South Austin Saturday

I was excited on Saturday to be able to share something I loved doing as a kid with Isaac and Carolina; going to play miniature golf at Peter Pan Putt Putt followed by snow cones at Sno Beach. To be honest we normally got our sno cones at the Peter Pan, but about five years ago I had a Sno Beach sno cone and they've haunted my dreams since then, I had been dying to go back! The golfing was a lot of fun, probably more so because we didn't bother to keep score! Good thing, none of us were very good although Carolina and I both managed to get a hole in one! Things got a little tense near the end. It was hot out, we had decided to go for the full 36 holes so we had been out there a while, it had gotten busy so we had to wait for almost every hole and the second course we did wasn't quite as fun. Carolina started to whine and what little patience I have went out the window and I got snarky with everyone. I always tell myself I won't do this, that I will be the cool, calm, collected. I will be the child whisperer, I'll make her forget that's she's been outside for almost 2 hours, that it's over 80 degrees and that she desperately needs a nap. But nope, instead I tell her she'd play better without the bad attitude and had to force visions of smacking her her with a golf club out of my head. Sigh... maybe next time....




I've been trying to view it as a learning experience instead. For example I learned that with a six year old 18 holes is the most mini golf you can do, interest begins to wane after that. I also learned that going earlier in the day is necessary, that at Peter Pan the east course is harder, but more fun and most importantly snow cones are a must, they saved the rest of the afternoon! At first I thought it would be the afternoons downfall; we get there and there's a line of people at least 25 deep. I almost lost it, but I was determined so I offered to stand in line while Isaac and Carolina waited in the car parked in the shade. I stewed about it for a while and scolded myself once again loosing my temper just because things didn't work out like I had wanted them but when once Isaac and Carolina joined me and I tasted that Strawberry Cheesecake with cream snow cone it all melted away. I think everyone else felt the same way because all crabbiness went out the window as we enjoyed our snow cones sitting outside on in the warm late afternoon sun. Best part; Carolina slept the whole way home and for about an hour afterwards!

Carolina with the Nazi pirate, why it looks like that, I don't know!

I thought a lot about the great moments that happen and we don't take the time to enjoy. So I tried to take in the time spent cuddled on the couch with Isaac watching the Soup and sharing a beer on Friday night or the three of us playing Life together Saturday night (is it just me or is that game A LOT less fun when you're an adult and you actually have to worry about stuff like buying car insurance, Carolina LOVES it though) or when all of us gathered on the couch Sunday night to watch a Harry Potter movie (don't ask me which, I can't tell them apart) and I had maybe the most deserved glass of wine ever! Hopefully we'll remember those more than the whining on the 16th hole of Peter Pan Putt Putt! ;)

Isaac

Today is two years since Isaac and I went on our first date and I've been reflecting a little, so everyone please grant me a moment of sappiness. I considered posting all the things I love about him, but it would be a long list! I will say though, if I were to make a list, his cooking would be right at the top! I get dinner made for me every night, that's right, every night! Only recently, however, I have realized something even more amazing than cooking dinner every night. It's that Isaac supports me 1000% in whatever I do. I don't mean he tells me "you'll do great" I mean he does everything he can to back me up and show that he cares about what I'm doing or whatever crazy scheme I come up with.

Examples: I decide I want to throw a football party to celebrate the first NFL game of the year, Isaac spends all day cooking three kinds of chili and cleaning the house (don't worry I helped clean). I decided I wanted to throw him a birthday party and he made the food himself because anyone who knows me knows that we weren't getting food if he didn't! I have a tendency to come up with big ideas and big plans and start to flake on the details. Isaac keeps me focused and handles the details so that things work out the way I want them to.

When I decided to start a blog, Isaac created one too, just so he could be a follower on mine! When I decided to try out a spin class about a year ago he went along and we were going to class once a week. And when I started looking into going to St. Edwards this fall to finish up my degree, Isaac was more than willing to give up an evening to attend an informational session with me .

No matter how crazy my plan, he finds a way to help me make it work. I may forget to say this, but I appreciate that more than he realizes.

Love you babe!

Oscar night

So I am an admitted award show junkie, I love them. I love the gowns, the jewels, the cheesy montages, acceptance speeches that go too long and the E channel reporters chasing celebrities like dogs in heat. (I'm looking at you Guiliana Rancic). Given my award show love, of course the Academy Awards is like my Christmas. The day I look forward too more than any. I even spend time and money preparing as I try to watch as many of the nominated movies as possible. This year I managed to see 6 of the 10 nominated so I quite pleased with that. The only dissapointing aspect I felt was that I didn't love or have strong opinions about which movie I wanted to win. I really liked Up in the Air and The Hurt Locker and would have been happy to see either win (The Hurt Locker did, of course) but it wasn't a year where I had specific movie that I loved and stood behind. I didn't have "a team", and that makes the awards show a little less exciting to watch. Last year I was firmly team Slumdog Millionaire and had a blast watching it win so many awards, that was my guy and I enjoyed seeing it do so well.
An added obstacle was having a six year old on hand who needed to be entertained and kept from getting too bored. I have to hand it to Carolina, she hung in there longer than many adults could have and only had to be reminded to stay quiet once or twice. I made sure she stayed busy with games and fun Oscar night food options. My friend Julie also joined us for part of the show so it had the feel of a little viewing party and that definitely made the night more enjoyable.
My Oscar "party" consisted of bagel pizza. Everyone was given a couple bagels, tomato sauce, pepperoni, Canadian bacon and cheese and given the chance to create their own. They were so simple to make that they are definitely going to become a staple Carolina weekend food! We also made some chocolate chip cookies, of course!



I also put together a party pack for everyone. All attendees received a folder containing a photo badge that must be worn at all times so we knew they were invited guests, a ticket, 2 Oscar bingo cards, stickers for marking your card, and an official ballot for marking both who you wanted to win and who you thought would win. Isaac won the bingo game and I forgot to tally the ballots, but...I think it's safe to say I won! :) I was doing very well the last time I tallied up that night. I love when you don't know any of the nominees so you just randomly pick one and win it! Carolina did that with foreign film, she just made a mark on her ballot and got it right! She put a lot of thought into most of choices. I was so proud when she was completing best animated film. "I want Up to when" she told me seriously, " but I think Coraline will, it was a good movie!" I was so proud at the thought she put into it!


All in all it was a really fun night, with playing cards handed out as prizes for everyone for playing. Normally I'm not in the everyone gets a prize camp, but I forgot to tally the ballots for that prize so I just handed them out! We let Carolina stay up until about 10 and paid the price the next morning trying to wake her up. As we walked downstairs I was scolding her "I guess you won't be allowed to stay up late anymore." She replied "Well why did you let me stay up late?!" Touche...I did what any self respecting non parent would do. I blamed it on the parent! Sorry babe!
I drove her to school that morning for the first time, Isaac needed to get to work early, it was surprisingly fun! We played "Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar" and used voices to blame it on everyone we knew. Ultimately though, it was pinned on me, apparently I left a note. I will say though, I think I was framed, there's an undercover cookie monster in our house and he knows who he is! Those protein drinks aren't fooling anyone! ;) All was fine until I dropped her off and the safety patrol kid who was assisting with unloading closed the door and told me to "have a nice day ma'm." Was he kidding me? Ma'm. I was shocked, betrayed, and devastated. I was ma'med. You don't come back from that sort of thing easily, that's leaves a mark on the ego and soul. I bit back the urge to yell "that's not my kid, I don't have a kid!!!" but that probably would have caused even more problems! So I drove on, wallowing the injustice of the ma'm.
The sting is still there but I'm going out for a bit of St. Patricks day, I thinking a good old fashioned carding may help the pain! That and several beers, if I can't get it back, I can at least forget! :)