Pets

Molly does not like getting her picture taken.  Or perhaps she wants to eat the camera.

Best friends.

Crazy, crazy dog.

Bones talking to us.
Zoe is in absolute heaven now that she gets to go outside with us.

Me Want Meat!

OK, so I gave up all meat except fish for Lent this year, thinking it would be easier than giving up sweets.  I'd done pretty well up until last week.  I've been trying out some new recipes and have been trying to mix it up for dinners between fish, beans, eggs, and cheese or some combination.  Peanut butter has been a big player too.  But last week, I think I hit some kind of plateau.  I have been trying to work out more, and have been working hard in the yard, and am finding myself hungry ALL THE TIME.  Of course, Jav would say, "but aren't you always hungry all the time anyway?"  And yes, on some level I have a never-ending appetite.  But this is worse because I'm getting headaches and all the things that happen when you have low-blood sugar.  And apparently a lack of iron in my diet.  My cavewoman roots are starting to show and everything I look at eventually turns into a pork chop.  

I had thought maybe an extra side benefit would be some weight loss, but I'm eating so often in between meals that the opposite is taking place.  My poor husband gave up sweets, but has basically given up meat too since he eats what I fix, and we only eat out once a week.  But I'm determined to finish out the next three weeks.  Serves me right for thinking it would easy.

Spring break

Perusing his favorite book.

St. Patricks Day.  He has his Irish t-shirt on we got at the Irish Festival.  

This is probably the reaction to our offering him some of our fish and chips.

Cade, just being Cade.  I told him he looked like a deranged monk.

Good buddies.  Gabriel worships the ground he walks on.

Get up, stand up!   Stand up for your rights!

Gabriel has had a heck of a Spring break week!  

Monday was our first visit with the speech therapist in the morning, then our regular afternoon backyard time.  Tuesday he went to the park with his Tia Sandie and Jav's parents.  They were there for over two hours, then went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch.  He was so tired by the time they brought him back home to me he couldn't walk or talk.  He was zonked for the rest of the day.  Wednesday they took him to a different park to feed the ducks, and that's where the miracle occurred.  There were firemen there working on training exercises.  With the fire truck.  Sandra said he started doing his crazy happy arms and little jumps that he does when he's so excited he doesn't have anywhere for all the energy to go.  He got to sit in it, and the firemen all high-fived him afterwards.  I'm supposed to be getting pictures soon.  Then once again, he was zonked all afternoon and seemed to only have energy for Wow Wow Wubzy episodes.

Thursday we drove over to pick up Cade to spend the night.  We went to the Farmers Market and did some grocery shopping (and I spoiled my nephew rotten, of course!).  Then we ate lunch and hung out while Gabriel napped.  We all went to the park, but I noticed Gabriel was dragging a little, and chalked it up to the fact that he was still tired from the previous two days.  We played even more in the backyard before I camped them in front of the TV while I made dinner.  When Jav got home, we ate outside (something we've done 4 times this week - a new record!), and the boys played even more as it was getting dark.  It was such a special day I didn't want it to end.  Cade is a wonderful boy.  He's always willing to help and curious about everything.  He's just a joy to have around.  

Unfortunately, our good week took a bit of a turn when Gabriel woke up at 3 in the morning with 103 degree fever.  He's never had fever that high before, so Jav and I were the typical panicky parents about whether to call the doctor.  After starting him on Tylenol, I decided to wait an hour and check on him to see if he felt cooler, and he did.  But he was really fussy and woke up every hour or so, which eventually woke up Cade (and Molly), so we all had a pretty early morning.  I decided to ask my parents to take Cade for the day, which really disappointed me.  But I knew Gabriel needed to go to the doctor, and I didn't want Cade to have to tag along with us - no fun at all!  It turns out he just had a 24-hour virus, and was feeling better by the time he went to bed last night.  But because he was still so sad and droopy yesterday afternoon, I took him to Target and purchased our first full-length kid movie:  Cars.  I picked this because he has some of the Cars and and a Cars book, so I figured he'd be familiar with the characters.  Jav was with work buddies last night watching the basketball, so Gabriel and I ate pizza and watched the movie.  He only made it through about half of it before he got bored.  We turned it back on this morning, but after about 15 minutes he left to go play in his room and Jav and I watched almost the rest of it.  Pretty cute movie.  Love Doc (voiced by Paul Newman, which made me cry when I figured out who it was).

And today, he's spent almost every waking second with his Daddy.  He's starting to really miss him during the week, and clings to him like crazy on the weekends now.  It gave me some time to work on my flower beds and walk Molly.  We went to Mass this afternoon and Gabriel ran up to our priest (Father Paul, who's been with us since August) and gave him a huge hug, which was just so sweet.  We ate dinner outside again tonight (the weather just dictates that you CAN'T eat inside!), and I haven't decided what adventures await us tomorrow before things get back to normal.  

Helping Daddy

Jav was hanging a shelf in the kitchen for me to put my cookbooks (and free up some counter space).  Gabriel got his tools out and decided to help.   So sweet!

A complement and a complaint

In the March issue of Reader's Digest, there is an article written by Reese Witherspoon, actress and Mom, about her rules regarding manners and morals for her children.  I like the whole article, but my favorite part is when she's talking about the sense of community she received growing up the South:  "I take my children to church in Los Angeles.  It takes you out of your personal experience and universalizes it.  You understand that whatever you're dealing with, someone in that room has either dealt with the same thing or will in the future."  That's how I feel about going to church.  This is a woman who has stayed grounded within her roots, and has not let Hollywood or stardom get in the way of raising her children the same way.  How refreshing! 

To see the whole article, go here.

My complaint is with network television.  Is it any wonder that they are in the sad state they find themselves when a smart, creative, and well-acted and -directed show like Life On Mars gets canceled before it finishes even one season?  Apparently not only will we get to see the remaining finished episodes, but the producers were preparing for this bad news and scrambled to have the last episode answer all the questions.   I'm glas that we'll be able to find out the mystery of why Sam was hurtled back the 70's and if he will find his way back, but why can't they give shows at least in to the second season before giving them the ax?  Network execs must be IDIOTS!

Modern troubadour with an edge

I've only been a fan of Richard Thompson for about 5 years.  I had heard his classic "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" song on one of the radio stations periodically (probably KERA before they stopped playing music all day).  Then I heard him interviewed on Glenn Mitchell and heard both recorded and live songs in studio.  I thought he was brilliant on the guitar, and found his voice one of those I could listen to all day and never get tired of it.  Jav heard the same interview and thought he was talented too.  I went out and found a Greatest Hits CD.  I was shocked but pleased to hear some rocking songs, some alt country-sounding songs, some cajun, and some pop.  In other words, not just acoustic folk, and I fell in love even more and knew I had to see him live one day.

That day came last Tuesday at the Lakewood Theater in Dallas.  The man strolled out on stage at exactly 8 pm, just holding his guitar.   The only other things on stage were a stool holding a glass of water and I think a towel.  Talk about downsized!  But he proceeded to charm, dazzle, hypnotize at times, and totally entertain us for the next two hours.  It seemed at times like there had to be other instruments up there with him somewhere, but no.  It was just his amazing talent on that guitar.  And that voice!  How does it still sound so perfect after all these years?  It makes me think of sipping on some warmed whiskey with lemon and honey when you've had a sore throat - just so soothing.  I only knew 4 songs out of the 15 or so he sang, but it just didn't matter.  It left me wanting more than just a Greatest Hits CD!  And although I loved hearing the classic 1952 song, my favorite was one someone just shouted out from the audience when he asked for requests - Bees Wing, a song about fond memories and lost love, that just makes you want to cry it's so poignant and full of melancholy.  What a talent for telling a story through song this man has.

Thanks honey for the best Valentine's gift I could have asked for! 

What a week!

I haven't had time to stop and breath this week.  It's almost like we had Spring Break early, and we've been blowing and going nonstop all week.

Monday morning I started my new workout routine, which involves getting up just before 6 every morning but Sunday.  It sounds crazy, but I'm pretty determined.  At least I was until sore and highly underused muscles kept me from doing anything the last two mornings.  And I'm sure the time change Sunday will NOT be helping my determination next week.  

Tuesday night was Richard Thompson.  This really deserves a post by itself, so that's what I'll do.  

Wednesday morning I worked on my article for our newsletter all morning because I had a deadline.  (I love writing that.  It makes me feel like I'm an actual writer).  I've decided to get a little more hard-hitting, but at the same time wanted to make sure I got all my facts straight.  I figure that while I've actually got a platform to get my thoughts on the environment and conservation out there, I might as well use it to its fullest advantage.  Wednesday night was Book Club, and was just so much fun even though I was tired from staying up later than normal Tuesday night.  I've decided everyone in our book club has such a knack for making their homes comfortable.  Every month I can't wait to get there and relax with a glass of wine and talk about whatever multiple subjects get thrown on the table.  Oh yeah, and there's also a great book discussion somewhere in there too.

Thursday I worked all morning on a do-it-yourself project, which I have decided I'm not very good at.  I was covering a bulletin board with fabric and a ribbon border to hang in the hallway to post Gabriel's latest artwork and family pics.  If my Mom hadn't helped me I'd probably still be working on it.  (Stop giggling about me, you sewing types.  You know who you are).   But it made me mentally tired the rest of the day.

Today we went to Weatherford and had a play date and lunch with April and Macy (my Mom got to come too).  We had a great time, even though Gabriel and Macy aren't quite to the point where they're playing together.  But they'll get there.  Gabriel fell asleep 10 minutes from home, and I tried to sneak him in and put him down so he'd keep sleeping.  But he decided that's all the nap he needed.  He's about to fall over he's so tired.  Actually so am I!

Tomorrow we have a possible basketball game of Jav's Godson, Andrew, in the morning, and then our week will culminate in the thing I've been looking forward to all month - the Irish Festival in Fair Park.   We're going with Jav's sister and boyfriend, who we always have fun with.  And we get to see an ex-classmate (and son of book club member Joyce) play in his new band, Jiggernaut, while we're there.  It should be good times multiplied!

Sunday, we are doing nothing.  We've earned it.