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a wish

Wednesday, January 29, 2014



Perhaps they are not stars but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones shines down to let us know they are happy
Eskimo Legend

Wishing you and your loved ones peace and bright stars today.

Heather

bad movies and debatable lunches

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Every city has an Achilles heel, right?  (Except London, maybe?)  When I lived in San Francisco, I realized it is pretty close to perfect.  Except for the outrageous cost of living.  Oh, and the ever-present threat of a devastating earthquake.


Austin often seems perfect, as well.  And then it's 104 in the summer and you think, "Oh, Austin is perfect except for the heat.  Well, I can go get a frozen margarita and handle that."


By January, you feel smug because you only have to read about the "polar vortex" or whatever the hell is dumping feet of snow on my sister and friends back East.  You text them, "How much snow?"  "Are you OK?"  And then you put your flip flops back on because it's Austin.

But then cedar happens.  Mountain Cedar trees pollinate from mid-December until early March, and they hit their highest levels in January.  The wind blows the pollen off the trees in clouds, and misery ensues.

Not even kidding.
If you live in Austin, just skim this because you already know all the pain.  For the rest of you, cedar means wheezing, snorting, your nose running off your face, clearing your throat and/or coughing so often that you no longer realize you are doing it, buying ONLY the Kleenex with lotion or aloe in them, and comparing notes with everyone about what you're taking versus what they're taking in case you need to switch.  (Note to self:  Buy stock in Flonase.)

When you are wheezing and snorting and 7 months pregnant, this trifecta means you are not taking your energetic almost-four year old outside as much as you should.  Because, self-preservation.  It does mean that you start exploring indoor activities with determination.

*    *     *     *     *

Jack and I went to see The Nut Job last weekend.  You know, the one about the squirrels to decide to do a heist of a nut store? 



Don't worry if you don't.  It is bad.  It is a bad movie.  Jack didn't even like it.  

Halfway through he turned to me and said, "Momma, can we go home?"

And since we were at Alamo and I hadn't gotten the check yet, I said no, but that speaks volumes, dude.

*     *     *     *     *

I tried to up my game on Monday, when Jack and I were both off for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  I took him to a "jumpy place" so that he could GET IT OUT while I was safely indoors, blowing my nose and following him around from foam pit to inflatable slide.

That was a success.  He loved it.  He GOT IT OUT.  And then, it was time for lunch.

We went to Whole Foods because I needed a few things.  And, I love eating lunch at Whole Foods.  We picked up our supplies and then grabbed food.

Jack chose some cantaloupe, a slice of pepperoni pizza, and a chocolate cookie.  Oh, and a can of sparkling water, which he calls "bubbles."

Life was good.



*     *     *     *     *


On the drive home, I was feeling good.  Accomplished, even, in that way that only the mother of a small child can feel accomplished when you've pleased them without spending one zillion dollars or losing your mind.  In that way that even involved fruit and exercise!  In that way that knows that "Nap" is the next event on the agenda and that sounds damn good, too.
A voice interrupted my self-congratulatory reverie from the backseat.
Jack:   Momma, I wanted to eat lunch AT A RESTAURANT.
Me:    (making the split-second decision to be just a tiny bit deceptive)  We did!
Jack:   No, we DIDN'T.
Me:    (Thinking - True!  Well, shit.)  Well, what do you call that place where we had lunch?
Jack:   (I swear to you he SCOFFED.)  Momma.  We ate lunch at the SUPERMARKET.
[pause]
Me:    Well, that's one of my favorite places to eat lunch.  So, I guess that's that, isn't it?
[no comment]
*     *     *     *     *
Hope your city is pretty perfect today, your movie choices are solid, and your lunch is just where you want it to be.
Talk soon,
Heather

mom, this is my girlfriend, katy

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

I just don't even know what to say about this.  


It was taken recently at the birthday party of one of Jack's buddies.  The 4 year old hostess graciously invited her friends to join her at a local dance studio where a very charming and patient dance instructor attempted to teach them a choreographed dance to the song "Roar."

You know it.  Don't deny it.

Jack knows it, too.  And he knows the words and he sings them.
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
'cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar 
louder, louder than a lion 
'cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar 
He didn't dance.  But he did run around with the other dudes, get a green Fauxhawk, and pose for a picture with his new favorite gal pal, Ms. Perry.

Is that a smirk I detect?  Yes, I believe it is.

So, I just need to make peace with the fact that he's 3 1/2 going on 15, is that it?

Hope your leopard bikini makes you some new friends today.

Talk soon,
Heather

things that are OVER

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Well, 2013 is over.

Bye bye, 2013.  You were a tricky one.  

I've got some pretty big plans for 2014.  I'm not going to bore you with them or turn them into a blog feature.  Suffice it to say that having a healthy baby in April is my most significant goal for 2014, and the rest are pretty cool, too. 

Over the weekend (not really a weekend, but isn't it weird when New Years is in the middle of the week?), Jack informed us of some things that are over in his world.

(Context:  Jack's favorite color has been yellow for like a year.  When he's serious about something, you'd better be, too.  We've been in his Yellow Phase, wholeheartedly, for so long that apparently,  I was taking it for granted.)

Jack:     Yellow is OVER.  I like white now.

Me:       Really?  White is your favorite color now?

Jack:    Yes.  Yellow is OVER.

Me:      OK...

I had barely had time to wonder how long the White Phase would last, or how on earth it would work, since white is not any mom's choice when an almost four year old is involved.  Just as soon as it started, it ended.

We were at the car wash.

Jack LOATHES the drive through car wash.  Despite this, I selfishly take him with me through said car wash pretty regularly.  We talk about the water and the soap, we sing songs, we try all sorts of things to make it less scary.  But when Jack and I are out running errands, I don't tend to forego something that I really need to do because he doesn't want to do it.  I guess I'm a hard ass, I don't know.

Anyway, we went to the fancy car wash this time, which Jack loves.  He loves it because he doesn't have to sit in the car and be scared.  He likes it because they have free popcorn and benches where you can sit and watch the cars go through.  To him, there is no comparison.  Even I have to admit, the fancy car wash is pretty delightful.

So, there we were, having our snacks, when a very nice and fancy black Mercedes sedan comes cruising through the washing line.

Jack:     THAT CAR IS MY FAVORITE COLOR!

Me:       Huh?

Jack:     (in a rushed voice) Yellow is over.  White is over, too.  My new favorite is BLACK AND THAT CAR IS BLACK AND THATS MY FAVORITE COLOR!!!

Me:     Oh!  OK.  Cool.  (I mean, what are you going to say?)

It's too early for him to be entering his Goth phase.  Right?


Yes.  Perrier (which he chose) and khakis do not a Goth phase make.  OK.

Oh, also, he informed us that apples are OVER.  He likes grapes now.

Hope you make up your mind about what's over for you and joyfully embrace something new.

Talk soon,
Heather

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

a wish



Perhaps they are not stars but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones shines down to let us know they are happy
Eskimo Legend

Wishing you and your loved ones peace and bright stars today.

Heather

Thursday, January 23, 2014

bad movies and debatable lunches

Every city has an Achilles heel, right?  (Except London, maybe?)  When I lived in San Francisco, I realized it is pretty close to perfect.  Except for the outrageous cost of living.  Oh, and the ever-present threat of a devastating earthquake.


Austin often seems perfect, as well.  And then it's 104 in the summer and you think, "Oh, Austin is perfect except for the heat.  Well, I can go get a frozen margarita and handle that."


By January, you feel smug because you only have to read about the "polar vortex" or whatever the hell is dumping feet of snow on my sister and friends back East.  You text them, "How much snow?"  "Are you OK?"  And then you put your flip flops back on because it's Austin.

But then cedar happens.  Mountain Cedar trees pollinate from mid-December until early March, and they hit their highest levels in January.  The wind blows the pollen off the trees in clouds, and misery ensues.

Not even kidding.
If you live in Austin, just skim this because you already know all the pain.  For the rest of you, cedar means wheezing, snorting, your nose running off your face, clearing your throat and/or coughing so often that you no longer realize you are doing it, buying ONLY the Kleenex with lotion or aloe in them, and comparing notes with everyone about what you're taking versus what they're taking in case you need to switch.  (Note to self:  Buy stock in Flonase.)

When you are wheezing and snorting and 7 months pregnant, this trifecta means you are not taking your energetic almost-four year old outside as much as you should.  Because, self-preservation.  It does mean that you start exploring indoor activities with determination.

*    *     *     *     *

Jack and I went to see The Nut Job last weekend.  You know, the one about the squirrels to decide to do a heist of a nut store? 



Don't worry if you don't.  It is bad.  It is a bad movie.  Jack didn't even like it.  

Halfway through he turned to me and said, "Momma, can we go home?"

And since we were at Alamo and I hadn't gotten the check yet, I said no, but that speaks volumes, dude.

*     *     *     *     *

I tried to up my game on Monday, when Jack and I were both off for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  I took him to a "jumpy place" so that he could GET IT OUT while I was safely indoors, blowing my nose and following him around from foam pit to inflatable slide.

That was a success.  He loved it.  He GOT IT OUT.  And then, it was time for lunch.

We went to Whole Foods because I needed a few things.  And, I love eating lunch at Whole Foods.  We picked up our supplies and then grabbed food.

Jack chose some cantaloupe, a slice of pepperoni pizza, and a chocolate cookie.  Oh, and a can of sparkling water, which he calls "bubbles."

Life was good.



*     *     *     *     *


On the drive home, I was feeling good.  Accomplished, even, in that way that only the mother of a small child can feel accomplished when you've pleased them without spending one zillion dollars or losing your mind.  In that way that even involved fruit and exercise!  In that way that knows that "Nap" is the next event on the agenda and that sounds damn good, too.
A voice interrupted my self-congratulatory reverie from the backseat.
Jack:   Momma, I wanted to eat lunch AT A RESTAURANT.
Me:    (making the split-second decision to be just a tiny bit deceptive)  We did!
Jack:   No, we DIDN'T.
Me:    (Thinking - True!  Well, shit.)  Well, what do you call that place where we had lunch?
Jack:   (I swear to you he SCOFFED.)  Momma.  We ate lunch at the SUPERMARKET.
[pause]
Me:    Well, that's one of my favorite places to eat lunch.  So, I guess that's that, isn't it?
[no comment]
*     *     *     *     *
Hope your city is pretty perfect today, your movie choices are solid, and your lunch is just where you want it to be.
Talk soon,
Heather

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

mom, this is my girlfriend, katy

I just don't even know what to say about this.  


It was taken recently at the birthday party of one of Jack's buddies.  The 4 year old hostess graciously invited her friends to join her at a local dance studio where a very charming and patient dance instructor attempted to teach them a choreographed dance to the song "Roar."

You know it.  Don't deny it.

Jack knows it, too.  And he knows the words and he sings them.
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
'cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar 
louder, louder than a lion 
'cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar 
He didn't dance.  But he did run around with the other dudes, get a green Fauxhawk, and pose for a picture with his new favorite gal pal, Ms. Perry.

Is that a smirk I detect?  Yes, I believe it is.

So, I just need to make peace with the fact that he's 3 1/2 going on 15, is that it?

Hope your leopard bikini makes you some new friends today.

Talk soon,
Heather

Thursday, January 2, 2014

things that are OVER

Well, 2013 is over.

Bye bye, 2013.  You were a tricky one.  

I've got some pretty big plans for 2014.  I'm not going to bore you with them or turn them into a blog feature.  Suffice it to say that having a healthy baby in April is my most significant goal for 2014, and the rest are pretty cool, too. 

Over the weekend (not really a weekend, but isn't it weird when New Years is in the middle of the week?), Jack informed us of some things that are over in his world.

(Context:  Jack's favorite color has been yellow for like a year.  When he's serious about something, you'd better be, too.  We've been in his Yellow Phase, wholeheartedly, for so long that apparently,  I was taking it for granted.)

Jack:     Yellow is OVER.  I like white now.

Me:       Really?  White is your favorite color now?

Jack:    Yes.  Yellow is OVER.

Me:      OK...

I had barely had time to wonder how long the White Phase would last, or how on earth it would work, since white is not any mom's choice when an almost four year old is involved.  Just as soon as it started, it ended.

We were at the car wash.

Jack LOATHES the drive through car wash.  Despite this, I selfishly take him with me through said car wash pretty regularly.  We talk about the water and the soap, we sing songs, we try all sorts of things to make it less scary.  But when Jack and I are out running errands, I don't tend to forego something that I really need to do because he doesn't want to do it.  I guess I'm a hard ass, I don't know.

Anyway, we went to the fancy car wash this time, which Jack loves.  He loves it because he doesn't have to sit in the car and be scared.  He likes it because they have free popcorn and benches where you can sit and watch the cars go through.  To him, there is no comparison.  Even I have to admit, the fancy car wash is pretty delightful.

So, there we were, having our snacks, when a very nice and fancy black Mercedes sedan comes cruising through the washing line.

Jack:     THAT CAR IS MY FAVORITE COLOR!

Me:       Huh?

Jack:     (in a rushed voice) Yellow is over.  White is over, too.  My new favorite is BLACK AND THAT CAR IS BLACK AND THATS MY FAVORITE COLOR!!!

Me:     Oh!  OK.  Cool.  (I mean, what are you going to say?)

It's too early for him to be entering his Goth phase.  Right?


Yes.  Perrier (which he chose) and khakis do not a Goth phase make.  OK.

Oh, also, he informed us that apples are OVER.  He likes grapes now.

Hope you make up your mind about what's over for you and joyfully embrace something new.

Talk soon,
Heather

 
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