house of blue

rollie-pollies

2010-08-09T20:42:00.003-05:00

Noah: Rollie-Pollies don't have bellies. And their eyes are their ears.

target

2010-08-09T20:42:00.001-05:00

Noah (at Target with me) "Mom. Why do you always just LOOK at stuff? Other people BUY stuff!"

rainbow unicorn

2010-08-09T20:40:00.001-05:00

Noah: "mom, you are prettier than a rainbow unicorn"

best friends...

2010-08-09T20:39:00.001-05:00

Phineas to Noah: "We're best friends, right?"

hearts shaped like valentines

2010-08-09T20:37:00.002-05:00

Noah: Dad, why does everyone have hearts that are shaped like pears and not like Valentines?

Phineas: Dad, your heart MADE my heart. That means my heart LOVES your heart… And you have MY heart and I have YOUR heart.

All those things are true…

Love in my heart

2010-08-09T20:36:00.000-05:00

Phin: "Mom, I have so much love in my heart for you...it's never gonna leave."

Laser eyes

2010-08-09T20:35:00.003-05:00

Noah: I have my speedy legs...now I need my laser eyes, my strong, and my flying and Dad's glasses.

Theology questions with Phineas

2010-08-09T20:33:00.002-05:00

Phin: Why did Jesus shed blood on the cross?
Dad: To cleanse us from our sins
Phin: long pause.."Oh....that's cool"

Phin's Prayer

2010-08-09T20:32:00.001-05:00

Phin: (bedtime prayers) "Dear Lord, please give me a button on my shirt that will turn me in to any super hero or car and give my mom a princess button on her shirt and I'll save her from all the bad guys. Amen." Age 3

August 9, 2010

2010-08-09T20:31:00.000-05:00

Phin: I had sweet dreams last night, Mom.
Me: Tell me about them!
Phin: I can't tell you about them. There was no talkin' in them. They had words at the bottom, but I couldn't read them.

(Phin dreams with subtitles.)

Such sweet boys

2010-07-19T21:26:00.001-05:00

Noah: "Dad, this morning — in my heart — I just had the most WONDERFUL feeling of penguins."

another morning....

Noah: "Mom, I'd like to put a crown on you"

more funny things...

2010-06-16T08:36:00.004-05:00

Phin (age 3): "Dad come see my poop! It looks like a snake and it's hugging it's Mama!"

Noah (before bed age 4.5): "Mom, when am I going to get my laser eyes?"

Phin (age 3): Noticing a scrape on Ben's elbow, "Dad, God sent you a boo boo"

Noah: (on a walk with Dad) "Dad, Rollie Pollies don't have bellies and their eyes are their ears."

Noah: (driving downtown to the children's museum) "Mom what are those huge tall buildings called that scrape the sky?"

Noah: "My favorite songs make me stop talking" (Free Fallin' by Tom Petty)

Noah: "Mom don't forget to turn on your flashlights" (as we drive in to a parking garage)

Phin: "Mom your baby is like POW (making noises like explosions) it's bigger than this woman and that woman (pointing to each of my boobs)"

Phin: (talking to our neighbor Ms. Annette as she told him not to squirt her with a squirt gun) "I'm going to get you!"
Annette: "You better not..."
Phin: "I'm going to get you (this time shoots her with squirt gun)
Annette: Takes away squirt gun and puts him in time out....Phin distraught and crying "Oh Miss Annette! I'm sorry I promise I'll be kind and funny"

Noah: "Mom I love you mucher than I love you!"

easter morning

2010-04-16T19:19:00.001-05:00

Noah: Mama you look as pretty as a pony
Mama: Well thank you Noah! (i think)
Phin: The most hugest, biggest, strongest pony ever! And as beautiful as a princess

Funny Things

2010-04-14T08:03:00.002-05:00

Noah: "Mom when I grow up God's going to be done making me Superman"

adios amigos!

2009-04-01T15:18:00.003-06:00

I'm taking a break from blogging, might be a forever break. I just can't seem to find the time these days! Sign up for Face Book to see pictures of the boys and keep up with our lives.

New Blog!

2009-02-17T21:42:00.002-06:00

I started a new design blog for those interested in all things design: interior, graphic, illustration, art, garden, pretty much anything that inspires me artistically.

Please stop by plain and fancy and let me know what you think!

lean on me

2009-02-12T08:44:00.005-06:00

I was sitting in my car the other day and "Lean on Me" came on bringing loads of memories from my childhood, specifically, of Shirley our old cleaning lady. She would belt out this song at the top of her lungs and sing her heart out. For some reason the song brings a tear to my eye. Maybe I'm just having PMS. Probably. But whatever the case, when this song comes on, I blast it and sing along. Love it.

i'm in love

2009-02-07T15:28:00.006-06:00

We are considering getting a new pup soon! This is our dream bread according to the research we've done and the dogs we've met. This valentine's day Ben and I and the boys will be driving to Waco to visit a breeder and meet the parents of the possible dog we might purchase.

Here are some pictures of Wheaten Terriers. When they are puppies they have black fur around their faces and they get lighter and lighter until they are blonde by age 2. We did a lot of research and took quizzes on what type of dog would be best for our family. The best things about this breed is their friendly and puppy-like disposition, soft, hypoallergenic non-shedding hair, medium build, playful, smart and wanting-to-please-personalities.

New House!

2009-01-20T20:26:00.006-06:00

We made it! We moved in to our new place and are totally head over heals for Mueller. Love it. The house is so thoughtfully planned with great storage space and perfect for our lifestyle. click on the caption bubble to read the captions while watching the slideshow. To see a bigger slideshow, click on it.

10 Things I love about my new diggs:

1. Sitting on my front porch watching the boys play with their diggers and run laps around the sidewalks.
2. Cooking in our new kitchen with a gas stove and more space to store appliances, dishes, etc.
3. Sitting by the fireplace reading a book.
4. Walking distance to cool parks and running trails.
5. Office near the kitchen.
6. A more open floor plan.
7. The courtyard, which looks like a giant outdoor playpen right now, soon to be filled with lush potted plants.
8. The cozy master bedroom with gabled ceilings, very cottagey.
9. The closets
10. The kids bathroom: not having to sit on the toilet to bathe our kids (the last one was so tiny and only one adult could be in there at a time with the kids in the bath. It was very cumbersome).

It's been weird not going back to my old house. I feel like I'm forgetting to do something. Shouldn't I be over there cleaning and raking leaves? Ahhh....Thank God that chapter is over.

Onward and hopeful for nothing to report.

CatholicVote.com

2009-01-19T22:40:00.001-06:00

CatholicVote.com

Posted using ShareThis

up, up and away!

2009-01-13T08:43:00.003-06:00

The house is pretty much empty and we're out of here on the 15th! more to come...

First hair cut and more

2009-01-07T18:11:00.004-06:00

Phin had his first haircut after three seperate occasions of being mistaken for a girl. I got tired of hearing "Awe, she's so pretty!",
"Your little girl is so cute!" "How old is she?"....alas, it was time. I never thought I would be one of those moms who was sad to get her kid their first haircut, but it was sort of sad to say goodbye to Phin being a baby. He's a full fledge toddler!

Here are some other random pics. We're super busy packing and getting ready for our move.

Two funny things Noah said while I was tucking him in:

"Mama, you are so fun and cozy!"

"Mama, you are so beautiful and sparkly"

our amazing realtor!

2008-12-11T20:29:00.002-06:00

Just a shout out to our awesome realtor Michael Reilly! I highly recommend him. He has tons of experience, is an amazing negotiator and knows homes (since he is also a builder) and the Austin market. He sold our home in 12 days in a down market (to say the least) and saved us over 20k on the purchase of our next home. So, if you are in Austin or moving here, check out his great site where you can search Austin homes for sale. Go Michael! We are so thankful for all of your help!

Mueller

2008-12-10T16:23:00.003-06:00

We are making the move to Mueller Austin! We found a great house yesterday and we're putting in an offer today. The house will be completed January 15th, they day we move out of our house. We are so excited for many reasons, one being that the lifestyle in Mueller is very family friendly. Unlike my current neighborhood, there are tons of families with young children and tons of parks and places to play. The Austin Children's Museum is even thinking of moving to Mueller. They are in phase two of the development and by the time it is complete there will be a work-live town center. Currently our home is located two blocks from a great park that has a pool, playscape, big field and basketball court. Mueller has 140 acres of parks and trails. Our particular house is in a Garden Court. Five homes with (garage alley access) face another five homes with a large green space/courtyard in the middle. The homes are close together, but because of the brilliant design, you still have privacy! Super cool. We're really excited.

Pictured above is the first Garden Court homes, ours is slightly different, but ours is similar to the yellow one, only it's blue.

avery allen

2008-12-09T21:39:00.002-06:00

I did some modeling for my designer friend Avery, she is super talented and you can follow her blog here.

new red robot boot

2008-12-04T20:37:00.003-06:00

Five more weeks in this cast. But thankfully, it's waterproof! I'm just excited we can wash him properly. I was a bit sad that he wouldn't have the cast off before Christmas, but such is life.

oh how I love the things you say....

2008-12-04T07:47:00.003-06:00

Noah says so many awesome things lately. I really need to be writing them down so I can remember. The past few evenings, when Ben walks in the door, Noah immediately asks him if he bought a trumpet. Finally we asked him why would Daddy need a trumpet?

Noah responded: "So he can wake up Christmas!"

We had been telling him that he will wake up Christmas morning and find presents! I guess he figured, he has tried to "wake up" Christmas and it hasn't worked, Dada MUST be able to wake Christmas up, maybe if he blows a magic trumpet....

Also, he tells me every night: "Mama, I love you sooooo very much! You are the cutest Mama ever!"

I wish I could just follow him around with a tape recorder.

toys the season!

2008-11-17T08:05:00.007-06:00

What a wonderful time of year! A time to be thankful, a time to reflect on the gift God has given us and to GIVE good gifts to our children, friends and families.

I don't think I have ever quite grown up when it comes to toys. I confess I still LOVE toys. It's actually hard for me not to buy toys that I see that I think the boys would like (or that I would like). This time of year makes it even harder, since I love to see their faces on Christmas morning and of course I want to give them everything their little hearts desire, just short of spoiling them.

So what toys are you parents thinking about getting or dreaming about getting your kids or nieces and nephews? What's the BIG gift this year?

adapting

2008-11-15T07:25:00.005-06:00

I'm sure most of you heard that Noah fell off of some shelves in the locker room of Lifetime Fitness on Tuesday night. Ben had his back turned for one second to help Phineas and boom, down Noah fell. It was a blessing that he didn't land on his head or break his neck or something worse, but the poor guy suffered a pretty bad fracture of the Tibia. At first we just thought he had a little bruise and would be fine in a few minutes. His leg didn't look broken or displaced, but he refused to try to stand up and couldn't stop crying. He insisted on getting a band-aid. I loved this, the little guy had such a limited understanding (fortunately) of pain that he thought all it would take was a simple band-aid to take away his pain.

While we were heading through the drive-thru at chick-fil-et, thinking he might just be hungry, he started to doze off to sleep. This was highly unusual for Noah and since we weren't sure if he hit his head, we rushed to the ER. They checked him out and told us he didn't suffer a head injury and they sent us home three hours later with a splint and a referral to an Orthopedic surgeon.

We scheduled two Orthopedic appointments to make sure the best decision was made for the his recovery. The second doctor specialized in pediatric orthopedics, so we went with his decision to put the cast on immediately instead of waiting until Monday the following week. The cast significantly reduced Noah's pain. The hardest part was seeing him go through such incredible pain and watching him protest as the second doctor in four hours removed his splint. "No! No! No!" he insisted angrily through his tears. It was heartbreaking. "Mommy!!" he balled.

His pain has decreased, although he's still sore and taking Ibuprofen as needed. (Tylenol with Codeine if the pain is severe). He is hanging in there, my little trooper! He's even started pulling himself along (kind-of a gimpy crawl) to get where he wants to go. It's amazing to me how quickly a child can adapt and make the best of a difficult circumstance.

It's Saturday and he woke up this morning having wet the bed (which he never does) and in a lot of pain. The cardinal rule of casts is, of course, to keep them dry and by some miracle the cast didn't get wet (as far as we can tell). I pray he won't need to have another one put on so soon, while he's still feeling so much pain. I guess we need to put him in diapers at night, just in case. He was in a whole lot of pain this morning and crying. Through his tears he said "Mama, I'm soooo sad! It still hurts!" As soon as the medicine kicked in he said in a hopeful voice "Mama, I think it feels better now!"

MLS Photos

2008-11-08T19:48:00.002-06:00

things are coming together!

2008-11-07T08:10:00.005-06:00

Things are really looking good at our house (finally!). The lower roof will be completed by the end of the day today and it already is looking so much better! We only have a few more finishing touches and yard work to the outside to get it ready for MLS. Very exciting!

Not sure if I've updated everyone, but we had a contractor steal money from us and leave the job without completing much and part of our roof torn off. We came to find out later that he had been changing his company name anytime anyone complained about him or filed lawsuit. I love our legal system. This man should seriously be in jail. And can you beliieve he sent us more invoices! Ha! Can you believe the nerve of this man? He sent his plumber over to collect payment from us! I couldn't believe my ears! He must be insane! Anyway, the suit is being filed this coming week. I hope we can put an end to this man's career and his criminal practices.

After all the work we've been doing lately, the good thing is, after Saturday we'll only have to keep our house clean! That seems like a breeze compared to all that we've had on our plates the past few weeks. God is good and has provided an amazing contractor (friend of a friend from church) who is doing an excellent job finishing everything up.

Has this ever happened to any of you?

halloween in circle c

2008-11-06T08:07:00.004-06:00

I forgot to post these halloween photos on my blog. We went trick-or-treating with Mindy and Nathan in Circle C. It was cute to see all of the kids running around in the streets. Totally suburbia-bliss!

Noah was the "first good grey robot" from Iron Man (he loves Tony Stark and often makes a very serious furrowed brow face when he is pretending to be him). Phin was a last minute pantless bee.

a motorcycle, mama!

2008-10-28T07:14:00.002-06:00

Noah: Mama, when I grow up I'm going to ride a motorcycle!

Mama: Oh no, really? You should ask your PapPap what they call those in the ER. They are really dangerous, you could get hurt.

Noah: Oh mama, I won't get hurt. I'm going to have a very, very fast and dangerous one.

Mama: That makes me feel so much better. (Sigh)

a surprising interview

2008-10-25T22:08:00.005-05:00

Democrats should be angry that Biden won't answer these questions. People want to know! This is the first hard line of questioning I've ever seen a media outlet ask a democratic candidate. His arrogance in laughing at the questions was astonishing! Can you believe it? Americans have a right to know the answers to these important questions. When he says things like "Americans are going to be tested". What should we think? With all the access to practically top secret information in the positions he holds on senate committees, we want to know, does he know something? It's a rule of modern politics any question you are asked should be answered. Especially when it has to do with public statements you make about the security of the country or tax policy or if your running-mate says things like he wants to "spread wealth around" please do expound.

a must read

2008-10-24T08:02:00.003-05:00

This article by Orson Scott Card, "Would the Last Honest Reporter Please Turn on the Lights" is a very insightful article.

Where is journalism headed? What do Americans think? Do liberals see the bias in the media? When three major newspapers come out to support a presidential candidate, you can't deny it, the media is completely biased towards the left.

Why haven't the media reported or dug a little deeper into the issues mentioned in Orson Scott Card's article. There are plenty of stories we're just not hearing. It's a sad shame.

The funny thing is, despite the blatant support of Obama, by pretty much every media outlet (besides talk radio, the WSJ and Fox News) liberals still complain about media bias against democrats. Oh how they complain that anyone might have a different opinion. This is when I feel like being on the SNL skit "Oh really!" I mean really???? Do you seriously think that? Really????

The fact is the media and most liberals think it shameful not to support Obama. Would any of you Republicans out there dare post a McCain/Palin sign in your front yard? Wouldn't you receive looks of disgust and shame from neighbors? It's just not cool or socially accepetable these days to be a conservative. It's not cool to care about abortion. It's not cool to dislike the economic policies of our Marxist presidential candidate.

cement mixer

2008-10-17T08:39:00.003-05:00

Noah was totally pumped when i told him a giant cement mixer truck was parked in our driveway about to pour!

free speech and political correctness

2008-10-16T07:15:00.003-05:00

I read this article in the Washington Post, by Michael Baronne and it got me thinking a lot about our freedom of speech and the way this country has gotten so ga-ga for Obama that they've thrown out their desire for free speech lest it be to promote him.

He's right on about universities being places where "The campuses that once prided themselves as zones of free expression are now the least free part of our society" It's really true.

Read the article and tell me what you think.

This got me thinking about where the phrase "politically correct" came from. Do you think it is used to shush students who might not have the "correct" (liberal enough) viewpoint in our universities?

democrats vs. obama

2008-10-15T21:47:00.000-05:00

everything IS bigger in texas

2008-10-14T07:22:00.003-05:00

Check out this spider I found from the City of Austin Website. I don't think I'll be leaving the house ever again. I'm outraged!!

I thought that spiders this large only existed in movies.

This is the description they used to describe it: "We have Texas Chair Spiders (offical term bognotus spideros), which aren't really the size of a chair; generally they are only 8-12 inches across, but that's just the main body. The legs stretch out up to 3 or 4 feet. Their harmless though unless they crawl on your face while you sleep and suffocate you. It has happened, but only two or three times in the last 6 months in my area.

Just watch your pet doors because that's how they get in, through the pet doors. They're usually too big for the littlest pet doors but will squeeze through the ones for larger dogs.. Below is a picture of one that was lounging around in my back yard earlier this year. I had to use the zoom on my camera because I didn't want to get close. They can't hurt you with their bit but they creep me out, and there's that whole sleeping thing."

hilarious.

2008-10-12T21:03:00.001-05:00

the apple doesn't fall far from the tree

2008-10-09T19:57:00.004-05:00

Mama: opening the door to kitchen to put the trash outside"Wow, it's chilly today!"

Noah: "That's why Daddy wore his coat today."

Mama: "Yes, that is why."

Noah: to himself "That is so sad."

Noah's 3rd Birthday!

2008-10-04T16:22:00.001-05:00

Here is the Presbyterian Church in America's stance on abortion

2008-10-03T13:33:00.003-05:00

PCA's stance on Abortion

If you are reading this and a member of this church, you should read it to see what your denomination thinks about it.

the age of tolerance

2008-10-03T08:05:00.002-05:00

We live in an age of "tolerance". Unless, of course, you don't agree with the issues that are being tolerated, then people have a the freedom to think you intolerable.

I wonder what we would have learned had those "debates" been more than just pulpits, if they were more than just five minute commercial segments for both parties? I found the lack of answers to the questions and the lack of rebuttals from both parties quite nauseating. It's really all just pageantry. I seriously hope that no one would make a decision about who to vote for based on these "debates". The voting records alone speak volumes.

Happy decision making!

sicky

2008-09-30T09:05:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the lag in posts. We've all been fighting colds in the Koplin household. I've been thinking a lot about how I want to redo our kitchens and bathrooms downstairs. We won't do it for a while, but I'll be ready when the time comes. I love this months issue of Cottage Living. I love this kitchen and think I would like to redo ours in this same style only with the red cabinet color. I also would like a smaller island and a round kitchen table. It's just so refreshing from the typical granite counter top, dark cabinets. I like the idea of making the kitchen unique, but classic and a bit more modern than the one in the idea home. I like the green too, but I am in love with my Tahitian Red cabinets with black knobs. If only the drawers weren't falling apart, I would keep my kitchen the same as it is now. Also, in going with the indoor outdoor look our house has with our new stained concrete patio and walkway, I'm hoping to extend that stained concrete into the foyer and kitchen eventually.

Here are some pictures of the boys:

a new part-time job

2008-09-19T22:28:00.006-05:00

I never thought it would happen but I finally broke down and signed up for facebook. It's hard not to become addicted! I could spend hours checking up on friends, not to mention dealing with tons more email.

Anyway, I'm tired and going to bed now. Just thought I would let y'all know I have facebook now.

I also spent way too long trying to find my celebrity face match today instead of doing a zillion other things around the house that I could have been doing. The results? i don't think I look even remotely like any of the celebs they matched me with....

My Cuties

2008-09-11T08:49:00.003-05:00

Trying to be just like their Dad!

Camille Paglia: Fresh Blood for the Vampire

2008-09-10T20:43:00.005-05:00

I loved this article by Camille Paglia on Sarah Palin, superbly written, even if I don't agree with her political views, I thought the writing was engaging, funny & honest.

A feminism that cannot admire the bravura under high pressure of the first woman governor of a frontier state isn't worth a warm bucket of spit. p.2

More of the same, McCain?

2008-09-10T09:16:00.005-05:00

Here are some quotes from the speech I found intriguing:

"All you've ever asked of your government is to stand on your side and not in your way. And that's what I intend to do: stand on your side and fight for your future. Hmm... I like the first part, but not so sure about the second. What does he intend to fight for and how?

on Government
And let me just offer an advance warning to the old, big- spending, do-nothing, me-first, country-second crowd: Change is coming. . . I've fought the big spenders in both parties, who waste your money on
things you neither need nor want, and the first big-spending pork-barrel earmark bill that comes across my desk, I will veto it. I
will make them famous, and you will know their names. You will know their names. I like this, but not sure I believe it.

We lost -- we lost the trust of the American people when some Republicans gave in to the temptations of corruption. We lost their trust when rather than reform government, both parties made it bigger. True.

On Education
This I like: Education -- education is the civil rights issue of this century. (APPLAUSE) Equal access to public education has been gained, but what is the value of access to a failing school? We need...(APPLAUSE) We need to shake up failed school bureaucracies with competition, empower parents with choiceLet's remove barriers to qualified instructors, attract and reward good teachers, and help bad teachers find another line of work. (APPLAUSE) When a public school fails to meet its obligations to students, parent-- when it fails to meet its obligations to students, parents deserve a choice in the education of their children. And I intend to give it
to them. (APPLAUSE) some may choose a better public school. Some may choose a private one. Many will choose a charter school. But they will have the choice, and their children will have that opportunity.. I'm all for us being able to decide how and where we educate our children.

On energy:
We're going to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much, and some of that money...
(APPLAUSE) We'll attack -- we'll attack the problem on every front. We'll produce more energy at home. We will drill new wells off-shore, and we'll drill them now. We'll drill them now. (APPLAUSE) We'll -- we'll -- my friends, we'll build more nuclear lower plants. We'll develop clean-coal technology. We'll increase the use of wind, tide, solar, and natural gas. We'll encourage the development and use of flex-fuel, hybrid and electric automobiles. (APPLAUSE) Senator Obama thinks we can achieve energy independence without more drilling and without more nuclear power. But Americans know better than that.(APPLAUSE)
We must use all resources and develop all technologies necessary to rescue our economy from the damage caused by rising oil prices and restore the health of our planet. My friends... (APPLAUSE)... it's an ambitious plan, but Americans are ambitious by nature, and we've faced greater challenges. It's time for us to show the world again how Americans lead. (APPLAUSE) This great national cause will create millions of new jobs, many in industries that will be the engine of our future prosperity, jobs that
will be there when your children enter the workforce.

Other: I will keep taxes low and cut them where I can. My opponent will raise them.

(AUDIENCE BOOS)

I will open new markets to our goods and services. My opponent will close them.

(AUDIENCE BOOS)

I will cut government spending. He will increase it.

(AUDIENCE BOOS)

My tax cuts will create jobs; his tax increases will eliminate them.

(AUDIENCE BOOS)

My health care plan will make it easier for more Americans to find and keep good health care insurance. His plan will force small businesses to cut jobs, reduce wages, and force families into a government-run health care system where a bureaucrat...

(AUDIENCE BOOS)

... where a bureaucrat stands between you and your doctor.

(AUDIENCE BOOS)

We all know that keeping taxes low helps small businesses grow and create new jobs. Cutting the second-highest business tax rate in the world will help American companies compete and keep jobs from going overseas.

(APPLAUSE)

Doubling the child tax exemption from $3,500 to $7,000 will improve the lives of millions of American families.

Overall, I thought the speech had some good points and some points I wasn't sure I believed he'd follow through on. But, one thing he definitely has going for him is a resume that shows, without a doubt, he can lead a country. I'm not so sure with Barack's lack of experience and decision making abilities that he could do the job. I just don't trust Barack. I don't think McCain is amazing or the answer to this country's problems. But he is the lesser of two evils.

Hmmm... what to do. Well the answer is clearly that I won't be voting for Barack Obama. But will I actually cast my vote for McCain? I'm not so sure yet. Maybe I'll write someone in.

News Flash: Oprah has found her Messiah!

2008-09-06T08:35:00.003-05:00

Oprah makes no secret that she is in love with Obama "What I saw with Barack Obama was something that was transcendent and I felt transformational for me as a human being and for this country. And I only pray in the deepest part of my being that America will rise to this moment. And I feel that what he was able to offer us as individual citizens and as a united country was something that we have never seen before. I really, I think it's the most powerful thing I've ever experienced."

RNC recap and the Barracuda in action...

2008-09-04T08:18:00.007-05:00

I meant to post this yesterday, but didn't have time to finish...Here goes:

Giuliani's speech:
At the start of Giuliani's speech I felt equally as sick to my stomach as I did during Obama's I-think-I-can-save-the-world-cure-disease-and-bring-peace speech. Giuliani's creepy mega-smile was just awful. Yikes!! Thank God this man is not our candidate.

I also thought it was corny that people were chanting "Drill, Baby Drill" in unison. However, I was relieved see that people weren't falling over crying during any of the Republican speeches. Speaking of the audience. Yowzah!! Those shots were enough to turn one's stomach from Republicans and reinforced their stereotype: tons of white good-ol-cowboys, (which I'm sure the media chose to focus in on). PLEASE tell me there are Republicans out there that don't fit this mold! Please.

He did make some really interesting points about Obama never having led anything "he's never run a state. He's never run a city. He's never run a business. He's never run a military unit. He's never had to lead people in crisis." I found that to be a very poignant statement. I also really liked his "good change and bad change comment". Just as I was about to get irritated that neither party was giving specifics on this "change" factor I was pleasantly surprised when Giuliani began to list some specifics.

I was a bit turned off with his Iraq policy and protecting America from terrorist attack and bringing up 9/11. What victory is in sight? How do they define victory? How can we even ever claim "victory" for such a mistake of a war.

Next up: Sarah "Barracuda" Palin:

Okay, so I can't really find too many flaws. This woman was absolutely fabulous. Frankly, I think she blew Obama out of the water with that speech. She is being criticized that she didn't actually write the speech. But show me a politician who doesn't have a speech writer and I'll show you a baby that doesn't cry. And it was later revealed that her TelePrompTer broke and she did the majority of her speech without it. I remember not so long ago a speech Obama gave where he stumbled and fumbled and stuttered because his TelePrompTer broke. But, seriously, this is a great reaction, just what she wants her opponent to say. . .Biden could barely come up with one criticism. She simply nailed it. I think the Dems are shaking in their shoes after this one.

She delivered some not so flattering information about Obama's experience or lack-thereof and I liked that she confronted the media on their criticism of her not being qualified for not being a member of the Washington elite.

"But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart.

I pledge to all Americans that I will carry myself in this spirit as vice president of the United States. This was the spirit that brought me to the governor's office, when I took on the old politics as usual in Juneau ... when I stood up to the special interests, the lobbyists, big oil companies, and the good-ol' boys network.

Sudden and relentless reform never sits well with entrenched interests and power brokers. That's why true reform is so hard to achieve.

But with the support of the citizens of Alaska, we shook things up."

Maybe she'll shake things up in Washington too. She gave very specific details of her resume, which shows she has actually done something in her career, unlike Obama who hasn't even written one law.

Best line in the entire speech referring to Obama:
What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet?

She gave some powerful examples of McCain's experience and consistency. Although he's not my first choice or second, for that matter, I think he may have more going for him than I originally thought. We shall see after I watch last nights speech. I recorded it and will give a full critique over the weekend.

I have to say, when he got up on stage at the end, I wasn't sure he was going to make it through the night before keeling over. He seems so old to me. I know, I know, Reagan was old too. But seriously, if he didn't make it through the four years, we know his VP could hold her own and I feel confident she could do a great job of it!

Which is it, liberal media?

2008-09-03T07:14:00.007-05:00

Do you want women to have equal treatment in the workforce or not?

After hearing McCain's appointment of Sarah Palin, I'm shocked at the inconsistent views of our liberal media. Once again they never quite manage to approve or applaud any woman "making history" in the political arena, unless she is a liberal.(I'm thinking of our first black female secretary of state) I find it incredibly aggravating to hear what the media is saying and the slanted questions they are asking about Palin's appointment, her parenting and her teen daughter's pregnancy.

Seriously, nothing gets under my skin more than the liberal media during an election year. They gush about how wonderful and "history making" it was to have Nancy Pelosi appointed as Speaker of the House and don't even batt an eye when a woman is selected as the next vice presidential candidate.

Instead of applauding the fact that a smart, working mom could potentially be our next Vice President all I keep hearing from the left wing media is what an awful mother Palin must be and how her daughter's pregnancy must indicate that she is a neglectful mother who works too much.

Their are plenty of other criticisms I could address that are inconsistent with the feminist agenda. But seriously, make up your minds, liberals, do you want women to be treated as eligible candidates? Because it seems like all you want to do is objectify Palin and say she is just a political ploy by the Republicans to attract male voters. I highly doubt the Republican party would risk the election by selecting a dumb VP candidate just because she is a woman. This lady is obviously, incredibly smart and they are confident she can hold her own in a debate with Senator Biden.

So which is it? Do you want women to be treated with equality? Do you want moms to have equal opportunity in the work force? Or do you want to continue doing what you say everyone else does: objectifying women and withholding equal opportunity for working mothers.

I want to know what YOU think.

2008-08-29T07:21:00.009-05:00

If you didn't see it you can read it here. If your answer isn't listed PLEASE write in your own. I want to know what people are thinking about all of this.

A quick survey.... and feel free to pick multiple answers. These are based on criticisms & praises I've read/heard about the speech.

1. Did you find Barack's speech:
a) inspiring & hopeful
b) frightening & divisive
c) unifying & purposeful
d) empty, nauseating & fake
e) reminiscent of MLK speeches
f) reminiscent of Nazi Germany
g) fill in the blank

2. Which of these topics hit the most heart chords? (you totally agreed)

a) His vision for bringing back the "American Dream"
b) His "more of the same" McCain retaliation; "Eight is Enough"
c) We're not a "Nation of Whiners", McCain "doesn't get it"
d) "government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology."
e) his tax policy
f) his war policy
g) "Individual and Mutual Responsibility"
h) "We may not agree on _______ but we can at least agree on __________"
i) "As Commander-in-Chief, I will . . ."defeat threats of the 21st Century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our morals standing, so that America is once again the last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace and yearn for a better future"

3. Which of these topics made you the most sick to your stomach? (you totally disagreed):

a) His vision for bringing back the "American Dream"
b) His "more of the same" McCain retaliation; "Eight is Enough"
c) We're not a "Nation of Whiners", McCain "doesn't get it"
d) "government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology."
e) his tax policy
f) his war policy
g) "Individual and Mutual Responsibility"
h) "We may not agree on _______ but we can at least agree on __________"
i) "As Commander-in-Chief, I will . . ."defeat threats of the 21st Century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our morals standing, so that America is once again the last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace and yearn for a better future"

4. "Wait I'm still confused..."

a) Does he like America or hate it?
b) What is the "hope we confess" he quotes from scripture? Biblically speaking this is Christ as Lord and Savior.
c) What exactly is the "American Dream or Promise" according to Barack Obama? How does that coincide with his policies?
e) He mentions "through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams" & "[Our government] should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work. So which is it? Can we do this American Dream ourselves like Barack did? Or do we need the Government to do it for us?
f) Is he a uniting republicans, democrats and independants or dividing us further?
g) An exit strategy for Iraq but where are the troops headed next with his promise of "I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission". What would the reason be to send troops in and what would a "clear mission" look like?
h) Can Americans really unite and find common ground on issues like "abortion, gun control, same sex marriage?

something funny

2008-08-25T16:08:00.003-05:00

Noah: Mama, I'm Dada, "Hi! How was your today?" Mama, say "How was your work?"

Mama (playing along): Okay "Hi Dada, How was work today?"

Noah: "Good! How was your today?"

Mama: "Great, we went to the gym, we went to Costco, Noah ran through his penguin sprinkler from Mom mom and Pop pop, we signed Noah up for LittleGym!" Leaning in to give a kiss....

Noah: "Wait, let me wash my face before I give you a kiss."

This is actually a very accurate conversation that Ben and I have pretty much every day during the week. He rides his bike to and from work so he's too sweaty (by my standards) to give me a kiss right when he walks in the door.

I just thought it was cute how observant of Noah to notice this funny detail.

photo hanging extravaganza

2008-08-14T16:34:00.003-05:00

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was going to be printing some photos from our garden to hang in our bathroom. Here is the end result. Plus some other artwork I just put up around the house. The airplane painting Noah and I painted together. He painted a bunch of colored sheets of paper and I cut them out and made the planes, then he painted the clouds and glued on the planes.

The two photos over the bathtub still need the matting installed in the frame. It's being custom made right now.

landscape design

2008-08-14T13:09:00.014-05:00

i posted this idea picture because of the stained concrete, stucco wall and awning

We're planning some projects to renovate the outdoor areas of our house: the walkway, courtyard and backyard and some of the front yard. The feel will be a more modern look since our house has a very modern feel on the inside with all of the windows. Our house is very open and the way it wraps around a courtyard gives a very nature friendly feel to the inside. So going with that outdoor/indoor theme we have come up with a design for several outdoor "rooms".
Here is the plan:

This photo shows the simple landscaping with a grassy area that reminded me of the look I am going for for our courtyard.

1. Walkway. The square orange tiles will be replaced with stained concrete. I think an orange/brown stain will compliment the blue house. Next we'll replace the white posts to match the cedar fencing in the front of our house. Eventually we'd like to replace the gate with a rusted iron material and replace the garage door with a wooden one. (but those two doors will have to wait for another project). The lighting along the walkway will be recessed into the ceiling.

2. Courtyard Covered Dining Area: We will be replacing the sliding doors that lead from our dining room to the courtyard. I want to keep with sliding doors because you get the most visibility to the outdoors with that type of door and it maximizes the outdoor patio space. Next we will be adding a concrete slab in front of these doors that extends out to about a 1/3 of the courtyard. The concrete will be scored just like the walkway to make it look like big tiles. This patio will be big enough for a table and chairs and some planters. The dining area will then be partially shielded from the sun by an arbor with a very industrial feel. Similar to this design We are going to extend the grass up against the garage wall and leave a narrow bed space for fig ivy to grow up that wall and still have a bit of room for some annuals.
this is the exact color of the posts and industrial materials we want to use for our awning/arbor
3. Courtyard Lounge Area:This is a small space big enough for two lounge chairs and a small table. They will rest on a small crushed granite area against the retaining wall. The wall will be repaired, stuccoed, and painted. Perfect spot for noon day sun tanning or evening lounging.

This is the idea I'm going for for the two lounge chairs.

4. Back Yard Hang Out Area/Fire Pit: We'll lay square tiles that lead from the side of the house to the crushed granite patio area with fire pit in the middle. Similar to this picture but with lounge seating not dining furniture. The fire pit will be a square stucco design similar to the retaining wall and fixed in the center of the patio. We are considering an outdoor grill/sink area.

this is almost identical to what I want to do to the backyard, but put the fire pit in the center and add lounge furniture cushioned chairs etc.
5. Front Yard : We are going to tear out a small section of driveway in front of the old master bedroom windows. There we will landscape a small bed with some more cactuses and hearty low water plants.

Here is a slide show of the "before" renovation pictures: (I'll post the end result once everything is completed.)

thoughts on a new blog

2008-08-11T12:10:00.007-05:00

I've often thought about starting another blog. One with a different name and topic altogether. I was thinking of one with a really specific focus like home design: interior and exterior and/or one that is private and just a daily journal.

I am probably going to close down Austin Urban Gardener. After my first summer of gardening I've decided: nope. I don't like it. I really don't like having to remember to water and I get so depressed when my plants have an unknown bug attacking or disease or when they just unexplainably start dying. It's just too aggravating and I don't have the patience for it.

BUT one thing I know I love is good design and artwork of all kinds: painting, interior design, graphic design, photography, landscape design and so on. So I've often thought a blog on that sort of thing would be fun for me to start.

maybe soon.

Other updates: We've been having a great summer. The boys are such delights and keep me so busy. They have so much energy and personality. I just love it! You can tell this is the beginning of a very great friendship! I love spying and listening to them laugh and play when I'm not around. It's so gratifying. I'm thankful that their personalities are similar and compatible. So many people talk about having kids that are "night and day". These two aren't. I can see them being good buddies their whole lives. They have a similar silliness and curiosity. They are both very chatty (even though Phin only speaks in a language his family understands). Anyway, I know it's still early to tell, but I get the sense they are two peas in a pod.

Music: I've been trying to take advantage of all of the awesome live music in Austin. So far I started with two Bob Schneider shows. One at the Saxon Pub (which is just down the road from my house) and the other at Threadgill's a cool outdoor venue with pretty crappy food. The shows were awesome! I really enjoy all of the talented musicians in his bands. It seems like they all play at least two or three different instruments.

cool new blog

2008-07-30T08:12:00.004-05:00

I found this great art blog called poppytalk. The affordable art section features some really cool stuff that really IS affordable.

Here are some cool ones:

summer birches print, print, budan art, $18

horses in trees, trace my face. $22

barrière by labokoff. $25

set of chairs print from Leah Giberson

hello summer3, print, cathy nichols, $28

hello world print by vol. 25, $20
giraffe floral, ditazol, $18
how to be a mermaid by jessica gonacha, $15
ehno print by melissa moss, $25
breeze print by yellena, $18
blue monkey art, by simple, $18
kite, by dripstick, $27

loopt!

2008-07-28T09:05:00.002-05:00

Sign up for Loopt and you can see where I am most days. I'll be updating as frequently as I can. It's really cool! You can do it through your phone or online.

happy birthday ben!

2008-07-25T08:18:00.004-05:00

Today is my honey's 28th birthday! We are throwing a birthday barbeque bash at our place and then heading over to Speakeasy's to see the band Memphis Train Review..

Now for the mushy part (I'll try to keep it short and sweet): Ben. He is such a wonderful man. Not only do I love him, but I respect him. He is a respectable man, worthy of some recognition on his 28th birthday. So here it goes:

What a blessed wife I am to have Ben for a husband. Last night before I fell asleep I was reflecting on the days when we first met and were first married. When I first started dating Ben he was always doing things to woo me (so I thought). Little things like bringing me flowers or making me an apple cake or impressing me with his amazing piano playing. I remember all of the cold, snowy evenings he rode his bike from Allston to Sommerville to visit me after work. I remember all of the delicious dinners he would cook when we were first married. The breakfasts and coffee he prepared before we even spoke in the morning.

Our lives have changed and our relationship has matured. Ben doesn't come rushing home with flowers or a freshly baked apple cake, but instead comes home from a long day at work, sweaty from his bike ride, and jumps right in wherever he is needed by changing a poopy diaper or helping me put dinner on the table. Though these tasks may seem unromantic, they are loaded with meaning: the outpouring of his love for his wife and family. I only hope I can be as cheerful, loving and hard-working as Ben in all that I do for him and the boys. He doesn't have to woo me anymore, since I am his, but even in the small things his love is evident. And that is his character: a faithful man, who loves the Lord, loves his wife and children and will lay down his life for us (even in tiny ways).

There are so many amazing things I could write about Ben, but I'll save those for his future birthdays. I love you honey!

my little musician

2008-07-24T08:55:00.003-05:00

Here is a little conversation i had with Noah the other day while driving.

Mama: Do you like this song Noah?

Noah: Yeah.

Mama: Maybe when you are bigger you can play an instrument. What instrument do you want to play?

Noah: (without hesitation) the violin.

Mama: Oh! Wow, I didn't realize you knew what a violin was!

Noah: I want to sing with Mr. Shane and play my tiny violin.

Mama: That's great! What should Phineas play?

Noah: He should play the trumpet. And you should play a big violin. And Dad should play a big violin too. A huge one.

Mama: Wow. So Dad should play the Base Guitar.

Noah: Uh-huh

Mama: Cool, cause he already knows how to play that one.

faux hawk, chairs, diggers, & guests

2008-07-15T14:13:00.005-05:00

This is Noah's new haircut also known as the "faux hawk". He of course doesn't even notice a difference, but mama thinks he looks super handsome.

This is the fabric style I want to use to reupholster some chairs I have in my bedroom. Anyone know of any good furniture quality fabric sites/stores that have nice textile designs? Maybe this is something to search for in NYC this weekend.

Ben took the boys for a walk yesterday and got this amazing picture of Phin in the digger.

Our sweet friends Laurie and Erich came for a visit this past weekend. We had so much fun! Here is a picture of us at Halcyon a cool little bar/cafe on West 4th street. We are toasting smores.

camping in the redwoods

2008-07-09T14:18:00.005-05:00

We had a really great vacation, despite the 20 hours it took to get to our final destination. We enjoyed almost every moment. The boys did really well sleeping in the tent and hiking. We stopped by Kara's Cupcakes (a childhood friend of the family's bakery) in San Francisco. The cupcakes were outstanding and the store was beautiful like a kate spade boutique. We traveled North on Rte. 1 to Humboldt Redwood State Park and arrived at our campsite at 12:30am. We set up our tent in the dark and settled in to sleep. Phineas was too excited about having mama, dada and Noah sleeping in the same place with him that he pretty much stayed up giggling and dive bombing us in excitement the entire night. Chris and Mandy arrived the next morning and the rest of the week we had an amazing time hiking, playing in the river and visiting Fern Valley.

craigslist vs. ebay

2008-06-27T08:22:00.004-05:00

Okay, I give up! What am I doing wrong? I can't seem to sell anything on Craigslist. What is the deal? I've purchased millions of things on craigslist from strollers to curtains to dressers. But for some reason I have no luck actually selling things, and perfectly good things like a gently used maclaren stroller or a brand new in box polar heart rate monitor. Is it that I should be selling on ebay instead? Maybe the price people are willing to pay on Craigslist aren't "gently used" or "NIB" prices. Maybe I need to upgrade my sales for nice things to ebay.

I haven't had much luck on ebay, in fact the one thing I did sell, I lost before I could ship it. But let's say I try to sell my stroller on ebay. How the heck do you ship a stroller and know how much to charge for shipping?

Tips anyone?

Here are some of the items I've tried to sell on craigslist:

GMO's

2008-06-26T08:36:00.002-05:00

What do you all think about GMO's Genetically Modified Organisms or GM Foods? I have mixed feelings about the benefits and the effects. For those in third world countries who survive solely on rice, a Genetically Modified versions of rice, for example, could be engineered to contain crucial vitamins and minerals that they would otherwise not have. Rice with vitamin A could prevent deficiencies that cause blindness.

But at the same time there is the other side of the coin that the GM Foods are causing an increase in food allergies among children. Others argue that the unknown effects of modifying genes in foods could have a harmful effect on human health. There just hasn't been enough study to conclude the effects on humans. There are many other concerns like unintended harm to other animals and reduced effectiveness of pesticides and the obvious economic toll this would take on our food prices. If they spend tons of money on pattens, will the third world farmer even be able to afford one seed packet? Probably not.

What do you all think?

it's a bird, it's a plane, no it's SUMA-MAN!

2008-06-25T08:12:00.002-05:00

Noah has decided to give up "Baby Diapers" in exchange for some very cool "Sumaman" or Superman undies. Here he is showing you his big muscles. Someone this strong doesn't need baby diapers anymore!

pittsburgh zoo

2008-06-24T09:05:00.000-05:00

hanging pictures: part 1

2008-06-20T14:05:00.007-05:00

I just ordered some flower pictures that we've taken over the past few years that I am going to frame and hang in our bathroom. Above is a picture of the bathroom tub area.

These two photos will be blown up to 10x12 on each side of the tub (that will be framed in dark wood with white matting):

This mushroom series will be 5x7's in a three dark espresso picture frames with white matting above Ben's towel bar.

These two will be in the toilet room as 8x10's same framing as above:

father's day

2008-06-16T14:02:00.003-05:00

To the greatest dad I know!

Ben you are so good with our boys and do an amazing job of loving them, playing, teaching, caring, and raising them! I appreciate all you do and love you lots.

Goodbye Camry, Howdy Honda!

2008-06-16T08:03:00.007-05:00

We sold our little black Camry and bought a beautiful new white Honda Odyssey! It is loaded with lots of good things for little kids and mama's. Ben did an excellent job negotiating and we are really happy with our new car. Our Camry was having a issues every month and when it died while driving the other day we realized it just wasn't a safe car for me to be driving around with two babies in the heat of summer.

I know, I know, a minivan? I used to be really anti-minivan and swore I'd never drive one, but seeing the space and the seating and just how mom-friendly this car was, I was sold and don't know if I can ever go back to a normal car. Also, since we're planning on having more kids, it's nice to have all of that space. Also, when guests come in to town we can all drive in one car.

Some of my favorite features:

1. DVD player in the back
2. Key fob powered doors and windows
3. Seating for 8 and multiple configurations for the seats.
4. Camera that shows you what is behind the car appears in the rearview mirror while the car is in reverse.
4. Easy collapsing back row seats.
3. Steering wheel volume and radio station buttons
4. Moon roof
5. Sun shields for second row seats built in to doors.
6. The windows go down in the second row.
7. The ECO driving that has the car go down to 3 cylinders when the car is not needing all 6 cylinders so it is more fuel efficient.
8. 12 airbags and Vehical Stability Assist.

traveling with sick babies 101

2008-06-13T07:46:00.002-05:00

1. I strongly discourage! Don't do it!
2. If you don't realize they are sick until the morning you leave (like we did) be prepared.
3. Bring spare lovies/blankies/binkies/pacis
4. Load them up with proper medicine to treat symptoms
5. Brace yourselves for being the people on the plane with the loud screaming children.
6. Bring a portable DVD player that doesn't require ear phones (kids won't wear ear phones), We're doing this on our next trip.

Trip to Pittsburgh:

We had a great time once we arrived, but the getting there made me never want to travel with kids again! We visited with Dad and Roseanne, went to a Pirate game, hung out with my Aunt Lori and her new hubby Michael, went to the zoo with Netty, Brad and Gabriella. We also went to a delicious Caribbean restaurant called Kia's downtown with Netty & Brad. It was nice to get out without the kids (since they were feeling so miserable). The boys were starting to feel better the last day, thankfully. They already miss Gammy and PapPap.

I have to say, I'm scared for our upcoming travels to California. Hopefully they got all of their illnesses out of their systems before we go. We're also going to bring that portable DVD player, which should help pass the time for Noah. Phin doesn't really like to watch anything for more than two minutes. He is a TOUGH traveler.

upcoming travels

2008-06-02T07:16:00.002-05:00

Trip no. 1: Pittsburgh, PA We're leaving this week to visit my Dad and Roseanne in the beloved 'burgh. Noah and Phineas are so excited to see Gammy and PapPap and Auntie Netty and Uncle Brad. We'll be visiting Kennywood, a childhoood favorite amusement park and we'll be going to a Pirate game. I can't wait to see everyone!

Trip no. 2: Humboldt Redwoods State Park, CA July 1-5 we're going to load up the boys and fly to San Francisco, rent a car and drive up to Humboldt where we'll be meeting our good friends Chris and Mandy. We'll be camping and hiking in "luxury" (with toilettes, showers, & sinks), since we're setting up our tent in a campground with full amenities. It sounds crazy, but we're excited for this outdoor adventure! Next week we're going to set up our tent in our courtyard to get the boys used to falling asleep outside. (I'll let you know how it goes)

Trip no. 3: NYC: I'm heading to NYC for a weekend in July to visit with Tracy. I'll hopefully get to see my friend Jessica while in the big apple.

Life has been very busy lately. We've been going to the pool, rock climbing at the gym, having friends over and entertaining a lot. Not a lot of pictures to share, actually no pictures because our camera needs a replacement battery.

Noah and Charis

2008-05-21T14:40:00.002-05:00

Here is a cute picture of Noah and his friend Charis painting. Aren't they cute?

be funny

2008-05-16T07:51:00.003-05:00

When wants you to laugh he says "be funny". I love this phrase and think I'll adopt it for my own. What a good way to get some one to smile or laugh!

He also says "Look it AT me, Mama!" when he does something brave, like climbing at the park.

Here are some pictures from our afternoon

a tree graveyard

2008-05-15T14:37:00.009-05:00

We had a HUGE thunderstorm (with lots 2-3" hail) last night and this is pretty much what the entire city looks like! It's really going to take a LOT of work to get the debris and tree's cleaned up. It's sad how so many of these beautiful and really old trees were destroyed!

These were taken with my phone: excuse the poor quality.

Pecan Street Festival

2008-05-15T07:36:00.006-05:00

I forgot to post these pictures from the Pecan Street Festival. Ben's Aunt Fran and Uncle Barnett came up to visit from San Antonio (they were at a veterinarian conference). Uncle Jason stayed home to study for his finals while Noah napped. The rest of us went to the festival and enjoyed bratwurst, funnel cakes and lots of fun at the petting zoo.

These nice photos are thanks to Aunt Flaura. The house and ducklings are from her time in San Antonio. I love that house and I couldn't resist putting in the pictures of the mama with her baby ducklings.

the bob

2008-05-15T07:27:00.008-05:00

After growing my hair long for the past 2.5 years, I finally got sick of it again and chopped it off! I'm really enjoying not having all of that long hair to dry. I really prefer short hair because it forces me to stand up straighter and hold my head back (I have the genetic tendency to slouch and stick my neck out).

Here is a before and after and some side shots.

Birthday Party!

2008-05-09T08:46:00.003-05:00

We invited a bunch of friends to the Butler Park fountain yesterday for some splashing and hamburger eating. The kids had a blast and so did we! Here are some photos. Doesn't Austin look amazing in these pictures? It really is amazing. I love it here.

I'm One!

2008-05-07T07:53:00.009-05:00

I can't believe my little Phinny is one year old today! At 7:18 a.m. last year, they handed me my little guy. What a wonderful year it's been. I've enjoyed all of the baby stages so much. The joy of this new addition to our family helped me overcome some postpartum trials. Phineas Luke is a delight to our family and has such a great personality.

Here is a recap of Phin's 1st year:

Weight on May 7, 2007:on 6 lbs 13 oz.
Disposition: As an infant he was super laid back and easy going, as a baby/toddler he is feisty and determined and very silly.
Sleeping habitst: Slept through the night at 8 weeks old and still loves to sleep and asks to go "Nigh Nigh"
How we know he's tired: rubs his eyes and sucks his thumb, wants blanky. (he especially loves the tag on his blanky.)
HATES: Getting his diaper changed, Noah hitting him, Dada's scratchy face kisses.
LOVES: Watching Noah do anything and everything. Noah is his favorite person. Blanky & his thumb, Animals (especially dogs), trucks and trains (thanks to Noah), FOOD, bathtime,
Started walking: Yesterday! May 6th (he wanted to get it in under the 1 year mark - he was 12 hours shy)
Quirks: He spits anything out of his mouth (even if he likes it) if you walk towards his high chair holding anything (even if it's not food), JUST IN CASE it's food or a beverage he MIGHT want. Scrounges for food in his car seat. For some reason he's obsessed with finding even the tiniest crumbs in the crack of his car seat. I have to vacuum it regularly. Yesterday he somehow found a piece of hidden chicken from the previous days trip to Chick Filet. Oop!! I promise I do feed him, he just likes to store snacks for the car.
Words he can say: Da-da, Ma-ma, Nigh Nigh, No Touch, Touch, ghi ghi (for giraffe), Dirk Dog, Done, All done. I might be missing a few.
Special Talents: Acting: Phin has a very convincing, oscar-worthy cry for all minor and non-injuries. Amazing performance! Rode a bike before he could walk. (actually it's a big wheel, but still impressive, right?).
Weight May 7, 2008 weighed 21 lbs

tree houses

2008-05-02T07:48:00.010-05:00

Remember how awesome the movie Swiss Family Robinson seemed to you when you were a little kid? I absolutely LOVED the idea of living in tree houses, especially the amazing linked tree houses in that movie. Now the thought of living in the trees, in a jungle seems awful because of all of the bugs and critters. Ben and I have been talking about building Noah and Phin a tree house.

I've been looking at designs and thinking about what I want ours to look like. A few ideas:

1.) Make it look like a giant bird house with round windows and a round entrance. We just bought the funniest bird house that looks like a trailer/camper.

2.) Design a mini version of our house by painting it blue with white trim and green accents.

3.) A tropical tree house: a la Swiss Family Robinson. With a grass roof and rope ladder.

4.) Fire Station tree house (with a pole).

I'm leaning towards the more natural looking ones number 2 or 3.

Here are some cool sites & pictures I found online (a bit more extravagant than we would want but still fun to look at):

Daniels Woodland
Tree House Workshop
Blue Forest

busted!

2008-04-25T13:34:00.001-05:00

I forgot to post these hilarious pictures from an evening we had uncle jason watch the boys. noah is sad in the picture because he knows he got caught! He has done this so many times I've taken the toilet paper roll down from this bathroom. It's just too tempting for him and he can't help himself. poor guy!

a new store on etsy!

2008-04-23T14:01:00.006-05:00

Belleamitie has a store on esty! Please share this with your friends. A good friend of mine in NYC started this product line with a friend of hers and they are eventually going to sell in boutiques. Let me know if you know of anyone interested in selling these one-of-a-kind beauties. I love the idea of a friendship ring for friends, mothers/daughter, etc. I just purchased one myself!

Mother's day is just around the corner!

judy paul: mixed media

2008-04-23T07:49:00.009-05:00

I saw some really neat collage/mixed media paintings by local artist Judy Paul at a store on Colorado Street; I think it was called ID floors or something.

I just love the fresh and vibrant colors against the sheer white glazed collage. These remind me of springtime.

Let it bee 2

Audubon Remix 2

firemen and sink tub

2008-04-21T08:27:00.002-05:00

It was nearly impossible to get a descent shot of the boys in their matching fire truck jammies. They simply couldn't sit still for two seconds.

waxing 101

2008-04-16T14:00:00.011-05:00

I love wax. I love the smell of it, I love the texture of it. And I especially love smearing it on my lip and eyebrows and ripping the hair off of my face. No seriously, i do. I almost fell asleep getting my eyebrows waxed a month or so ago. The only thing I hate about wax is the pricey nature of these essential hair removal services. what is the deal?? I mean come on: $20 for an eyebrow wax and $10 for a lip? and $65 and up for bikini? PLUS 20% tip = A LOT OF $$ PER MONTH.
The alternative: a hairy upper lip, mangey eyebrows, and a pair of shorts during the summer months to hide unsightly strays. (and don't say the word "shave"; it hurts my ears and gives me razor burn just thinking of it!)

The reason for this post is that I have discovered something amazing that is revolutionizing my personal maintenance and my monthly budget (thanks to my sister Kelly informing me about these fantastic products):

Sally Hansen Wax Strips
and I'm about to try: Brazillian Bikini stripless wax
They have tons of products and some for sensitive skin.

I never would have tried it and I admit I was VERY skeptical, but these waxing strips really work. They can be easily cut to the shape you need for your brows and you simply warm them in your hands and then pull the strip apart and start waxing. The price is the best part. I paid about $5.49 at walgreens for a box of 34 wax strips that are double sided, so it's actually like getting 68 strips. The bikini wax stuff runs between $8-10 per kit.

back on the trails

2008-04-07T13:30:00.012-05:00

Now that it is officially spring I've started running again. Today was the first day back on the hike and bike. Spring is in full bloom and everything looks gorgeous. Perfect weather conditions: sunny and 77 degrees. I really love Austin in springtime.

After our jog we met Noah's friends Knox and Jordy (and mommy's and siblings) over at the Palmer fountain. Everyone had a blast playing in the water, especially Phineas.

We had a great weekend with Tee-tee (Tracy) who was visiting from NYC this past weekend. We went to two great Mexican restaurants Polvo's on south 1st and Sazon on Lamar. Both have delicious margaritas and I highly recommend the Tacos al pastor at Sazon, (not on the menu).

Hope everyone is enjoying their Monday.

trashy

2008-04-02T06:36:00.013-06:00

What is your system for garbage in your house? Do you have garbage cans in every room? What's the scene in the kitchen?

Let me first tell you that I HATE garbage. I hate the smell of it, I don't like taking it out to the curb on Tuesdays, I don't like seeing it or touching it. When I first got engaged to Ben I told him, "I don't do garbage, so that will have to be your job when we get married". Now, don't get me wrong, if I have to I'll do it, but I prefer other household chores.

Recently I've switched garbage tactics in my kitchen and have not only reduced the size of our waste, but have also completely eliminated the smelly obstruction of a can in our kitchen. I used to have a biggish size garbage can in the kitchen that I was always bumping in to because my galley kitchen didn't accommodate space for a trash can. It always seemed to fill up with trash faster than I could empty it.

The turning point: After visiting my sister Nicole back in December I was shocked that she didn't have a trash can in her kitchen at all. If they had trash she simply used one of her grocery bags and took it out when it was full. Amazing! Impossible, I thought, with two kids, and four adults living in the same space. BUT, I did it. I threw out the trash can and now have a small grocery bag under the sink for garbage. Everyone smashes down the boxes and crumples up the mail, and compacts everything so it can easily fit into our small bag and when it fills up I simply open up the kitchen door and dump it in our conveniently located trash can. If your can isn't in a convenient spot, don't let that stop you from trying this system. It's really amazing!

I also started composting for our garden. Which I'll post about on Austin Urban Gardener. I keep a sealed plastic container under the sink for vegetable and fruit remnants. Plus we have been more diligent about recycling, which is also just outside the door.

Check out simplehuman for a great way to do this system.

fashionista

2008-04-01T12:21:00.006-06:00

My friend Lucy posted this really cool link to a fashion site called Polyvore a unique site that allows you to mix-and-match items from tons of online stores so you can visualize what outfits will look like together. Also check out their blog, which has a section on home decor.

it's finally here!

2008-03-28T21:11:00.001-06:00

welcome to austin urban gardener! Amanda and I have started our official gardening blog. Eventually we will have a website devoted to the subject, but for now we're starting with a blog.

enjoy!

dreaming of...

2008-03-28T15:04:00.010-06:00

being a really, really great gardener and maybe, someday, owning a garden shop of my own. I found this beautiful site called Gardens that is giving me inspiration for my own garden. Check out the portfolio pictures in the photo gallery section of this austin landscaper's site.

Also a friend pointed me to this cool cooking blog called Orangette. Even though I'm not super keen on cooking, I thought the site was really well done and the photos and writing were really nice too!

a nice alternative?

2008-03-28T14:33:00.004-06:00

I just discovered these really cool flushable diapers by gDiapers. I have to say when I saw these I was really tempted to make the switch from disposables. Think about it, you can actually flush these diapers, compost (the pee ones), or just toss them (guilt-free) into the trash knowing they biodegrade. Not to mention they seem really well made. I was at Central Market the other day and inspected them. The covers seem really leak proof and not super bulky. The liners looked really well-made and absorbent. The only problem for me is the price. I wish "green" products were more affordable! $26.99 for the starter kit and 14.99 for 40 liners. Has anyone tried these?

readers?

2008-03-26T07:16:00.009-06:00

I was reading my friend molly's site and she had this fascinating post about women commenting in the world of blogs. I was blown away at how many anonymous people posted comments. Now, I don't have quite the connection to the outside world as Molly, since her father-in-law is the wise and wonderful John Piper of Desiring God. I do however know there must be a few of you out there that I don't know who read my blog and, I must say whether I do or do not know you, I do appreciate comments. Sometimes the reason you see such lags in my posts is because there are so few comments sometimes it seems like no one is really reading, so what's the point in writing.

But, I know I do have a few faithful readers, so alas, I continue to post. For those of you interested in more than just my blog I've recently renovated oneyellowhouse and am still making changes and filling things out a bit. My website will be focusing on noteworthy design, art, websites, crafts, household projects, things to do in austin, travels, photography and more. Please check back regularly as I'll be having monthly photo contests and will be featuring my own and my readers do-it-yourself projects. Please be patient as I work out all of the kinks and get all of the links and posts up to date. I'm also going to be starting a new site specifically devoted to gardening. So stay tuned for that. I'll be explaining more about that in the coming weeks.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-24T07:18:00.006-06:00

What a wonderful Easter we had celebrating with the boys and Jason and Amanda. We went to church and then Ben and Jason made delicious omelets and pancakes while Amanda and I put out the nice china and set the table for our brunch. After brunch we spent the rest of the afternoon planting our vegetables, a few perennials and annuals. I'll post pictures of this later.
What a blessed day! Christ is risen!
. . . . . . . . . .

A funny conversation:

Mama: Noah, maybe you'll be a builder some day and construct big buildings...
Noah: Yes! Yes!
Mama: ...and drive giant diggers, and bulldozers, and excavators!
Noah: Oh yes, Mama!
Mama: ...You'll be such a good builder!!
Noah: Hooray!!

another one:

Mama: Noah, you know you should never talk to strangers, right? Strangers are people you don't know. You should not talk to strangers unless Mama or Dada is with you. And even if someone seems kind you should never go with them because they could be bad and take you away from Mama.

Noah: Yes, Mama.

Later that evening at the pool with Dada while we were eating our dinner and chatting a man walked by. . .
Noah: Don't talk to stangers!

the froggy

2008-03-16T20:38:00.001-06:00

Ben made this really cute movie of the boys. Check it out if you want to hear Phineas belly laugh.

playing with phinny

2008-03-03T22:24:00.003-06:00

click here for a slightly-longer movie of phineas playing. (and leave a comment to let me know what you think!)

noah's catechism

2008-02-29T22:43:00.004-06:00

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the noodle

2008-02-29T21:16:00.005-06:00

If you can't get the noodle in your mouth, just WHIP IT AROUND REAL FAST!!

cowboy breakfast

2008-02-29T12:58:00.003-06:00

This morning we took the boys to the Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo breakfast on Auditorium Shore. Noah got to ride a longhorn, pet a horse, a mama cow and her baby calf. He also stood very close to a giant buffalo. The rodeo puts together a breakfast with live music, animals and delicious food from around Austin. Even parking was free! Austin is such a friendly city; I can't imagine Boston giving away free food and parking. The more I live here the more I love it.

inspiration

2008-02-27T12:58:00.005-06:00

Dreaming of:
Opening a flower shop and gardening store with Amanda.
Hot sunny texas days, where the sun feels like it is shining through your skin right to your soul.
Reupholstering my new chairs & ottoman.
Long bike rides and hikes in the greenbelt.

Loving:
My sweet boys and man.
Morning snuggles with Noah.
Afternoon snuggles with Phin.
Evening snuggles with my Hubby.

Inspired by:
Lady Bird Johnson Wild Flower Center
Martha Stewart Living Gardening (I know I already posted about that!)
Janie & Jack easter outfits
spring dresses at my favorite store
a cool design blog: design for mankind

austin kidbits

2008-02-27T08:15:00.002-06:00

Lucy pointed out this website: Austin Kidbits in one of her previous posts and I thought I would give it mention on my site. For those of you who are moms in Austin, this site is wonderful! They send you an email with what's going on for kids in Austin, not to mention it's an adorable website.