and sink for a kitchen, in houses with other housemates, in neighborhoods loud and chaotic. We've left and found jobs, hunted down churches, rustled up friends. In short, we've begun to heal--slowly--together, to build a family, a home. And sure, we didn't buy the house of our dreams (if that's what it was in the first place), but we have a sturdy roof over our heads, a wasp nest on the porch and a baby in the second bedroom. How could we ask for more?

Vay-kay!

2011-06-17T22:47:00.000-05:00

Pop-Pop and Grandma Mathews came up last week to see the Precious and demanded water time. Supposedly, it was Mommy's fault for posting pictures of said Precious at the splash pad.

Sure enough, Thursday found us at our favorite shady spot. This kid has no fear!

Grandma and Pop-Pop took turns holding the Precious, while Mommy and Daddy took pictures. Lucy had a great time, as you can see by the mischievous look on her face. "More people to spoil me!"

Mad About Music

2011-06-17T22:38:00.000-05:00

Lately, we've been jamming out to Pandora's children's folk station. We've gotten familiar with Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Elizabeth Mitchell, Leadbelly, Caspar Babypants, and Ella Jenkins. Oh, and who knew that Johnny Cash had a song about dinosaurs?! Lucy likes to bang along with the music, though it generally degenerates into going off on her own to chew on the mallet. Can anyone say "choking hazard"? I guess it's the price you pay for fostering musical ability in your children.

ELEVEN MONTHS OLD!!!

2011-06-07T16:13:00.000-05:00

Waiting

2011-06-07T16:01:00.000-05:00

So, I wrote a vague post about a house a week or so ago... We are still waiting... Waiting to hear from the structural engineer, waiting to hear from the seller and listing agent, waiting to hear from our lender. Maybe no news is good news in this case. Regardless, we will make a decision by June 15 and we'll either be in our apartment for another year or in a house.

At this point, we're just trying to trust that God has our back, no matter what happens. We know He does--it's just the whole trusting-Him-in-the-moment thing that's giving us a run for our money.

Summer Sand

2011-06-05T18:07:00.000-05:00

Little Lives

2011-06-01T19:56:00.001-05:00

This post has no pictures, but I hope it will be worth a read.  Actually, I'm writing it more for myself than anyone because without typing these notes I'll be sure to forget.  (The interweb never forgets.) 

I've been fighting an icky cold monster since Sunday night, but I was determined to get Lucy outside yesterday.  Without the motivation (or ability, as I have a stroller tire that needs to be replaced) to walk in the heat with a head cold, I ended up at our favorite park again.  

We parked, donned hats and headed for the swings, but as I reached the crest of the hill overlooking the playground, a swarm greeted my eyes--elementary kids--everywhere.  For a split second I contemplated flight, but Lucy was already crowing with glee so I resolutely bounced down the hill, huge backpack in tow.  Lucy loves kids; this will be great, I encouraged myself, as we headed for our usual spot next to the green wall with the holes in it, the one just the right height for Lucy's pull-ups.  I was halfway there when a little elf with wavy blonde locks accosted me--"Ooooooohhhhh, what a cuuuute baaaabyyyy!  Is it a boy or a girl?"  "Girl.  Say hi, Lucy."  "Hi, Lucy," said Annika, for that was her name.  And we were off.  

I plunked Lucy down in the rocks, Annika rattling off statistics about her family in between questions like "Does she have teeth?  How many teeth does she have?"  "Does she have hair?  Can I see?"  "How old is she?  Is she your only baby?"  By this time, a small fan club had gathered.  I started to ask them how they were feeling about tomorrow (today in real time) being the last day of school.  One girl said she wouldn't miss it--"Nope!"  Another girl said, "I'm moving tomorrow."  "Wow!" I responded.  "Where are you going?"  "To California.  But my mommy and daddy aren't going with me--my tia is taking me to live with my sister."  She seemed wistful but proud, as if daring me to be shocked that she was leaving her family.  I wondered if it was her choice or if her family had more children than it could handle.  

A brother-sister pair had latched onto us as well.  The boy kept saying, "She's adorable--she's the cutest baby ever."  His sister reminded him that they had a baby brother--"He's three and he bites!"  Annika assured me that her baby sister had bitten as well.  I mentioned that Lucy didn't bite--not yet, anyway.  

I wish I had a tape recording of the whole thing--it was so sweet.  Four of them asked if they could come help put Lucy in a baby swing.  While swinging, Elijah asked if Lucy liked her daddy.  I said she loved him, and Annika blurted out, "I don't like my daddy.  I don't like him at all."  The others adamantly professed their love for their fathers, and I found out that Elijah and his sister have the same mama but different daddies and that Annika used to go to church with her dad, but then he started "yelling and being mean" so he and her mother divorced--hence, why she doesn't like her daddy.  Elijah wanted to know if I believe in God and if I go to church, and he told me that he prays "every night!"  

Heading back to our old spot, I promised everyone a turn at holding Lucy and feeding her pretzels--everyone had to try the pretzels themselves--and they tried to help her walk and shovel and made sure she didn't put rocks in her mouth.  Elijah wanted to know if I was Lucy's sister or mother, and boy, did that make this 34 year old feel good.  

They were all so gentle with her--so enamoured of her.  Of course, as little kids do, they attempted to outdo each other with their compliments, but I think it was more than an urge to impress each other.  Something about Lucy drew them in, and for that, I was glad.  It gave me a chance to peek inside their little lives, to remember what elementary kids are like, to imagine what Lucy might be like at that age.  More importantly, I was given a taste of what doors might open for us in our new neighborhood as I carry Lucy and a plate of cookies up the street.  Exciting stuff.

And when I finally had a moment today to reflect while Lucy slept, I offered up a little prayer for those wee ones each going through his or her own particular childhood trial--for healing, protection and peace...and now I'm tearing up again just thinking of them.  I think of the children in my extended family and my godchildren and my nanny kids and my former students...  The list goes on and on.  And I wish I had the words to pray, but the following will have to do for the the moment:  

Dear Father,

Hear and bless Thy beasts and singing birds,

And guard with tenderness small things that have no words.*

*anonymous

Food Happenings at the VMA - May Edition

2011-05-31T18:43:00.000-05:00

Lest you think we haven't been busy here in the VMA kitchen, here are a few ho-hum photos of some satisfying food & drink we've been whipping up.

1. Cheese Crackers: My apologies to those who have been waiting for this recipe. I'm only doing links today--and yes, each link should take you to the specific recipe. These were a huge hit--I used my tiniest biscuit cutter, as I had no tiny goldfish cookie cutter. It is such a relief to have non-store bought snacks that are easy to carry and feed to the little one. I will say that we all liked them on the crunchy side--the longer they cooked, the longer these little guys lasted in the pantry. Thanks to Smitten Kitchen for the recipe.

2. Vermontucky Lemonade. This was all Blake, though I was the one to "share" the recipe with him on Google Reader. I knew he'd be all over this drink. I am not a fan of bourbon, but this was delish! Again, Smitten Kitchen rocked our world.

3. Purple Potatoes. Now, this isn't a recipe, but I wanted to share a pic of our purple potatoes, gleaned from the last CSA box. We were concerned that these suckers would taste "funny" to us because what we see with our eyes does indeed influence taste, but cooked up with oil, salt, pepper and a little Tony's, these were flavourful and packed full of antioxidants.

4. Rootbeer Float Cake. Hands down the best chocolate dessert I've had in a long time, courtesy of Brown-Eyed Baker. If you take the plunge, make sure you use good rootbeer made with real sugar and actual spices. It will taste so much better! I recommend Virgil's, Maine Root, or, if you are fortunate enough to live in Houston, St. Arnold's--I'm sure there are others. The icing itself was to-die-for--the flavours grew richer as the cake aged.

5. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. This was Blake's first foray into pie and he dominated this category! Last night, while I slept--I'm fighting a wicked cold-flu thing, he threw together a strawberry rhubarb pie with the last of the local strawberries. Tasty Kitchen was the source of the pie recipe, and he used the no-roll pie crust from Savory Sweet Life for the bottom crust. I was quite impressed at the quality of the no-roll crust, having never made one myself. One recommendation I have is that you might want to dial back the amount of sugar in the fruit filling--it's not that sweet, but I like to taste more tartness from the rhubarb.

And that's what we've been up to in the kitchen, among other things. One of these days, I'll share Blake's recipe for lentil soup, which we've been eating non-stop since the winter. He made a huge batch on Sunday and we've been nomming on it ever since.

Happy Baking, Cooking, or Eating!

Lucy's Picks - May Edition

2011-05-31T15:39:00.000-05:00

Here we go again, y'all--another edition of my favorite things:

1. Splash Pads! Daddy's determined to do a tour of Austin splash pads and wading pools this summer because my very first experience was such a success. Mommy took me to Ricky Guerrero last Thursday--we were the only ones there when we arrived. Mommy didn't know where the "on" button was, so we wandered around pressing things and were consequently startled when a big yellow button actually worked! The noise of so much water hitting the pavement frightened me at first, but by the end of the first five minutes, I was crawling around like a pro. We couldn't stay long because I was shivering, but if I'd had my way, we would have stayed all morning!

2. Tillamook Cheddar Cheese. I've loved hard chunks of cheddar ever since Mommy introduced them to me a few months ago, and my love for cheese is still going strong! I would eat it at every meal, but I think this would bother those who change my diapers...sigh... I have to be resigned to eating it once a day--and twice on Sundays! Fun fact: Cheddar cheese can be used on the fly as a teeth-cleaning food, if you lack a tooth brush--so says my godmother Renee, who is a dental hygienist.

3. My Green Bottle. Ed & Keri (our friends from Philly) gave me this bottle before I was born, and I've loved it for a long time. I really do prefer the sport top of this sleek stainless steel bottle to the sippy top of my Klean Kanteen.

4. The Story of Joash. Mommy loved this book when she was little--unfortunately, it's out of print now, but we have a whole bunch of Arch books from Mommy's childhood. Does anyone else remember any of these? I just love little Joash--he's so cute and kingly!

5. Dogs & Cats. Much to Mommy's (and Daddy's) dismay, I love dogs and cats!* We went to dinner with old friends from Mommy's China days and all I did was stare at the three dogs who ate with us. I didn't even eat my own dinner--despite the fact that it was pulled pork, green beans and smashed potatoes at Red's!

*Note from Mommy: Though Blake and I don't mind animals owned by other people, we don't ever want to own our own. We enjoy our friends' pets and enjoy leaving them with their owners at the end of the day/night. Some people feel this way about children, and I don't take offense. Dogs, as well as children, are quite a commitment.

Lucy's Latest Face

2011-05-28T12:13:00.000-05:00

Reunion

2011-05-28T09:14:00.000-05:00

You've seen these two before--Evy & Lucy. They love hanging out, though it often takes Evy a little while to get used to Lucy's boisterous enthusiasm about her friend. Evy and her mommy and daddy moved away a few months ago--huge bummer!--but this week Evy was back for a photo shoot, so we made sure to get the girls together. After lunch at CM, we headed to Zilker where Lucy showed Evy how to crawl in the rocks. Evy, being of a more sensitive nature, did not enjoy the sensation of tiny pebbles underfoot, but eventually gave in as she watched Lucy goofing off with random kids. By the time we got back to our apartment (and after they napped), the girls were friendly again, crawling around after each other in the living room. Lucy, in her excitement, kept trying to "pull up" on Evy's head (pictured below), while Evy went in for kisses (read: bites) with a vengeance. Both mommies had a great time catching up! We wish they lived closer, but we'll take what we can get.

Lucy & Corbs

2011-05-28T08:35:00.001-05:00

Hanging with my buddy Corbs!

I love this play apple juice bottle.

I like Legos too, but I wanna keep my options open.

Girls rule, boys drool!

Success!

I Dream of Houses Yet to Be

2011-05-27T09:44:00.000-05:00

the house.

we like it...a lot.

i'll start with the front room. you walk in the front door and find yourself in the living room. it's a medium-sized room with a vaulted ceiling and windows that afford great lighting--it feels airy and cheerful. the floor is dark wood laminate, as are the floors in the hallway and bedrooms. this room is completely open to the dinette and kitchen--we love this feature--entertaining will be easier, as you can talk to people from the kitchen--something you can't do in our apartment.

the dinette is smallish, but will fit blake's parents' old table and chairs. we'll keep it small unless we have guests for a meal. there is a bar as well, which gives me a large space on which to roll out dough (something i can't do here in this apartment) and a spot for kids to eat--we'll have to buy stools. there is no microwave, thank goodness, and no dishwasher, but deeper sinks than we have seen in any of the houses so far. medium-deep. the tile in the kitchen and dinette area seems new-ish and is sturdy and clean. there is a pantry.

to the left of the dinette is the converted garage. laminate tile on the floor. the washer and dryer "closet" is in there as well and this room opens to the side yard. it's light and airy in there too and is a great room for music equipment and guest quarters.

to the right of the kitchen is a hallway which opens into three bedrooms. now, the third bedroom isn't much more than a closet, but it's the perfect size for a craft/sewing room. the bathroom is in good shape--has a little shelf in the shower, which i greatly appreciate! some cabinet space in the bathroom as well.

the other two bedrooms--front and back--are good sized. we will take the front, larger bedroom--two windows facing front. we'll put our desk in there too with our computer/TV so it won't have to be out in the living room. we are trying to make it less of a focus in our next home.

the back bedroom would be lucy's--far away from the noise of the living room and music/guest room (converted garage).

closets, though not walk-in, are good sized and some include built-in shelving.

back and side yards make for a huge backyard--huge for us, anyway. no real grass grows--mostly weeds, but we would smother most of it anyway to make room for vegetable gardens. there are multiple flower beds in the back and front--much care went into them. there's a small patio space--cement--close to the house--for a grill, i suspect. fire pit as well. the yard is half shaded, half sunny, which is nice for gardening. the side fence is funky/quirky and cool. wouldn't have to replace it for awhile yet.

the lot is on a corner--fire hydrant on the side, so strangers couldn't park there. less traffic that way. roof was new in 2009.

neighborhood is coming up, so to speak. this is a quieter section of the neighborhood than the house we looked at around the corner.

no, it's not in walking distance of a park or of any of our friends, but B.'s bike commute would be easy-peasy, and there is a park a few miles away. the neighborhood seems diverse--in terms of age, race and social class. we like that immensely.

have we put in an offer yet? no, but we hope to soon. we are attempting to hold this house lightly, as we were disappointed earlier this week when our supposed dream home was sold before we could get to it. so much to think about. so much to pray about, to dream about.

The Austin Zoo & Animal Sanctuary

2011-05-23T20:27:00.000-05:00

Because Lucy's favorite books are zoo-themed and two of her grown-up fans had nothing better to do at the end of their semester, we decided to take a trip to the Austin Zoo & Animal Sanctuary last week. Though I am no stranger to the AZ&AS, this was Lucy's first trip to a zoo. She stared in wonder at the lions, tigers and bears that had been rescued from irresponsible Texans' foreclosed homes. (Seriously!) And although none of the adults in the party are true animal-lovers, we had a wonderful time experiencing the zoo through Lucy's eyes. I was disappointed to miss the three-legged wolves and a fresh bird who whistles as you walk by--you really haven't experienced the Austin Zoo if you haven't seen them. All in all, I enjoy this zoo better than most, as it's small enough to do in a couple of hours and is never too crowded, despite the small parking lot. It may not have the star-power of, say, a Siberian tiger, an African elephant or their carefully reproduced habitats, but it's nice to know that your admission fee is going to a good cause.

Admission for Lucy is still free, so we hope to take Cousin Ollie along this summer, as well as Daddy, and perhaps we'll ride the train and feed the animals. One can always hope!

Lucy's First Comic Book, Courtesy of GF Seth

2011-05-23T20:07:00.000-05:00

"parting is such sweet sorrow"

2011-05-20T13:21:00.003-05:00

i met seth around thanksgiving of 2003. new to houston, i had been hanging out at my roommates' church and made it my own. seth had moved to austin by then, but he returned frequently to h-town to see his girlfriend. his fame had preceded him--todd pressed a CD into my hand and told me it would change my life. i listened and was impressed, but i figured ol' man woods was just another guy with a guitar doing his thing. boy, was i ever wrong.

he heard me sing at some fundraiser or another, probably sponsored by brad and company--i was by that time performing with dallas and michael as ship to shore and we were looking for a drummer and connections. seth found me at a get-together at amy's house and told me--"if you ever do something--anything--let me know. i want to be a part of it." exciting words for a fledgling songwriter dying to be heard.

days, weeks, months went by. the band broke up. i weathered one or two misguided attempts at recording. i'd see seth around--"let me know when you're ready," he'd say. robbie coached me in fund-raising technique; dean told me he'd forgo payment if i would record at hyde park; i headed up to austin to talk shop. we stayed up late listening to patty griffin--seth fielding calls from his ex-girlfriend--i daydreaming about the day i'd have a record. i sang back-up for seth at a show at taft--what fun to collaborate on a slew of favorite covers.

at last we were ready--the studio booked for two weeks--seth hired as producer, guitarist, back-up vocalist, percussionist, jack-of-all-trades. what followed was one of the most intensely fruitful and frustrating and astonishing times of my life. sure, there are things i would do over again, but for a first attempt at an EP, it was a success. blake and seth bonded over anything and everything. i fed them schlotzsky's and junk food; seth's parents brought us cake and ice cream and offered advice. seth has said that for him it was a healing time--for blake and me, it was a chance to work together on my dreams.

afterward, we'd see seth off and on, lamenting each time that we lived in different cities. he attended the wedding and later visited us in philly. when at last we decided to make our home in austin, we attempted to get together often, but life and loves got in the way.

our second year in austin, as we scrambled to find another housemate, i happened to meet an ex of seth's who mentioned he was looking for a place to live, and miracle of miracles, he agreed to live with us. and thus began another intense time of my life--living on the east side as the only woman in a house full of men. funny how seth has been an integral part of such pivotal times for the VMA. you can see how one could mourn when told he was moving.

of course, we've known this day would come--the pull of new mexico is strong as the home of seth's bride-to-be. we don't begrudge him this leave-taking, but it's hard, knowing we'll not do breakfast or watch movies or cheer at his shows or let him hang with lucy (his god-daughter) this summer. he won't get to hear songs of mine fresh from a brainstorming session, nor will we get sneak-previews of his.

with heavy hearts we'll say goodbye and godspeed and hope to see him in NM one of these years. he's one of the funniest, most honest, most talented people we know and we will miss him dearly. if you're still with me and would like to hear some of seth wood's music, please check out his band sad accordions and his solo project the whiskey priest. also, one last thing, he is attempting to raise money to play in great britain this summer. if you'd like to help him out or would just be interested in hearing more, go to kickstarter to see his video "the whiskey priest takes europe" and leave him a little gift. he'd greatly appreciate it.

thanks.

The Busiest Week Ever, or Lucy Learns to Read

2011-05-18T22:28:00.000-05:00

Just kidding--the Precious isn't reading--not yet. However, she does have some favorite books right now--forgive me if I've posted these before:

1. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak. Leave it to our child to love a controversial book. It's also a Caldecott Honor Book. I admit it--we love it too--it's dreamy and fanciful and weird--and it cracks Lucy up! If we start reading another book at bedtime when this book is in her line of sight, Lucy will not sit still until we give up the first book and read this one.

2. 1, 2, 3, to the Zoo by Eric Carle. Filled with Carle's lovely collage illustrations, the book counts down the cars of a steam train full of animals until it reaches the zoo. Though I'm not a huge fan of zoos in general, we did take Lucy to the zoo today--in part because at least two of her top five books right now are centered around animals at the zoo. If you are an Eric Carle fan, you might enjoy his blog--I stumbled upon it today and was tickled pink to read his simple entries.

3. Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathman. This book tells the story of one mischievous gorilla who follows a dutiful zookeeper as he locks up for the night. By the time this monkey is through, Mr. Zookeeper has a bunch of sleepy animals in his bedroom. When I saw this at the used bookstore, I groaned--I'd had to read this over and over to a demanding little nanny-kid a few years back, which is difficult considering there aren't many words in this picture book. But I knew Lucy would love it and I was right.

4. Where is Baby's Belly Button? by Karen Katz. Pictured above, this book is basically a game of peek-a-boo, complete with flaps to lift. What kid doesn't like flaps? Lucy violently loves this one.

5. Walk On!: A Guide for Babies of All Ages by Marla Scanlon. Ok, so this is Mommy's current favorite, but Lucy likes it, too. She giggles when she sees the baby and has lately become fascinated with pages detailing the pull-up. Our friend and neighbor gave us this book, saying that her grandson learned to walk after reading it. We'll see if it pushes Lucy to that next stage. She's obviously thinking about giving walking a try.

Right, I teased you with the title about our busy week. Well, upon returning from Houston on Tuesday, we got ready for my youngest sister--Aunt Alicia--to arrive. She was with us until Saturday. In between naps and editing (I had an 18 page editing job to finish by Friday morning), Lucy and I helped Auntie shop for camp clothes and supplies, but she ended up getting her hair cut herself--for $7! Unheard of! She would make any thrifty granny proud.

My in-laws arrived Friday--no, they did not stay with us--that would've been too much for our little apartment, and by the time they left, we were wiped out, but had our first meeting with a realtor--yes, we are looking into buying a house. Just a little itty-bitty house, perhaps with only one bathroom, as close to Blake's work as we can get, one-storey* with a big yard and one extra bedroom for music and art and guests.

So, reading the above post, our week doesn't sound that crazy, but if you add a Precious that has just hit her clingy stage and has been waking up a lot at night, this makes for a zombie-Mommy who is overly dramatic and thinks that everything is happening all at once.

Yes, strange things are afoot at the VMA. We'll keep you posted on the house-buying prep. I will tell you this--house-hunting is waaaaaay more fun than doing the paperwork to prepare for said house-hunting. In all seriousness, you can pray for us as we make decisions--we want to be wise in the midst of our giddy excitement.

*"Storey" is the British spelling. As we were searching for houses, I had to ask, "How do you spell story--as in 'two-story house'?" Bit of an embarrassment for this ex-English teacher, but come to find out, "storey" is the British spelling--must be a remnant of all those British classics I read as a kid. Keeping it real. Over and out.

(superfluous photo of Baby eating quinoa for the first time)

Playing Catch Up - Mother's Day Weekend 2011

2011-05-18T21:24:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day weekend, the Vossler-Mathews Alliance traveled to the Magnolia/Houston area to introduce the Precious to H-town friends, but before we left the Precious went to visit her second cousin in RR. Hitherto this visit, said second cousin had jabbered on about the Precious, but when she arrived it was a different thing entirely. The Precious, though welcome, was a bit of a threat and reduced Cousin K. to tears multiple times. Lest you think the Precious has turned violent, let the record state that it was by merely "loving on" Cousin K. that the Precious gave offense. I'm sure the time for intentional toy-snatching will come, but for now, I assume the Precious was innocent. That said, poor Cousin K. has a lot on her mind--her new role as a big sister and the shifting that inevitably comes with a gaining younger sibling. Follow the cousins' progress below:

I love how Lucy smiles through it all--she has no idea that she is infringing on Cousin K.'s personal space.

That night we also took Lucy to a dear friends' birthday party at (drum roll, please) Gourdough's! No matter that everyone was eating from Odd Duck's assortment of sophisticated farm to trailer dishes (read: quail). We had leftovers at home, and you know what that means: We ate dessert first. That's right--we ordered a simple Naughty & Nice and washed it down with bottled water. Not very classy, but who needs class when you've got big, fat, buttery doughnuts? Lucy hung out with our pastor's kids--each one (there are four!) waited their turn to hold her except the second brother who gave up waiting and turned his attention to another baby. I couldn't blame him. Waiting is hard.

At last we were on the road to Granny Haught's place on Friday afternoon. And boy, did Lucy get a warm welcome! She thoroughly enjoyed crawling the length of Granny's living room, pulling up at the kitchen window sills and generally charming all assembled family members. It was a sweet, sweet time for Granny and Lucy.

Once in Houston, we prowled around Montrose, sighing over lost youth, lusting after quirky bungalows and free art museums, droning on to Lucy about what we used to do here or there. "When Mommy and Daddy were dating, we used to walk this street..." "Before Daddy got it into his thick skull that he liked Mommy, we used to read on that bench... "When Mommy was a poor bakery shop girl, she shopped for groceries at this Fiesta..." You get the picture. And then we headed to the Menil.

The Menil Collection/Rothko Chapel area is, hands down, my favorite place in Houston. I have so many memories of that place--of readings in the grass, of quiet meditation in the chapel, of pledges made on a bench in the wee hours of the morning. In fact, my last hurrah as a single lady was followed by the odd combination of a group hang-over and prayer on the grass in front of the Menil. It was also a great place to take my nanny-kids--they never tired of staring at the African masks or running around on the lawn.

On Saturday, we played on the grass...

On Sunday, after Baby Barnaby's for breakfast and before meeting old friends for dinner, we took Aunt Ashley over to the Menil to glance at the collection. Lucy coo-ed at the art. Yeah, I'm a ~~delusional~~ proud mother--so sue me.

Lucy charmed our friends Phuc and Paula. Phuc and Blake were housemates; in fact Phuc was somewhat of a mentor to both of us back in the day--he and I wrote benedictions together; Phuc introduced Blake to Jurgen Moltmann. Now, Phuc's married to Paula and we've got a baby, but we still know how to drink beer and talk theological shop. I couldn't have asked for a better Mother's Day.

Monday we ate beignets at Crescent City (yes, we did the glutton's walk down memory lane this weekend) and for lunch met up with Aunt Ashley and Cousin Krystal.* I lamented the fact that our Central Markets here in Austin don't have the rockin' sandwich bar that Houston's does, but Houston CM doesn't have hand-dipped gelato, so there!

Our last stop before heading to Ashley's for our final night of slumber-partying was Onion Creek, an old hang-out that, much like many establishments in Austin, features a large, picnic-tabled patio as well as decent French bread pizza. OC is also where we said goodbye to our H-town cronies before moving to Philly five years ago. It's our go-to meet-up location. Lucy was able to meet my dear friend Gretchen and Blake's old roommate Nate and his wife. Good times.

Tuesday morning we awoke early to Lucy scratching at the sides of her tent--yes, she now sleeps in a tent when not at home. We said goodbye to Ashley, made a sweep of the house and sallied forth to look for breakfast tacos for the ride home. Big mistake. We'd have done better to hit up a Whataburger for taquitos. Glad to be heading home but sad to miss so many other folks from the area, we took to the road, our first trip to Houston declared a success!

And this is what Lucy did all afternoon upon arriving home:

*Thanks to Aunt Ashley for hosting us for three nights! Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture (in fact, I didn't get any of her at all--sorry, Ashley!) of her bedroom with all three big kids in it--Lucy slept in the living room in her tent while we watched movies in Ashley's bedroom. What fun!

The First Mother's Day Proclamation--yes, I know it's been two weeks...

2011-05-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day Proclamation

(I know it's been two weeks plus since Mother's Day, but I meant to post this two weeks ago, and am determined to catch up on adventures in blogland!)

Julia Ward Howe, author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," renowned pacifist in later years and the first to proclaim Mother's Day--with the proclamation below, of course. Mother's Day did not become an officially recognized holiday in American until 1914.

Arise, then, women of this day!

Arise, all women who have hearts,
Whether our baptism be of water or of tears!

Say firmly:
"We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

From the bosom of the devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own.
It says: "Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace,
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God.

In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And at the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.