Homegirl Quel (kel) in Austin

Homeschool Cam: Awesome Vehicle

We'll just call Friday PJ Day.

After his school day was over today, instead of making a beeline to the iPad to see all the new apps I had told him about, he decided to go to his work table and draw an "awesome vehicle". To say he's a car enthusiast would be an understatement. His drawing became "blueprints" and now, he's building the "model" of his vehicle before building the actual thing. He announced that he would need a "lot of metal". :) I think learning in a home environment and enjoying more real-time entertainment (we live at children's theatre lately), he's less crazy about getting screen time. I'll take it. Even if it's temporary. 

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Austin Zilker Park Kite Festival 2013: Bubbles and Dirt Won

    Kite Festival. I couldn't get the kite up. I deserve a cookie for trying though. Knowing good and well I don't know nothin' 'bout flyin' no kites! But we made lots of bubbles. And Zack found a dirt hill to become one with. So it was fun. Also, I'm sure I killed my clutch when I got stuck on a hill and there was a truck behind me and I tried that hand-break thing I've seen my husband do a few times. I have managed to avoid hills all 11 years I've driven a stick, which is a feat in Austin, but I know where they are and I avoid them. Except that one time.

    One time, I parked on a hill and came out to see my car sandwiched in between two cars. I called my husband, who was at work at the top of the hill, but he was going into a meeting. He tried to talk me through the hand-break thing, which only got me closer to the front bumper of the car behind me. I was this close to asking a table of people who were eating outside the restaurant I was parked next to if anyone drove a stick and could move my car for me, when the owner of the car behind me came out with their food and left. I digress.

    Yesterday, I was trying to avoid traffic exiting the festival and got stuck on a hill. Something definitely burned. Zack stated the obvious, and summed up the whole day "We really need dad here." So first order of business when my husband is back in town--make-up kite flying with our son. Second, assess the damage I did to my car. Something is definitely not right.

    I took a few pictures with my iPhone 4s. Take a look after the jump. 

Why My Beyoncebowl Sunday Was Perfect

I spent six hours at the park with my son and some friends, shared a steak with my son at a stop on the way home, bathed my son, put him in bed, bathed myself, put myself in bed, woke up and watched Beyonce's halftime show via a Twitter link on my iPhone and went back to sleep. I heard the football game was good, but did not see a second of it snd it was glorious. My hubby hosted a watch party for at risk youth with the chirch on the east side. Some days I complain about his charity work. Not yesterday though. My day was full of four year old cheeks, silence and sleep. It was perfect. 

Wordless Wednesday: For 2.5 Hours After School

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Wordless Wednesday (with words): My Son, His Radishes and God

"This is SO awesome!"

My son picked radishes from our garden today. He ate all three. 

Zack: Mom? Why are radishes so spicy?

Me: That's how they grow, son.

Zack: I'm gonna ask God why he made them so spicy. *bows head* Dear God, why did you make radishes so spicy? *waits, opens one eye and looks up at me* Did he say anything?

Wordless Wednesday: Austin Auto Show 2012

Wordless Wednesday: His First & Last Bite of A Cheese Sandwich

Happy Mother's Day!

Me: "Thank you for making me a mom."

My son: "Mom! I'm not God, or Jesus. I didn't make me, God did, so you should thank him and Jesus."

"Mom, I want to keep my shirt open, I look like a hip hop dancer!"

Happy Sunday

February Foto-A-Day! Day 14: Heart

Happy Valentine's Day!

February Foto-A-Day! Day 5: 10 A.M.

As I mentioned before, I am posting all the photos from Fat Mum Slim's February Photo A Day Challenge on Tumblr. I could not resist sharing this one here. 

I took my son out for brunch at Magnolia Cafe South. I thought I had gone wrong as a parent, somehow, when he sat across from me still playing the game he had started while we were waiting to be seated. 

I was relieved when the waiter brought paper and crayons to our tablem,  and my son turned the Touch off and handed it to me saying, "Mom, I'm all done with Angry Birds now, I want to color."

February Foto-A-Day!

*I posted this on January 31, because I thought it was February 1. I lose track of dates. That's just what I do. But the same photo would apply on Feb. 1. I'm standing right there, most days. Right now, in fact. *

I ran across this meme on Pinterest and knew it would be a perfect chance for me to reunite with my camera. Remember when I use to do a Daily Photo? I'll do my best to bring, at least, interesting photos based on the guidelines set by @Fatmumslim for this game.

Day 1: Your View Today

Anytime you see me online, imagine me standing here, in my living room, back to the TV, facing my kitchen. Yes, I said standing. I rarely sit when I'm at home. I sit when my husband gets home and turns on the TV. Or if I'm knitting, I will sit, sometimes. See that bowl to the right of my laptop? That's my lunch. I had collard greens for lunch today. Usually there's a hot cup of rooibos tea with a bit of cream and sugar there. 

All my photos will be posted on Tumblr.

Because Shouldn't We Celebrate Christmas Every Day?

I think this is an appropriate first Homegirl post of 2012. The fact that our Christmas tree and stockings and house lights and yard ornaments are still up kind of represents my general outlook on things. If it's cute, makes you smile and isn't hurting anybody, let it be. Especially if there's a celebration involved. We leave birthday party balloons and Mother's Day flowers around the house until they die. Rarely is my home without a helium balloon floating around someplace. Because, why not. At some point, it all has to come down. The yard stuff. I have a few neighbors who are yet in the Christmas spirit, and there's comfort in numbers so... The Homeowners Association is sure to say something about the reindeer and the lights on the trees, but only after Chinese New Year which is like three weeks away. My tree is safe inside. I'm sure it won't be there three weeks from now, but I quite like to enter the room and see it there. It's not a small tree. I'm 6'1" and it has a few inches on me. I like looking at it. Most importantly, it makes my son smile. I started to remove ornaments the other day and he said , "But, Mo-Om! Don't take it do-Own! Keep it up! It's SO beautiful! I love Iiiiit!" He really didn't have to be so dramatic about it. Secretly, I had wanted to leave it there. I was trying to start off my year by checking things off my to-do list ever single day, and the Christmas tree's number was up. I'm glad the boy protested. We are still enjoying our tree, and Zack gets to have Christmas every day. When he comes into the living room or when we're approaching our house, he says something like, "It's still Christmastime!" Then I say something like, "Does that make you feel happy?" Then he says something like, "Yeah!"  Then I say something like, "Awesome." He hasn't mentioned toys or lists to Santa. He's just happy that it's still Christmas. Obviously, so am I. How does my husband feel about the after-Christmas tree? As long as he has a plate of food to eat in the evenings and knows where at least two of the TV remotes are, he's happy. Everybody wins. 

Am I alone? Does your home also still look like Christmas? 

Yo Gabba Gabba Live in Austin was awesome!

A little background. I entered a video of my two year old playing drums in the Yo Gabba Gabba Cool Tricks Facebook contest. Then I begged for my Facebook friends to vote for weeks on end. Thanks to their votes, he won! The prize: VIP tickets to the show, tons of organic toddler snacks by Revolution Foods and access to the after party to meet the Gabba Gang. I thought we would get to meet DJ Lance too, but when he didn't show up early on at the after party, we asked the door guys and alas, it was not meant to be. No DJ Lance. But we sat so close to the stage, that every time he came to our side of the stage, he appeared to wave right at us. Although I can't say definitively, my guess is that he did wave right at us because we stuck out like brown...brown...sore thumbs in a sea of white thumbs. Mhm. DJ Lance waving at us was enough for my son to think he had actually met DJ Lance, which works for me.

Photo: Fun. Sun.

I took this picture with my Blackberry last Saturday. There was a community festival in East Austin and Zack too a break in this kids area set up with his favorite playthings...sidewalk chalk, buckets and dirt for digging.

 

Toddlers Have Got It Figured Out

Joie de Vivre

I admire the way toddlers live their little lives with such abandon. They are so carefree! To them, it is perfectly acceptable to lay down in the dirt and play if that's what brings them the most happiness at that moment--it's just dirt, after all. My son plays this way often. The first time I saw him do that, I fought the urge to tell him to get up out of the dirt, 'cause it's dirty. I'm glad I did. Right now, he's a kind of free that we humans get to be for only so long. I encourage that and celebrate it every chance I get. My child is so blissful and free, and it is rubbing off on me. I hope he keeps that basic joy of life about him as he matures. 

Photo: The Block Clips The Chip

Zack finally let his dad near him with the clippers. Got me a couple of strong domes. Who needs a DNA test? lol

Gorillapod! How cool is this thing?

I ran across it this in the latest LL Bean catalog I received in the mail. Instant lust. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities for taking awesome self portraits and for putting an end to group photos using the timer from that same boring front-on angle. Joby, the makers of Gorillapods, also designed some for holding iPhones and other mobile devices. I want this.  

Check them out online: http://joby.com/gorillapod.

X Marks The Spot

 
This is where you'll find me...

I'll be back soon to announce book giveaway winners (see previous posts, there's still time to enter!), and to get on with my usual Homegirl randomness.

P.S. I love my fancy digital camera, but am photographing my entire vacation almost exclusively on an iPhone 4. This thing is a beast! That is all.

Crescent Moon and Venus

 

As a kid I would go outside and sit on the ground at the end of our driveway and stare up at the stars on nights when they were visible. Very often during the summers. I took a long time looking up at the beauty of the sky last night as well. The moon and this one bright star were the only light in the sky, which is why I noticed it and went for my camera. Took tons of photos. Happy to share these two with you guys. I took the first one in my driveway before I left home to make a grocery store run and the second, close-up one in the parking lot of the store before returning home.They're not the best quality photos, but I'm glad I had my camera handy.