Then homemade maracas?



And dancing to Mexico's National Anthem?



Except maybe dancing on the table to Daddy Yankee...



And then deciding to line up the maracas and punt them off the table!



This mornings burst of creativity was fueled by a gentle reminder from SouleMama that it takes very little to mean a lot but you have to make time for it. Determined to do better I got on CraftyCrow and found just I needed for inspiration, ideas for a Cinco de Mayo celebration. I know, Beltane is tomorrow but after four years of failed attempts to celebrate it I've opted for personal reflection this year and to move straight to one of my other favorite holidays - Cinco de Mayo! Hmm... When I would have to get pregnant to have a baby on Cinco de Mayo? Of course then I would have a bull instead of another crabby paddy to add to my herd but that would be an earth sign which would balance out my small family with all four elements.... Anyways, they do Cinco de Mayo big here in Texas but because of the pandemic flu *sniff* Houston is considering not having the festival at the Miller Outdoor Theater. So I took a small block of time (ok we got carried away and spent all morning) to get a head start on a home celebration by making maracas, studying about the history of Cinco de Mayo and dancing our hearts out to youtube videos. Fueled by two cups of coffee on an empty stomach and a system that hasn't had caffeine for the last several days, I we literally danced and swirled and twirled till our heads spun around and we vomited pea soup. Good times. Now Son is napping in the living room (I guess I worn him out, lol) and I'm ready to head back to the grindstone to get out my school work. It was a nice little diversion.... tomorrow we're making decorations.

As seen through youtube videos.

My heart. This song Charlie played for me last May when we were driving up to Tennessee. It actually made me cry it was so unexpected and sweet. He is the gardener who tends the untamed wilderness of my heart.

My Youth. I get it, Son is my youth now. He is the part of me that will stay forever young. This morning Son brought me the Lilo & Stitch dvd case and asked me 'what's that?' on the cover. It's Lilo, Stitch and Noni surfing, I couldn't have been happier. We got on youtube and watched surfing videos as I explained to him about big wave surfers, being towed-in, riding the barrel, long board vs. short boards. I remembered my youth and the many hours I spent watching surfers and waves. The hours I spent in the water, reveling in the powerful touch of the Great Mother. I remember how badly I wanted to move down to CA and become the first female big wave rider (there are some now). How much I wanted to catch a colossal wave and feel the power of it thundering behind me, pushing me towards the shore and threatening to devour me whole. My youthful, hopes and dreams and passions came flooding back and I got to share them with my new youth, my amazing son. I fervently hope that he will share my passion for both this good Earth and for surfing and in turn pass them on to his youth when the time comes. If it's not too much to ask Universe, make my son a big wave surfer.

Or make him a chef. lol. This video reminded me of when my life was simpler. I made bread everyday. Tried new things. Took pleasure in creating and cooking in my oh so humble kitchen (@ Doug's). And oh yes, began my deep, passionate, probably indecent love of lemon curd. There is still a very large part of me that loves to create through cooking. That takes deep satisfaction in nourishing my family. That strives everyday to be the very best possible version of wife and mother that I can possibly be while staying true to my inner version of me. Did I mention I bought a bag of organic lemons to make some lemon curd? Life is too short to not enjoy the simple pleasures that come our way. From the way the sunlight dances in the leaves of the trees through my kitchen window, to the way bacon makes my home smell like a campfire when it's cooking, to the mischievous smile from one of my boys as they grab my hand and pull me off towards our next grand adventure.

Hmm.. that title reminds me of my younger days when getting hot in here met this. My how things have changed, lol.


Although it stays a cool 70 or below in my home, outside it is slowly heating up and this past weekend was spent firmly in the 80's. I'm thinking we won't see much lower than that until next fall. Now the heat up means time spent in the shade, praying for a cool breeze, sipping super cold beer lemonade and of course lots of water play.



Ready for summer? Here it comes ready or not!

He decided to take a nap between a busy jags of lining things up. Can't say I blame him. It's hard work for a little guy. On another note, he's less than 20 words away from a 100 word vocabulary! Many of them have been gained in the last month or so. I'm very excited and think a celebration is in order once he hits that milestone. Cupcakes maybe?

My garden grows!

We sang the Nye Nye song together to the babies (seeds). Can't wait till they wake up and peek their heads out!

It felt SO good to be puttering around in the dirt and sharing my love of growing things with my beautiful Son.

It reminded me of the summer in 2003. Sitting around Cleo's kitchen table, talking about green houses and healing herbs and The Mead Tree! I loved that name as much then as I do now. (thanks Brigid!) I had forgotten how good it feels to dig my hands into the dirt, to hold living bits of this Mother, to breathe in time with her and help bring her creations to life. It's amazing how much my dreams have changed since then and yet how they've stayed the same. Makes me miss that simple life as I struggle to carve a bit of it out for myself here. It's time to make some bread & lemon curd, some tea and roast chicken, to sit out on my porch and drink in the beauty around me and let my heart be light. I miss my Sisters but hold you in my heart.

Such a big helper!

Well I survived the dentist. A routine procedure turned surgical. I started shaking about halfway through but didn't panic, or cry or bolt. I stayed still and calm (even if my nervous system did not) and now am happily on the mend. I ate cheesy bean and rice burritos the rest of the day and this morning Son and I made scrambled eggs. Son loves cheese and quickly went from the cheese sprinkler to the cheese bandit. I've been having him help me cook more and more. Some of it's scary since he still doesn't understand the dangers of the kitchen but we take precautions where we can (like only cooking on the back burners) and do our best work mixing and stirring at the kitchen table. Since he has sensory seeking behavior (ala the school psychologist) I've been trying to feed his natural inclination to sniff and taste and feel everything with cooking. It also fills that need for a creative outlet for both of us. I have a feeling he's going to make a damn fine chef one day.

We watched The Day The Earth Stood Still after Son went to bed last night. It's not scary at all, just good entertainment. It's kind of funny, even in my shifted state I knew why they were there long before Charlie (who usually can figure out the plot very early on). Just picking up on little things like Saving the Earth rather than Saving the Humans. I guess he still learning to relate to the Earth as a singular living entity or who knows? I'd recommend it though. A good reminder that we need to have a plan. I tried not to give into the 'OMG we live in a huge city, what would happen to us' train o thought. Better to be proactive and have a plan even if it's hurricane's and not aliens that threaten us. lol

I'm still on rest and healing duty until this weekend. As much as I'm ready to charge the mountain I know too well the consequences of not letting your body heal so I'm taking it easy. I've been thinking a lot about spring cleaning and de-cluttering and I read something the other day that stood out to me. She said that she was also de-cluttering her email inbox as part of her spring cleaning plan and wanted to keep it at 0. I don't think I'm ready to go all the way to 0 (I've got months-old letters still waiting reply) I did clean it out from several hundred and am happy with 10 or less. She (I can't remember where I read it) was right! Just in the last two days I've noticed a lighter and more efficient email time. Makes me excited to do even more de-cluttering around the house, maybe next week.

Well I think that's enough random chatter for now. I've got a class 5 whinger looking for some more sensory input so I'm off to help him out. Maybe finger painting? Maybe we need rice pudding? Who knows where the day will take us?

Come on Mom, I'm trying to eat here.

p/s I forgot to add this link. Texas rocks!

Homemade chicken broth from a leftover roasted chicken. Organic? Yep. Stored in glass instead of plastic? You bet!

I've been thinking a lot about care for these bodies lately.

Could be:
1. Son's recent illness.
2. My (seemingly) never ending dental appointments.
3. Our recent thrust into the world of PDD/ASD and all of the ramifications for Son and our family.
4. My attending a Mary Kay party where I was the only girl who didn't have my hair & nails done and had no clue how to put on makeup .
5. Reading in my psych class about how I'm getting older and the very REAL consequences of how I take care of my body now affects the quality of my life later on.

Son's recent bout of belly trouble makes me want to be extra careful about cleaning up and washing. Our hands, our foods, our toys/household after an illness. I have no clue what made him sick but I know that I don't want to go there again any time soon.

I wish that I had taken care of my wisdom teeth way back when I lived in Washington and had the opportunity (and insurance who would cover the WHOLE cost) instead of letting fear of the dentist dictate my actions. Putting off taking care of your health does not pay in the short or the long run, you'll have to address the issue (no matter what it is) sooner or later. Preventative care is important and should be utilized as much as possible.

I've been reading so much about how toxic our environment truly is. The air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, the endless electromagnetic fields that surround us (including the wireless network I'm using to post this & my ever present cell phone), the medicines/vaccines that are supposed to help us; it's all toxic. It all affects the way our bodies function and it has had very severe consequences in the way my son's brain functions. I am determined to change this. He needs me and Charlie to safeguard his heath because he can't do it him self. We need to educate ourselves how to do this (this is the stage we're in now) and we need to make clear changes to help clean his body of toxins, restore his complete bodily functioning, and ensure that we have set our child up for a long and successful life. For more info click here, we can use all the help and support we can get in this.

I already had a small glimpse of this when Brosia was here. Her skin is so soft and lovely and mine is so dry that it cracks and bleeds. Why don't I take the time to nourish my skin? Then I attended this Mary Kay party and everyone had their nails done (not a strange phenomenon here in the south) and cute hair cuts/colors that they actually styled. Everyone had makeup on except me and Pat (who had deliberately left her's off so she could do the Mary Kay makeover). I was so embarrassed that I didn't do the makeover because I didn't want to show people that I don't know the basics of how to put on makeup. I bought some excellent night moisturizer because I know how important it is but I want to do more. I want to take care and pride in my appearance and I want to teach my child(ren) to take care and pride in theirs as well.

I'm getting older, I get it. I can see it in the fine wrinkles around my eyes that are showing up and the way my body doesn't 'bounce back' the way it used to after doing some physical labor or staying up late. The big difference I've noticed is that when I was going to aqua class a few days a week I felt so much better that I would run (lope really) with Son from the car to our door. Now having been home for the last two weeks I'm back to huffing and puffing all the way. The crappy part is that I'm still so damn young. I read in my psych class that I hit my physical peak in my 20's and if this is my peak I am truly afraid of what lays in store for me. This encompasses my weight, my sleep habits, my eating habits and just general self care. I have excellent health care so why not use it? I know I want to go to bed early and wake up even earlier so why am I still greeting the new day at midnight instead of 5am? I need to change my ways and create a foundation of health that will last the rest of my hopefully long life. I need to be there for my family and its up to me to lead the way, otherwise it will not get done.

One meal at a time. One swim class at a time. I will halt the negative direction our families health has taken, I will reverse and I will blaze a new trail (new to us) into a better future. I MUST do this our future depends on it in every aspect, from future children, to Son's future success, to me just living to make it to the future. Its a huge responsibility but I love my body and all of the magnificent things it can do. And I love my husband and my son and it's time to teach them to care for their bodies too.

Thanks for letting me get this written down and out of my mind. Your the best!

Some of the fruits from my trip to Whole Foods on Friday. A cupboard that would do even Cleo proud. ;) All in glass with plenty of recipe and plans to make sure it gets used. A step in the right direction.

I think that is what the the Universe is trying to tell me. I took some time to reground after our roommates left and then was all amp-d up for spring cleaning, changing and implementing a solid routing, new menu, more exercise, hard core researching PDD/ASD to find a game plan, better student, better mommy, better me and on an on. Then my tooth broke, then my dentist put me on some antibiotics that wipe me out, then son got sick again... you get the picture. It's not that I shouldn't do my 'to do' list it's just that I need balance. I tend to get out my super-me cape and boots and charge the mountain - doing too much at once and in true Gemini fashion petering out and losing interest half way through my charge. I need to slow down and make small sustainable steps towards my goals. *exhales* That's tough for me, especially when there is SO much I want to do and change and perfect.

Friday
Nana came down and stayed with Son while Charlie and I ran errands. It was a long day but we got so much accomplished. Target for non-food groceries. Ikea for home organizing stuff and some new kitchen gadgets! Whole Foods for some whole foods. lol With a nice break in between at Freebirds for some awesome grub. Its a place that not only makes excellent burritos but totally reminds me of OLY and that fact that I'm really not an old woman. Yet. Pizza for dinner and Tropic Thunder for entertainment.

Saturday
Nice and slow start. Hot cereal for breakfast. Son melted down and melted down and then started to get sick (belly). Didn't know if it was something he ate (we're thinking food-sensitivity = poor behavior), whiplash from leaving him all day the previous day, or an actual virus. We persevered and went to see Artania. We enjoyed it for the most part but wondered where the horses were since they only made intermittent appearances and didn't have a whole lot to do with the actual performances. We left at the intermission, mainly because Son was getting very rowdy. I was happy that we actually did something we had talked about rather than just talk about it. We wanted to work on our follow through this year and I feel like so far we're doing a good job. It was a good thing we left because the melt downs and sickness continued. We stopped at Joe's Crab Shack which turned out to be a mistake because not only did I forget my gift card (the whole reason I chose that particular restaurant) but because the service was slow, food just ok and expensive and Son got sick again. When we finally got home we just vegged for a bit (recouped - while letting the grouch-ies pass) and then I gave Son a bath and put him to bed. I made a pan of brownies and we watched Yes Man which was tres funny.

Sunday
Sunday was a nice lazy day. Son was in fully on sick mode complete with puking. He watched movies all day (including a Shrek marathon) and dozed on and off throughout. Charlie and I read the paper. I made a fabulous dinner of roasted chicken and veg with chicken couscous. Then I made chicken stock for the upcoming week with the left overs! Woot! I just wish I had something sweet to end the day, all those years of a big Sunday dinner and a dessert afterwords I guess. My internet was down most of the day which was particularly frustrating since I had a government test and assignment due. I finally got desperate and bought a service from Verizon Wireless that lets me plug my cell phone in and use it as a broadband connection and literally 30 seconds later my house internet came back up and stayed up. Also three of my plug-ins quit working, very odd. Solar flares maybe? All in all it was a nice lazy day to stay home with my boys. I just wish that Son was feeling better and that the meds I'm on didn't kick my ass quite so much.

Monday
Today Son woke me up by puking. Poor little lamb. He's been in a daze most of the morning and I'm watching him closely for listlessness or any reason to seriously worry and take him to the doc. He doesn't have a fever and is still going potty so I think we're still ok. It's tough though because he is seriously zoned out and that is troubling. He came over to me a little while ago, kind of whimpering, climbed into my arms and fell asleep. It was so sad and so sweet. Every time I hold him and rock him to sleep I wonder if it's the last time since he's getting to be such a big boy and doesn't really need that from me anymore. I squeeze him tight and nestle my face down into his hair and breathe deep the sweet smell of my love, trying to imprint this moment into every cell and fiber I have so that it lasts forever.

Well it's time to move on. Try to squeeze in a shower. Pick up the house a bit and put the clean dishes away. I have a dentist appointment today which makes me incredibly happy. Soon I will be off this medicine and back to my old self. Soon Son will be feeling better and we can move forward. Slowly and with care to enjoy every moment as we make changes that will go the distance towards making our life the one that we want.

How was your weekend?

My phone was running slow (yep just like a computer) and I realized that I had taken too many pictures without sending them on to my computer (to make it slow). I spent some time yesterday transferring and thought I'd share with you what was hanging about on my phone. Enjoy!

Hanging out on top of his fort. You'd think he was a Leo the way he's embraced the fine art of lounging.


Sleeping in the king bed in the spare room all by himself. Such a big boy!


He does his work while I do mine. We were working on circles. :)


Someone broke into the fridge & decided to make his own eggs for breakfast.

What sweet memories do you have stored about and around?

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Son threw an empty coffee mug on the kitchen floor and it broke. I shuffled him off for a shower and way past due bed time while Charlie cleaned up the mess. He got out the new vacuum to get the pieces that spread to the dining room and then got carried away and vacuumed the whole dining room & living room in addition to sweeping the kitchen floor. I can remember him vacuuming one other time in the whole 4+ years that we've lived together. I am swoony in love and thankful I have such a good guy. The medicine the dentist gave me has left me weak and weary and she specifically told me not to cook & clean - to just rest and heal. He was taking care of me... it feels good.

By the spring cleaning bug. lol

It came a little late this year. I think last year I was moving furniture, scrubbing remote corners of my home and organizing like crazy in February. I recently bought a new vacuum (dyson), duster (swiffer) and mop head (martha stewart ala Target) so along with my gallon of vinegar and 5 or 6 shoe boxes I've been saving I should be ready to go. I'm thinking like a madwoman that I should be able to knock out most of the heavy cleaning today and a good portion of the re-organizing tomorrow and Wednesday. By Thursday I hope to have a clean, orderly home so that I can get on with the rest of my life. I know it sounds silly but my cleaning fanaticism tends to come along when I'm feeling out of control. With all the stress Charlie has been under at work (that carries home), my lagging school work and trying to get Son's health issues addressed I definitely feel out of control. Add in my roommates moving out and I've got plenty of re-organizing to do too. I can move Son back into the second bedroom along with his clothes and toys and bathing essentials and then Charlie and I will have our bedroom and bathroom back to ourselves. Peaceful and uncluttered, ah I can taste some better sleep coming my way already.

Over the weekend we drove down into the Heights and other neighborhoods that I love love love in Houston. We got our H-town love banks full and talked and dreamed about living in different neighborhoods. Son fell asleep in the car (which he hardly ever does now) and Charlie and I held hands and day dreamed together of a little 1920's bungalow in an up & coming artsy neighborhood. It was wonderful. Yesterday the boys stayed home together and I went to a 'girls' day at a friends house. She had a couple of sales reps there and we tried new products and talked and laughed. It was weird to be out all by my self and yet deeply satisfying. Feeling like I could have friends and a community here. Like I told Brosia 'you have to create a community for yourself here, it doesn't just happen by virtue of your location like it does in smaller towns'. I need to heed my own words and am feeling like that might actually possible for me. I've lived here for five years, it might be time for me to make some friends, lol.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Whats on your agenda for this week?

btw - I know your reading this Dad so why not leave a comment? :)

We were out and about last Sunday. Driving around, pondering what to do and we ended up in Galveston. We haven't been down there since before Hurricane Ike and so were interested to see what had been rebuilt and what was still being worked on. It's weird, sort of hit and miss - brand new buildings right next to shambles of uninhabitable ones. A good reminder of the power of nature as hurricane season approaches once again (June 1st). We drove by the pier and I saw two cruise ships in harbor with people hustling and bustling to board. It made me so excited for our cruise this fall. One of my tasks for the next couple days is revamping our junk filled diet to a much more nutritious and lean whole foods one. November is fast approaching (can you believe it's April already?) and I want to bring sexy back in a little less teletubbie kind of way, lol. Of course no trip to Galveston would be complete without a stop by the Moody Gardens Aquarium. It's amazing to see the change in son, the first time we went there I carried him in a sling, second time he rode in the stroller and this time he walked by himself and actually stayed close to me most of the time. I love our little family traditions that I can mark our beauty filled years by, the roots that we've put down, and his little chubby hand in mine.


AND NOW FOR SOME PICTURES:

Boys & Sharks, I just don't get it?

Oh dear, a little less teletubbie indeed!

These cow nosed rays were seriously cool!

Very cool! Makes me want to swim with them on the cruise!

You know, the cruise I'm going on this November! Have you got your $ yet so I can book you too?