Today I'm Thankful

...that my child slept in 'til 10:30 this morning!

Catch-up #2: Matt's Trip

As I mentioned previously, Matt was in Texas last week installing a mobile in the new North Austin Medical Center.

It's a 30-foot tall piece that hangs down the center of a stairwell:

And since it's practically impossible to photograph a 30-foot-tall mobile hanging in a stairwell, here's an illustration of the entire thing:

Matt's happy that project is done, and we're happy he wasn't gone long!

Catch-up #1: Pre-Thanksgiving

Sorry friends, I've been a bit preoccupied working/playing/running a household to give my blog the attention it deserves.

But here's something worth mentioning: a Pre-Thanksgiving feast we had our friends a few weeks back.

We ate this:

(stuffing wrapped with a turkey breast wrapped with bacon) along with sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy, asparagus, cranberry sauce, apple cider, and pumpkin cream pie.

After dinner, we adults gorged ourselves on pie, while the kiddos showed impressive restraint by choosing apples instead. (More pie for the rest of us!)


Viva Pre-Thanksgiving!

Chip Off the Old (Porcelain) Block

My child is outgoing and energetic and naturally athletic. And she looks just like her daddy. I sometimes wonder whether she and I share any attributes.

Today I discovered one.

See, I have this annoying habit of waking to use the bathroom just moments after falling asleep each night.

Sure enough, as I rocked Riley to sleep* this afternoon, she muttered these last words while dozing off: "Potty...potty..."

I would've rather passed along a more admirable trait, but, uh, apparently pea-sized bladders are maternally genetic?

*Rare enough to be blog-worthy in its own right.

(H)urry (H)ome, Matt!

Matt left town early this morning to install a mobile in a new Austin-based hospital.

Poor Riley was unhappy he wasn't around this morning to make her breakfast as usual.

She spent the morning carrying around this picture, chanting, "I want Daddy 'ome! I want Daddy 'ome! I want Daddy 'ome!"


Same 'ere, Riley.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Last year, when the rain arrived, I relied on my jogging stroller to shelter Riley from the elements.

But this year? Serious growth spurt. Not only is her jacket way too short, but her legs are way too long.

Do hip waders come in size 2T?

Six Ways to Celebrate 32

• Sleep in 'til 9:30.
• Visit the farmers market. (And eat fresh pate and pepper jelly on french bread while watching good live folk music.)
• Watch lots of football without getting nagged by the wife.
• Get haircut. (!)
  
• Eat homemade pot stickers for dinner.
• Share birthday banana bread with the kid (and wife and in-laws).

Last Hurrah

Rainy season has arrived. Which means we won't see much of the sun until, oh, next May.

But fortunately we took advantage of some final beautiful fall days with a quick trip to the mountains last week with my parents.

We ate good food, saw pretty stuff (like Mt. Hood, the Salmon River, and colorful autumn trees), and learned that, as a hiker, Riley's got some serious endurance.