I didn’t actually go to Austin’s First Night this year (I had to work), but Andy and Luke went and had a blast.  It’s definitely worth checking out if you haven’t yet.

I think it’s so cool that Luke decided to go in his tiger costume.  It was all his idea.  He didn’t actually get to go to a Halloween party in his costume because he got really sick that weekend, so I was happy that he was able to wear it out.  Best $15 I ever spent.

Andy said there was much discussion around them about Luke’s costume.  He even heard a mom tell her child that they could wear their costume next year.

Anyway, from what I saw from work and what I heard from Andy, First Night is super cool.  I hope I can go next year!

I used up the last of my yearly vacation days (never enough!) to spend three glorious days with my son.  Awesome!

I didn’t have any big plans.  I just wanted to have a relaxing few days with the boy.  It’s time I wish I got to spend with him all year long.

The kiddo is a bundle of energy, so our first stop was a playground — his favorite, in fact.  The Zilker playscape.  He ran and made up imaginary scenarios for nearly 2 straight hours before we both got hungry and decided it was time to leave.

For a treat, I took us out to Kerby Lane.  We were south, so that’s where we headed.  He was so excited, he elected to wait the 35 minutes for a table.  He was so patient!  I was impressed.  Of course, we read the books I always have stashed in my bag and played color games before finally sitting down to a lunch of pancake (for him) and salad (for me).

After that we stopped into BookPeople and bought a copy of the new Pooh book — Return to the Hundred Acre Wood — and went home to read it before naptime. 

Tuesday we played the entire day at home because of the sleet.  At one point, we snuggled on the couch under the blanket because it was cold and pretended to hide from monsters, laughing and giggling the whole time.

Wednesday was just as fun.  In the afternoon, after he tried to nap but just couldn’t, I ran in, putting my coat on and said, “Come on, Luke!  Let’s go to the playground before it gets dark!”  He played for 1 1/2 hours at Northwest, while I read snatches of a book, while trying to keep one eye on him.  We came home exhausted.

Boy, I wish I got to do this stuff all the time.

It’s been a stressful few months, but I have to say, after Friday, maybe it’s a sign of things turning around?

I took Friday off.  it was a week before Christmas, and I needed to take care of some errands and also REST.  Andy also took the day off, and we spent the morning hanging out with Luke and just relaxing until about noon, when the babysitter dropped by with her grandson to take Luke out for an afternoon of play.

Andy and I took the opportunity to go out to lunch at a place we would never take Luke — at least, not until he’s much older.  We debated several restaurants in the downtown area we’ve already gone to, but decided on North — a restaurant in the Domain shopping area in North Austin.

I’ve had several friends tell me North is wonderful and that lunch is the time to go, because it can be a little pricey.  We were seated next to a window near the door that goes out to a patio area.  It was chilly outside, but I couldn’t feel the draft.

Most of the red wines were out of my price range (I only drink reds these days), but there was one red that was an acceptable price by the glass.  It was dry and delicious.

They gave us bread and a roasted red pepper butter to snack on as an appetizer, but neither Andy nor I eat any kind of bread, so it went untouched.

I loved my meal.  I ordered the salmon, served on a bed of spaghetti squash, with spinach sauteed with sweet onions.  Yum!  Andy ordered flank steak with kale that was divine, even if it was a little saltier than we like.

After lunch, we decided to treat ourselves to dessert, so we split an order of panna cotta.   Oh my GOD, it was SOOOO good.  I wish I had taken a picture.  Perfectly cooked, it was served with berries and slivered almonds.  It was absolutely DIVINE.  Like heaven in my mouth.  Seriously.  I know my face had an expression of joy and gag-ness, because the waitress remarked that it was obvious we were enjoying it.

So if you go to North, try the panna cotta.

After lunch, Andy and I headed over to the Blue Genie Art Bazaar.  We had heard it was cool, but didn’t know what to expect.  Very low-key and FREE, it was an awesome way to look for locally made gifts.  I highly recommend it to anyone who needs to find gifts or art for themselves.  We actually could afford to buy things there, unlike most of the stuff at the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar.

It’s not usually this chilly in Austin in December. Usually we’ll have one or two cold days and the rest are balmy and beautiful.  This year — wet and chilly.

I told Luke one weekend on a visit to Whole Foods that we would only go ice skating at the rink they have set up on the plaza when it’s cold.  Wouldn’t ya know it, it was cold the next weekend.  I stuck to my promise, and Andy, Luke and I headed down to Whole Foods for a little ice skating.

It was Luke’s first-ever time on skates or on ice, and he was so excited.  The skating rink, which is pretty small, was pretty empty, and they have skates you can rent.  For kids, the blades are doubled — perfect for little ones just learning to skate.

I have to admit, I was pretty timid of the ice.  I’ve NEVER ice skated before.  And it’s been years since I put on my inlines.  But inlines aren’t the same as ice skates, and it feels completely different.  I mainly pushed around just a little, holding Luke with one hand, trying to be there for him to grab onto.

Luke loved the ice at first.  It was novel, and he really digs trying new things.  Poor guy was gung-ho about jumping into it, insisting Papa Gerry had taught him how to skate when he was a baby (I love how kids use their imaginations!).

But he fell, a lot, and unprepared me did not think to look for his mittens before we left the house.  His hands were soon frozen, and they were so cold, he told me they were burning.

I remember that feeling.  Just a few weeks ago I was doing pullups on a frozen bar with bare-hands.  It felt like my hands were on fire.

We pulled off the skates and rushed downstairs into the store for hot chocolate and samples.  It was enough to take his mind off his hands, and we had a lovely rest of the afternoon.

I don’t think that will be our last experience with ice skating. Luke is an adventurer — even physical pain doesn’t scare him off from the really cool things to do.  We’ll be back.

I don’t typically spend Thanksgiving
with my family – and by that, I mean my parents or Andy’s parents. Thanksgiving in my life involves my husband,
son and a host of friends who I consider family. In Nashville, it was my neighbors and my boss
and his wife. In Austin it has been
neighbors and friends. I love that
this holiday can be celebrated any way you want.

I have a lot to be thankful for
this year. I’ve been reflecting on that
over the past week or so, because, lately, things just don’t seem to be going
my way.  In fact, I’ve felt pretty down.

For me, that’s when tend to forget
about what’s good. But I’m trying not to
dwell on the negatives – I want to remain positive, no matter what life throws
at me.

So here’s my holiday list. Bear with me:

My boys — Andy and Luke.

These guys – my husband and my son – bring a smile to my face. I can’t imagine life without them, and I hope
I never have to. ‘Nuff said.

Friendships – new and old

Over the past year, I have had
the pleasure of making a lot of wonderful new friends and strengthening friendships
with others. There was a time in my life
– many years ago – when I felt very alone. Now, I feel like I have a very strong network of friends to whom I can
turn when I need help, comfort or just a laugh. They are the people I confide in, drink with, joke with, tease, cheer
on, hope for, find inspiration, seek guidance from and discover new
things with. They come from all over,
although most of my closest friends now live in Austin. They come from a multitude of backgrounds,
professions, and experiences, and hold a wide range of beliefs and views. Some of them have children. Some of them don’t. Some I see every day – others… not quite so
often.  I have found friends at work, but
I have found many others through my son and through my various activities.  Some I’m pretty tight with; others I am just now getting to know.

Some of my
friends will read this after I post this on Facebook (something else I’m
thankful for this holiday), and I hope they all understand how much I love and
appreciate them.

My health

I learned
very recently that my cousin is undergoing treatment for an aggressive breast
cancer – 15 years after my mom also underwent treatment for breast cancer.

I won’t lie
– it’s terrifying for me. But I’m not
going down easy. I’m staying active –
very active – and I have changed my nutrition dramatically. Crossfit and running have been my latest interests, and I’ve
changed a lot because of them. But I never
would have been ready for Crossfit had it not been for a foundation of fitness
laid down by Kung Fu, skating, biking and hiking.

I’m very thankful I am currently to good health, and I feel fitter and stronger every day.

I’m the type of person who writes down To-Do lists, consults my
calendar religiously to figure out where I’m supposed to go next, and
keeps track of the stories I’m owed and what’s been done.

But I’m not so good about writing down goals.

These have been more nebulous, oral.  About the most I’ve ever done is write down one goal and tape it to a place where I will frequently see it.
But I was inspired recently to get off my butt and set some real
personal, professional and health goals by two things.  First, a post I read in a blog I’ve been following.  Secondly, my pal Doug,
an artist who has been working very hard over the past year to
jumpstart his career and who recently wrote down a 5 year plan for his
art and business.

My hope is that by writing my goals down and making them public, I will actually move down a path in pursuit.  So here we go.

Personal

3 month

• Daily time set aside for both family and husband alone
• Focus on more integration of techniques from How to Talk So Kids will Listen
• Seek out monthly opportunities for socialization w/o child
• Begin move to expand family by 1

12 month

• Re-evaluate balance of career & family (Should I work from home?)
• Expand family by 1

Professional

3 month

• Set aside weekly time for business development
• Write concise business plan
• Increase awareness of House on Payne in local community
• Secure at least 1 new client
• Begin at least 1 new project

12 month

• Generate 5-10 new clients and finished projects
• Set 5 year goals
• Increase personal income by 20-30%

Health

3 month

• Eat Paleo daily, loosening only slightly for Thanksgiving and Christmas
• Drop from 29% to 25% body fat
• Execute kipping pullup
• Test for 2nd degree black belt

12 month

• Add additional weekly Crossfit classes, preferably boot camp
• Increase endurance, run five 5K races for time
• Increase upper body strength
• 21 kipping pullups in a row
• 80% push press
• 2x Deadlift
• Re-evaluate # of weekly Kung Fu classes

 Halloween presents a dilemma in our household.  We rarely eat sugar or processed foods, yet here is a “holiday” that celebrates begging for tiny pieces of insulin-spiking carbs.  What’s a mom to do?

I’ll tell you what I do.  I try to make the crafts and traditions more memorable than the trick o’ treating.  That’s why, last Sunday, Luke, Andy and I ventured into a nearby “pumpkin patch” (hosted by a local church) to pick 3 pumpkins and bring them home to be carved.

I set everything up while Luke was napping.  Newspaper, a bowl for pumpkin “guts,” markers, a knife for me.  And just to make it even more special, I set out the tea set and brewed a pot of peppermint (non-caffeinated) tea with fruit and sweetened biscuits.

Luke and I had a grand time.  After our tea, he drew on his pumpkin and directed me where to cut.  It’s tough scooping out the innards, and he asked me to help.  He even wanted to finish it off with arms, and we found sticks to poke inside.

I’m still not sure what to do about the candy.  We’re headed to a Halloween party, and the older kids are all planning to go.  I’m thinking about letting him trade most of the candy in for something special, like a book, and taking the candy to work.  At his age, I can still take the candy away and dole it out in small increments. 

But whatever happens, I hope he remembers the pumpkin carving.  I have wonderful memories of carving pumpkins with my brother and father.  It was always a tradition in our family.  And I guess it’s now tradition in my new family as well.

 This is the first year Luke has brought up the approaching holiday season without prompting — at least from my husband or myself.

He knows Halloween is on the way, and he requested a costume this year. A TIGER!  ROAR!

I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find one that’s reasonably priced.  Have you SEEN the prices for costumes at those fancy kids stores?  Yikes!  I also wanted to avoid a cheapie.  I remember wearing a very cheap plastic one when I wanted to be Smurfette at age 6.  Remember those costumes?  They came in the box with a cheap plastic mask?  What were my parents thinking?  It was horrible!

I lucked out and found a tiger costume at Old Navy for only $15.  Yay!  It arrived in the mail today, and Luke just had to try it on.  I have a feeling he’ll want to try it on every day for the next several weeks.

He also knows Christmas isn’t far behind Halloween, and all he wants to talk about is Santa.  But what’s so cute is it isn’t about Santa coming to our house to bring presents.  Santa comes to KVUE, and we sing and dance, eat cookies and listen to a story.  This will be our fourth year to attend the Christmas special taping.  It’s always so fun.  We get a copy of the show after it airs, but I don’t think Andy and I have ever watched it.  It’s about the experience for us — not so much being on TV.

I hesitate writing a post about any of my fears or worries.  No one wants to read my whining, I firmly believe.  But sometimes, admitting ones faults or fears to the greater world is one of the first steps in correcting the fault or overcoming the fear.  And so it goes….

I took my son to a birthday party this afternoon.  It was fun.  The adults were chatting, the kids were playing.  Luke was enjoying himself and getting into the play with everyone, even though he was one of the youngest there.  I began to become more comfortable in the surroundings.  I met some new people, talked, chatted.  And the times in between when I went to check on Luke became more lengthy.

At one point in the conversation, I said, “I wonder where Luke is.  I haven’t heard from him in a while.  That usually can’t be good.”  Some of the parents agreed that quiet means bad and we laughed about our various experiences.  “I’m sure he’s fine,” I told myself, and I continued to chat.

But it kept nagging at me, and I decided to look.  I went upstairs where a bunch of kids were running around.  I looked, and looked — walking into one room with a high bunk bed.  “Cindy, (sniff), help me.”

“Luke?  Where are you?”

“Help me, Cindy. (sniff)”

I looked up and there he was, stuck up on the top bunk.  I have no idea how long he had been there.  No more than a few minutes I hope, although the last time I had seen him had been at least 20 minutes prior.  I reached up, and he had tears in his eyes.  I hugged him and set him down.  I asked him if he was OK, and he sniffed, “Yeah.”  Then he ran off to play.  

I stood there stunned.  He had obviously brushed the experience aside, but it clung to me like a wet sweater.  I felt awful.  Selfish.  Egotistical.  How could I have let that happen?  How long had he been there?  I should have checked on him sooner.  What if I had waited to check on him even longer?  I walked back down stairs (after checking on him a zillion more times in the span of 5 minutes) and felt a burn in the back of my throat like I was about to cry.  I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked up, just to check that he was still OK.  I swallowed.  I went back to the adults but checked on Luke much more frequently.  Luke was still playing happily with the big kids.  It was like nothing had happened.

But it stuck with me.  When we arrived home, I immediately “confessed” what had happened to my husband, feeling guilty — like I had shirked my duty as a parent.  The memory stung.  I wanted to sit Luke down and apologize, but the moment for that had long since passed.  Andy tried to bring up the incident later in the evening, when he told Luke that he had had a bunk bed when he was little, and once he fell out.  “Bunk beds can be hard to climb out of,” I said.  Luke ignored us.  We dropped it.

It looks like it was no big deal to my son.  I don’t know why it affected me so severely — probably guilt, right?  And when he asked me to stay with him as he was trying to fall asleep tonight, instead of telling him no, I did lay down next to him until he fell asleep.  Guilt again, I suppose.  I wonder how long it will take me to overcome that.

 I’ve had some time recently to work on expanding my skillset, and I wanted to chare some tools that may be of use to others wishing to do the same.

I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about Adobe Photoshop.  I’ve taken 2 courses and have been using it for years.  But I’ve always wanted to learn Illustrator, which is totally foreign to me.  However, I found an awesome site that points to tutorials that are actually helpful.  My brother gave me the heads up about Creative Nerds when he sent me an article on the 70 best tutorials on using Photoshop to create web designs.  After being totally inspired, I went through the rest of the site and found a ton of tutorials for Illustrator, too — some advanced, and some not so advanced (I wouldn’t say easy).  I think I got the most out of the videos, and actually followed along as a designer walked me through making vines and florals in Illustrator.

Here’s a logo I’ve been playing around with for a new site I’m working on:

So, yeah, it’s been fun working on this stuff.

The other tool I found is courtesy of Andy, who sent me a list of helpful tools for House on Payne.  I really dig this wireframe software from Balsamiq Mockups. It’s super easy to use and I’ve already been playing with 2 mockups today.  One reviewer I read is right — it’s a steal at $80.  It’s definitely a tool I’ll continue to use ahead of creating high-fidelity mockups in Photoshop.