Look What I Found!!!

Thanks to Kittyn U K, and the fabulous post she made for my birthday, I went looking for, and subsequently found THIS!!!!



YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY for Vegas fun!!!

Clearing the Cobwebs

Lily Ruth, Keely Dog & I took a really great walk today. We needed it. Well, Keely & I needed it, and Lily Ruth didn't have a choice.

Today's walk was not just for exercise or to get out of the house. It was a much needed brain-clearing excursion. Do you ever feel like your head is going to come off of your neck and spin off into space because it is so full of crap? No? Just me? Fine. Well, that's how I felt this morning. I was cranky, and had a serious case of the funk - not the good kind, either. I seem to get into this same sort of loop every year around my birthday (maybe that's why my Mama calls more often, and sounds so concerned...). It's as though I've taken stock, and am flabbergasted by what I found. Ridiculous, but there is is - I'm surprised by my own life. And here I was - thinking that I was paying attention...

At any rate, we walked from Starbuck's to the Episcopal Diocese. Now, this is a reader alert - I am going to talk about spirituality. Just mine though, not yours. If you don't care for that sort of thing, then get your own blog and write about whatever you want. There are places in this world where the divine feels more present to me than others. My God dwells all around me, but feels tangible to me in some places - this is one of them. It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg question though - was the Diocese built on a holy-feeling site, or does the site feel holy in part because of the Diocese? Either way, this is a place that quiets the soul, and I was in dire need of some quiet. Plus, my Mama called yesterday with some great news:



The springs are running! Though my crappy cell phone photo cannot do it justice, these springs are the headwaters of the San Antonio river. When the rain comes, the water table rises, and this area becomes boggy with springs. It's amazing.

Since the property is fenced, I will occasionally let Keely-Kee play off-leash - after a look around for loose dogs and rogue squirrels. Here she is drinking from the springs and getting her toes damp:



Here I am letting the breeze clean out my skull:



And here is Lily Ruth chewing on what USED to be my wallet, but is NOW her favorite teething toy. I had to get a new 'wallet' (if we're splitting hairs, it's technically a coin purse, isn't it...) It is now washed daily, and contains Daddy's old driver's license so he can go everywhere with us :-P It kept her not just occupied, but happy for quite a while today:



All in all, it was a very successful outing. I gained a little much-needed clarity. Keely got her exercise - and the treat of being briefly off-leash (but it TOTALLY went to her head, and we had a small power struggle all the way back to the car). Lily Ruth got her first look at the springs in action, and spent some quality time with her wallet.

Oh, I also went to 'At the Barre' class again today. It was just as hard as last week, but I loathed the tiny instructor a bit less. So maybe it was easier? Either way, I went and let it kick my (hopefully shrinking and lifting) ass. Maybe I'll keep the damn gym membership...

Also, because I type so slowly, it's now a new day... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

note to self:

When your 7 1/2 month old is having a tough night (what with the teething and all) so you let her lie on your chest and play with your face/hair while she falls asleep, DO NOT allow her tiny fingers anywhere near your nose! In a flash, one of those adorable digits can (and will) snake it's way up your nostril then scratch it's way down (in that same instant). It will happen so fast. You will screech and cry real tears. There will be bleeding and residual soreness. She will not be sorry.

Giving you the finger will take on a whooooole new meaning



... I was hoping for a chance to add this picture, but this is a terrible price to pay :-P

In Which I Borrow...

liberally from other blogs :-P... title style borrowed from The Badass Geek, and 'letters' format borrowed from 3 Bedroom Bungalow...

Dear Darling Daughter,

Remember when you used to nap and sleep in your own crib? That was awesome. Oh, and you used to sleep for 4-6 hours at a time - I loved that.

Kisses!
Mama

---------------------

Dear Mama,

Um, YOU'RE the one who put me in your bed. Why in the world would I go back to sleeping by myself in baby jail when I currently snooze comfortably and warmly between/on my parents?

*raspberries*
Lily Ruth

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Hola, Doggie!

If you don't stop barking at every imagined noise, I may sell you on e-bay.

LOVE YOU!
Pack Leader Rachel

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Dear 'Pack Leader',

If I respected your authori-tie, I might consider listening to you.

Signed,
Princess Keely-Kee a.k.a. the Monkey Dog

}{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{ }{

Dear Cowboy Mouth,

PLEASE come back to San Antonio. I miss you. I just want to spend more time with you - is that so wrong? We used to be so close. Remember that? It's just that... I thought we had an understanding... you tour endlessly & come to San Antonio and/or Austin 2 or 3 times a year, and I show up and dance my ass off. That really worked for me.

*sigh*
:-/



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Dear New Converse All-Stars,

I love you. I love everything about you - especially your hot pink lining. Thank you for being so awesome.

Your Biggest Fan,
Me



=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

whew. It feels good to get that out... oh, damn. there's one more...

Dear New Blogger,

I read your blog, and it irritated me. I thought it was shallow and self-centered and awful. I gleefully joined the blog-war.

Then I thought about it. And I thought about you. From your few posts you seem really young. You're a new mother. You just moved to a new state, and are far from your support crew. So, maybe you are as materialistic and vain as you come across. But maybe, just maybe, you're sad and alone in a new place and want to try to perk yourself up by writing a fun and weightless blog. But it's none of my business either way.

What I want to say is, I hope that you continue to blog and to enjoy it. This is YOUR space to say whatever you want just as much as it is mine.

Rachel

Feel the Burn

Have I ever mentioned that I have gym membership? Well it's true. I do. I used to use it religiously. In fact, before my last Kaua'i trip, I even hired a personal trainer and did something he called 'two-a-days'. Before you get all goofy and embarrassed, that's when you go to the damn gym TWO TIMES A DAY. The man was a sadist, but I looked great. The reason that you may not have known about my gym membership is that the last time I used it was in my first trimester of pregnancy. For those who ran out of fingers to count on (or just hate math), that was over a year ago. I bring this up because I went to the gym today... like a sucker.

Let me explain. I have a new friend. So far, I like her, and I think she likes me, but adult friendships are tricky things, and who knows if she actually likes me or if she's just being nice because she doesn't know anybody else yet :-P The part of this that pertains to the gym is (ta-da) that she is also a Spectrum member - albeit one who attends regularly (and it shows). We were discussing cool gym amenities the other day, and I mentioned that I used to love the 'At the Barre' ballet-based class. She allowed as how she was interested in that class, but didn't want to go alone, so I volunteered to end my gym dry spell, and go with her.

We decided that this week was as good as any to start, and Don was able to come home in time to watch Lily Ruth, so it was all systems go. Of course, the only exercise I've had lately are 16 Lb over-head lifts (making a 'wheeeee' noise all the while), and walking to Starbucks, so I started to get a bit apprehensive about struttin' my stuff in front of others today. This class is usually small, so everybody can get a good look at my perfect ballet form (HA!), and my squishy, post-baby tummy and butt. To be truthful, that bit looks better now than it did when I got pregnant, but this was my first go at organized fitness in quite some time, and by 4:00 today, I was wishing that the class was 'At the Bar' instead. I really wanted a martini.

Instead of succumbing to my dread, I sucked it up and headed on in. I made it there just after class started, but before my buddy. I squoze myself into a place at the barre, and began to plié. Instead of the usual instructor (a shaved-head ex-marine with tribal tattoos), there was a darling girl... a mere slip of a gal... a child really... she couldn't have been a day over 12... I kid, but seriously, she was tiny and VERY young. She actually smiled apologetically at me when I squeezed in late - Richard would have barked at me.

She seemed so innocuous. This is why I was so surprised to find that after a scant 5 minutes or so, I began to 'take against' her. Perhaps it was the grande pliés. Or maybe it was the degages. It might have been the releves. Whatever it was, I began to loathe the sound of her voice. Like a metronome it was... one TWO three FOUR fahve (she had a darling little accent) SIX seven EIGHT. I didn't even care if she prefaced it with 'last set', I still hated it. And yet I persevered. Ya'll would be so proud of me! I sucked it up (or rather, in), and stuck it out (um, under), and did the whole darn class! Not bad for a self-confessed slacker with no abdominal control!

Way to go, Rachel! Way to go post-baby abs! Now, where is my ice pack, and did somebody say something about a martini? I like mine icy with NO vermouth... and 3 olives.

By the way, I was looking for a picture of a relaxed-looking ballet class to go with this post. Such a photo may not exist. In truth, I felt more like this anyway:



- my apologies to the mama who's blog I'm borrowing this from (via Google images) - I mean no disrespect, your daughter is ADORABLE - it's meant as a metaphor... or is it?

Oh MAN do I miss ballet class now! Kittyn, I long for the days of Stage 7 and Kathryn murmuring 'suggestions' at us while we wore thick fuzzy socks under dimmed lights. That woman knew how to teach some dance. I could hear her in my head today - 'shoot your weight DOWN through your heels' 'lift from the TOP of your head'. She made me feel like a swan.

SHOES, Glorious UPDATE

Kyla called with an update, and a brand name (Calvin Klein), so here are the shoes...



you know... the farting ones...

Well, adjustments have been made, and... THEY STILL FART. People, this is getting serious. The next step is professional help. Perhaps something can be medically removed... or added... in order to eliminate the sound. If not, The BEAUTIFUL Kyla, will develop a (unwarranted) reputation for gastric disturbance and/or a (well deserved) penchant for spray adhesive. Drastic times call for drastic measures folks, and we are just the girls to take said measures in defense of these shoes!

Or maybe she should just splurge on a pair of THESE - surely they won't fart...



or maybe I'M the one who wants those, and Kyla will have to find her own way to salvage her dignity AND her new shoes, as I am out of ideas. :-P

... at least we continue to be cute... or is it just that we think that we're cute... either way, we froze our butts off to get this picture...



All this talk of farting shos has plumb worn me out. Plus, Lily Ruth is asleep on my arm, so typing is a big ol' chore right now. Surely something noteworthy will occur this weekend. Until then, you're on your own.

Nighty night!

???

Wow. I am soooo far out of the 'hip' loop. For this, I am truly grateful.

I dipped my toe in the gossip pool today. I think I caught something. Something contagious and rash-inducing. Also, it pissed me off. I should have worn a haz-mat suit. Well, since it's contagious, you're gonna get it too:

Gossip Site Rash

I should just stay off the 'internets' as ignorance and intolerance really chap my hide. I also loathe racism disguised as righteous indignation.

Thank goodness for this:



she keeps me more grounded and sane than I have been in YEARS :-P Just looking at her makes me care even less about 'Young Hollywood'... plus, she's so cute, she makes those poor girls all look the same. Oh, wait, they all looked the same BEFORE that... airbrushing is creepy...

Food ROCKS!

Lily Ruth and I are having so much fun with food!

We go to the Farmer's Market every week and pick out fun stuff



We puree and try new foods every few days - check out BLUEBERRIES!



and now there are finger foods as well! OH THE CHOICES! Our freezer stash grows ever larger...



As her world expands, so does her curiosity. She was in her highchair the other day, and after a few bites, she was more interested in the spoon itself and texture of the contents of the bowl than in eating. I almost let myself get frustrated, and then I realized that she just loves food! How great is that? I love food, and I want her to love food and think that food is big fun - so I handed her the spoon and scooted the bowl closer. This was a big step for me. Label the memory of this as 'Control Freak Hands Over Control'. It was humbling... and fun. She had a BALL. Avocado was everywhere. Hands, arms, torso, face, hair, highchair, floor and huge portion of the table :-) Very very little of it made the full journey into her mouth...



It was so much fun that we did it again yesterday. Butternut squash this time, and we stripped down to a diaper!



This is such an amazing time! A whirlwind, but one I am blessed to be a part of. Can you believe that as recently as two years ago I couldn't dream of doing this. I thought babies were for dumb suckers. Wow, well, when you're wrong, you're wrong. I'm not saying that parenthood or stay at home motherhood is for everyone, but it sure is for me. This is the hardest, most exhausting, most rewarding thing that I have ever done. I can't believe that I wanted to take a pass on it. Makes me think... what else have I missed out on because I thought it sounded hard...

Shoes, Glorious SHOES!

Well, I don't know what to tell you, except that I am fashion challenged. Wait, let me amend that - I am challenged in that I cannot make myself pay a lot for clothing (thanks, Mama :-P), so my choices end up being SEVERELY limited. My current wardrobe consists of 3 pairs of jeans, some long sleeved t-shirts from Old Navy, and some tank tops... from Old Navy... I even went through my closet and culled out the dead wood to see if there were any hidden or forgotten gems. Sadly, now I have a half-empty closet and a HUGE stack of out-of-style/does-not-fit clothing to donate. As though being needy necessitates walking around in things I've been hoarding since high school...

But I digress. My plan was to drag an adorable friend out shopping with me in hopes that she would push me to new fashion heights and I would then soar like an eagle into a world of hip tops, trendy pants and sassy shoes. A place where the air is rarified and the champagne is free... oh man, was I dreaming again? I must have been.

Here's what really happened. I wrangle Kyla into devoting a day off to helping me spend Lily Ruth's college fund (I joke - she has no college fund). After she agrees (and we eat our weight in Mexican food for brunch) she lets it slip that since she works in clothing retail, she loathes shopping. Dammit. Now I'm shopping - which I hate - and I'm forcing somebody I really like into doing something that they hate, too. Crap. Maybe the day can still be salvaged.

After a quick coffee run, we agree to hit the LUSH counter at Macy's. Honestly, who could disagree about that? Then we spy the shoe sale... Holy Moley. I had forgotten how much I love shoes. I stood in the midst of jumbled sales racks (right shoes only), and LONGED for a 'real' job so that I would have a reason to buy heels. Then I shook it off and looked for a pair that I could chase an infant in and that were better the slip ons I was currently wearing (functional, but reminescent of slippers) or flip flops - a girl needs variety, and I currently have none. I found these:



and snapped 'em up. Last pair in the house. I will be the most colorful Mama, but alas, not the most stylish...

Kyla wandered the 'fashion forward' areas, and picked up things best described thusly - 'over-the-knee black boots with gladiator cut outs and platform soles' and 'black suede booties with lethal spike heels'. She settled on 'nude platform peep-toe with a buckle over the instep'. I searched desperately for an image of them to post here, but I can't remember who made them, and I got side tracked... now I want THESE:



but I digress...

As the beautiful Kyla tries on said shoes, she does the requisite '5 steps forward, 5 steps back' dance that we all do in order to asses the feasibility of a new shoe. 'Can it work for me?' we ask... 'will I be able to stand for more than 30 seconds at a time?'... as though 10 steps on highly padded carpet will answer these queries! Well, those answers may not be forthcoming, but something else made itself immediately clear - heel slippage. You may or may not have already guessed where this is headed. That's right, Gentle Reader, the damn things 'farted' with every step. I almost wet myself with mirth. Tears sprang into our eyes as we played out immaginary scenes of Kyla 'farting' her way through a work day...

pft pft pft pft pft - 'Yes, I'm the manager on duty. How can I assist you?'

pft pft - 'can it, you guys! Kyla's coming!'

I had a mental picture of her gliding across the blonde wood shop floors. Poised, put-together, pooting with every step...

Can I tell you - we sat in the chairs of the try-on area completely red faced, teary eyed and unable to contain ourselves. It was bliss.

I said that we should consult a professional. 'Professional WHAT?' asks Kyla. 'Professional Farter?' More giggles. More tears. 'Well' I opined 'all men are professional farters, so the salesman should be able to cover any and all bases on this one'. We make our way to the counter, and delicately mention to the gentleman behind the register that we noticed a bit of heel slippage with these particular shoes. Did he think that an insole would solve the issue? 'Yeah, I sort-of noticed you guys while you tried them on' - I almost DIED - 'and I think that would fix it'. Well, OF COURSE he 'noticed' us trying them on!!! We were the ones guffawing in the center of the room. Priceless. You can't make this shit up, folks. It's real life.

We paid for our shoes, and made our way onward - a new pair of shoes each and a memory to cherish.

Here's my moral for today - a good shoe sale is a great thing. A good friend is a true treasure.

why I have nothing to post...

Today's Recipes: Diane's Pork Tenderloin, 'Mexican' Rice, Sauteed Cabbage

Due to a recent sleep crisis (unfortunately, it's all of my own making), most of my days have been spent like this:



or this:



so I haven't had a lot of productive time...

We DID make it out for a few errands and some WONDERFUL frozen yogurt



this is serious stuff you guys.

Oh, and I wanted to share a few really basic recipes with you. My Dad's birthday was this week, and my Mama is having a birthday dinner party for a few friends this weekend. In an attempt to take a bit of the weekend burden off of her and also share quality time with her best friend in the whole world, I am having everyone over for dinner tomorrow! I love to do this, but was feeling stuck on menu ideas... so my genius husband reminded me that his sister loves her crockpot as much as I love mine! Done and done - dinner solved:

Diane's Foolproof Pork Tenderloin

crockpot
pork tenderloin
beer

place the pork tenderloin in the crockpot. add the beer. cook all day. eat when you get home.

I'm going to use Shiner Bock and a few garlic cloves! When it's ready, I'm going to serve the meat w/ fresh tortillas, cilantro and lime

Rachel's 'Mexican' Rice

Rice
Chicken Broth
Ro-Tel tomatoes w/ Chilis
Cumin

I use my rice cooker, so the proportions are 1 to 1 1/2 (i.e.: 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups broth), but if you are not using a rice cooker, follow the directions on the rice bag, but use broth instead of water. Add in a can of tomatoes w/ chilis (or a can of tomatoes and a can of green chilis), throw in some cumin, and cook away!

Sauteed Red Cabbage

sliced fresh red cabbage
broth
cardamom
ginger

in a large skillet, combine all of the ingredients. the amounts of cardamom and ginger are up to you. start small then go big. I usually steam the cabbage until it is almost done, then sautee until the broth has evaporated - yum!

Well, I told you that these were easy recipes... not even recipes, really - more like guidelines... I am also going to combine a rinsed can of black beans with a can of corn and a can of Hatch green chilis and some butter. Then we are going to gorge ourselves like pig people, drink a lot of wine and laugh until we are tired.

Of course, no matter what recipes I use, I'll have PLENTY of help on the kitchen :-P