The Littlest Longhorns

So Brian may be one of the oldest full time MBA students at UT, but at least he's not the only one with a wife and kids. Much like the good old wives club in the military, we have a group for those of us with mouths to feed while in school called Little Longhorns. It's been a great way to meet other moms and gets me out of the house every now and then.

Today I packed up the kids and headed to our LL playgroup at yet another pumpkin patch. (This time the weather was spectacular. Cool and humidity free!) Not really a patch per se. More like grass and landscaping store turned pseudo haunted house/ farm complete with a giant talking pumpkin and a haybale maze. I expect nightmares tonight.

Hello Mr. Blue Eyes

I melt...

A night away with the girls

When we moved to Austin last year, I was fortunate enough to join a play-group with some incredible women and their kids.   Although it's hard for us to all get together every week this year because of changing schedules, we make a point to organize nights out for just the girls.  This weekend, Christy was gracious enough to invite us to spend an entire night away at her family's lake house on Lake LBJ, without kiddos or husbands!  Unfortunately, not all of us could make it (we missed you girls).  However, 5 of us could sneak away and it was SO great.  

We left yesterday morning and drove to Marble Falls for lunch and some shopping.  Then we headed to the house and did a whole lot of relaxing.  We talked and talked, went for a boat ride, had some wine and cheese, watched the UT game (Hook 'Em), ate an awesome dinner, talked some more, and watched a movie.  We slept in (how sad is it that 8:15am is sleeping in to me) and had another great meal before taking a walk and heading home.  I have to admit, I was a little weary of leaving Henry for that long since he's still nursing exclusively.  It took me 15 months to leave Aubrey for a night!  Henry hasn't had many bottles, but when he does, he seems to take them just fine, so I felt OK about that.  I just pumped a lot to keep up my supply and hoped for the best.  I was a little nervous he would start to like the bottle too much and not want to nurse when I came home.  He did GREAT.  He was the angel baby for Brian, of course, and didn't miss a beat.  

What a great respite.  Thanks to Christy and her parents for sharing their amazing place with us.  I needed this time away so much, but I was also glad to come home to happy faces.  I missed those little toots, and Brian too.  Now, if Brian and I could only have a night away.  That hasn't happened since BEFORE Aubrey was born (unless you count two stays in the hospital with Henry, which clearly I don't).

Kathryn, Melissa, Shannon, and Christy enjoying the gorgeous weather and view from the porch.

Yummy cheese.  My first dairy indulgence in nearly a month!

Our tour guide, Christy.

Kathryn and Shannon on our evening cruise.

Captain Christy

Fall has arrived

Ok, well not really. It was still about 90 degrees this morning with a miserable amount of humidity, but for a little while we pretended it was fall. I met my friends Amy and Melissa at the pumpkin patch so we could get the requisite fall photos of our little chicks. 48 photos, all on super high 5mb quality, and not a single one of the two of them smiling together. Oh well. They were happy, so that is all that matters I suppose. I did get some great ones of just Aubrey, although the color really doesn't show through here since I can only upload jpgs to blogger. They look a little washed out here, but you get the idea.

Little Birdie

My first real project since Henry's birth. I stayed up way too late on Friday night making this shirt for Aubrey. I got a wild hair at 9pm to start it, and since Henry sleeps all night, I guess I figured why not.  Yes, a crazy Friday night.

Showing off her shirt and her fresh haircut.

This next one needs a little explaining.  Brian heard Aubrey in the kitchen and walked around to see what she was doing.  He then rushed to get the camera.  This is what he found.  Aubrey imitating mommy with the breast pump parts.

Getting a little exercise.

A few more photos from last week...

Headed to school with her "pack-pack"

Grandad comes to town

My dad was here last week and was able to spend some quality time with the kiddos despite getting pretty sick (he's on the mend now, thankfully).  

These first two photos crack me up.  Henry and Aubrey seem to have nearly the same expression in each one.

Even Grandad seems to have the same devilish grin

Thanks buddy, I love you too!

Yum yum

Henry had his first taste of "food" last week.  I'm not in any real hurry to start solids, even though the Dr. gave us the go ahead.  I know once I start down this road, there's no going back and it's just one more thing I'll have to do.  But one evening last week, I was looking for a way to occupy Henry before bath and bed, so I figured why not try a little rice cereal.  Doesn't he look shell-shocked?

Aubrey got in on the action too

Finger lickin' good

Rated "R" for repulsive!

Here's the scene...

It's an hour into Aubrey's nap today, and she still isn't asleep.  She is singing, talking, and generally avoiding closing her eyes at all costs.  Now Henry is awake from his nap, wanting to eat...pronto.  (So much for my quiet time).  I am heading to the living room to nurse him and maybe catch a few minutes of the news in the process.  Instead, I hear Aubrey yell "MOMMY, I went poopy!!!!"  

(OK, so a little background here. She is potty trained except for nap time and night time, when she wears a diaper. Sometimes she can't settle down for her nap because she has a dirty one.  I have told her she should yell and tell me so I can come change her and then she can sleep). 

I am so proud. She has listened to me.  I put Henry down and head in to change her.  OH MY GRACIOUS (a favorite Aubrey saying).  The smell hits me first, then my eyes see black...on her hands, on her bed, on her pillows, on her blankets.  Everywhere!  The dreaded day has arrived.  My child has taken off her diaper in bed and it's contents, I say again, are everywhere.  Henry pipes up with the FEED ME NOW cries.  I whisk Aubrey off to the tub for a super fast scrub down and then clean my hands like I'm prepping for surgery before feeding Henry.  Once his belly is full, I'm off to the garage to fetch gloves (no mask in sight or I would have taken that too).   The clean up is a pain, but it's done.  How on earth do people clean cloth diapers everyday?  I mean really.

So much for nap time.

Land of the Not Quite Right, Part Deux

In case you didn't get enough... here are a few more.

Old meets new.  A maiko (apprentice Geisha) in a minivan.  

Thirsty at midnight?  Don't bother getting dressed and running to the store. There is literally at least one vending machine on every block.  I mean EVERY block.  Not just busy streets.  We had one two houses down.  You can even get a hot can of coffee or tea.  Want to climb Mt. Fuji and not haul your water?  Don't worry, there are machines there too.  It's Suntory time, anytime!

A traditional Soba lunch

Not sure how to describe this.  These "rockabilly/elvis" wannabes have danced outside Harajuku park every Sunday for the last 40 years or so... taped up boots and all.

Our rental house and sweet ride.  The house was about 1300 sqft, which was pretty large by Japanese standards.  The walls were VERY thin, with little or no insulation.  Every morning I awoke to my neighbor in his bathroom, hacking up a lung.  Lovely.