Texas BBQ
Over thanksgiving we had a great day up in Austin. We were walking by my old school -- ACC and we saw the sign for House Park BBQ. I am sure all yall can appreciate the quality of bbq that comes from this place just based on the sign. I have not eaten there since prolly 1997 and I think the sign was the same back then. We didnt get to eat there this time either, instead we drove all the way to Buda and had "The Salt Lick"
See a picture of 3 well fed friends after the all you can eat ribs.
Texas BBQ
Over thanksgiving we had a great day up in Austin. We were walking by my old school -- ACC and we saw the sign for House Park BBQ. I am sure all yall can appreciate the quality of bbq that comes from this place just based on the sign. I have not eaten there since prolly 1997 and I think the sign was the same back then. We didnt get to eat there this time either, instead we drove all the way to Buda and had "The Salt Lick"
See a picture of 3 well fed friends after the all you can eat ribs.
Yes, life is that exciting
She ate a 3 egg and cheese omelet this morning for breakfast. We were going to share it for the whole family but Sophia ended up eating almost the whole thing. This is after the 3-4 ounce serving of turkey and gravy she had last night with her stewed carrots.
Sophia tests the “raz” all the time. She is often vocalizing in other ways too. I was whistling the other day and she did her best to mimic the high pitch sounds. She tried and tried and didn’t get that close to making the noise, she just wasn’t sure how to do it. She says stuff like “hot pop” and “cheese” all the time. She says “shabas” or something like that even though she has not seen the Big Lobowski and she is not Jewish… maybe she is just expanding her world view.
In unrelated to Sophia news, I was chopping veggies and a turkey carcass up for soup. Our counters were full of stuff so I thought to just put the cutting board on our glass electric cooktop. After the chopping I noticed a crack all the way through the front left burner… I have been wanting to upgrade to gas.
Yes, life is that exciting
She ate a 3 egg and cheese omelet this morning for breakfast. We were going to share it for the whole family but Sophia ended up eating almost the whole thing. This is after the 3-4 ounce serving of turkey and gravy she had last night with her stewed carrots.
Sophia tests the “raz” all the time. She is often vocalizing in other ways too. I was whistling the other day and she did her best to mimic the high pitch sounds. She tried and tried and didn’t get that close to making the noise, she just wasn’t sure how to do it. She says stuff like “hot pop” and “cheese” all the time. She says “shabas” or something like that even though she has not seen the Big Lobowski and she is not Jewish… maybe she is just expanding her world view.
In unrelated to Sophia news, I was chopping veggies and a turkey carcass up for soup. Our counters were full of stuff so I thought to just put the cutting board on our glass electric cooktop. After the chopping I noticed a crack all the way through the front left burner… I have been wanting to upgrade to gas.
Soup with Lunch
In the past week Cyrus and I have been noticing how much Sophia is maturing and changing. Today I got a few glimpses of that, all before naptime. First, she went over to our nativity scene picked up baby Jesus and proceeded to start chewing on him. I told her not to chew on baby Jesus, so she put him down and picked up Mary. Then she looked at me and walked away with Mary dangling from her mouth. After we remedied that situation she went over to the automatic timer on the Christmas tree, turned the wheel to bypass the timer and turned the tree lights on. She looked at me and then turned back to the tree and clapped.
At lunchtime I gave her a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, hummus and broccoli. She took her sandwich and dipped it into the hummus, something she has never done before, and then ate it. When I sat down at the table with a bowl of soup she said "Please" pointing to the soup. I gave her some tomato soup in a cup, which is different than my normal feed her some on a spoon. She drank most of it, exploring the rest of it with her hands.
I guess I have to share this as I am in awe of how much she has changed in just the past few weeks.
Soup with Lunch
In the past week Cyrus and I have been noticing how much Sophia is maturing and changing. Today I got a few glimpses of that, all before naptime. First, she went over to our nativity scene picked up baby Jesus and proceeded to start chewing on him. I told her not to chew on baby Jesus, so she put him down and picked up Mary. Then she looked at me and walked away with Mary dangling from her mouth. After we remedied that situation she went over to the automatic timer on the Christmas tree, turned the wheel to bypass the timer and turned the tree lights on. She looked at me and then turned back to the tree and clapped.
At lunchtime I gave her a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, hummus and broccoli. She took her sandwich and dipped it into the hummus, something she has never done before, and then ate it. When I sat down at the table with a bowl of soup she said "Please" pointing to the soup. I gave her some tomato soup in a cup, which is different than my normal feed her some on a spoon. She drank most of it, exploring the rest of it with her hands.
I guess I have to share this as I am in awe of how much she has changed in just the past few weeks.
Sunglass Smile
>> Tuesday, December 01, 2009 –
sophia sunglasses,
sunglass face
Everytime Sophia puts on sunglasses she makes a very funny and distinctive face. We love it.
Sunglass Smile
Everytime Sophia puts on sunglasses she makes a very funny and distinctive face. We love it.
Sophia -- laughing and generally amazing
>> Sunday, November 22, 2009 –
sophia walking
Being on vacation is nice -- i actually have time to breath again and a few moments to consider my daughter. She is truly amazing. You already knew that -- likely why you are reading our blog. Recently she has mastered the art of walking. She can easily walk across a long flat stretch of grass, carpet or even hard stone or wood! Nothing could make me happier. As you can tell from this video, it made her pretty happy too.
Being on vacation with the family is a complete joy. I am pretty filled with joy along with Sophia. Singing to my little one as usual.
Also of note -- Sophia can say Puppy. Don't believe me? Check out this video:
Read more...
Sophia -- laughing and generally amazing
>> –
sophia walking
Being on vacation is nice -- i actually have time to breath again and a few moments to consider my daughter. She is truly amazing. You already knew that -- likely why you are reading our blog. Recently she has mastered the art of walking. She can easily walk across a long flat stretch of grass, carpet or even hard stone or wood! Nothing could make me happier. As you can tell from this video, it made her pretty happy too.
Being on vacation with the family is a complete joy. I am pretty filled with joy along with Sophia. Singing to my little one as usual.
Also of note -- Sophia can say Puppy. Don't believe me? Check out this video:
Read more...
It's been too long......
For the fans of Sophia out there that are upset about the break we took from our blog, we apologize. Here are some recent pictures of our little princess.
Being a toddler- drinking from a cup, climbing into a chair, sitting on a step and dangling her legs and walking around the house:
Halloween: Sophia was a flamenco dancer in a costume I brought back from Spain. Cyrus was Torro and I went as a Flamenco dancer too. 
It's been too long......
For the fans of Sophia out there that are upset about the break we took from our blog, we apologize. Here are some recent pictures of our little princess.
Being a toddler- drinking from a cup, climbing into a chair, sitting on a step and dangling her legs and walking around the house:
Halloween: Sophia was a flamenco dancer in a costume I brought back from Spain. Cyrus was Torro and I went as a Flamenco dancer too.
Perfect end to Julia's Birthday Bash
I thought everyone could enjoy this picture. We had a great party with a lot of our friends and then after the perfect party in the the park, the most beautiful sunset apeared.
Perfect end to Julia's Birthday Bash
I thought everyone could enjoy this picture. We had a great party with a lot of our friends and then after the perfect party in the the park, the most beautiful sunset apeared.
Spain Recap
About a year ago my sister, mom and I started talking about celebrating our big birthdays in a memorable way. We talked about a family trip, ultimately settling on Spain- a place I had never been and they had only seen Barcelona. During the planning and figuring we decided that it was too much travel for my 1-year old, and since we decided on Fall my niece would be in school, so we settled that it would just be the three “amigas”.
Our first stop was Madrid. Although this is not a small city by any measure it felt intimate and friendly. We walked everywhere, exploring the markets and shops as well as the Thyssen and the Prado. We came away with a new appreciation for Spanish art, an understanding for the generous hospitality of the Spaniards and bellies full of the most tantalizing tapas on the planet. Madrid is now one of my most favorite cities- one I will visit again.
After a quick train ride we arrived in Toledo, a walled city. It was gorgeous and amazing in its stature on the hill. I can see why it was intimidating for invading warriors. The Cathedral was magnificent. The interesting piece to me was the difference between Italian and Spanish cathedrals. The Spaniards decorate with the theory of more is better, gilding everything and even going so far as to put an entire Christian scene into the ceiling just because a skylight was determined necessary. Of course we will most fondly remember Toledo as the city with the sea worms. We picked a random spot to have dinner and of course ordered tapas. What we thought we were getting was toast with grilled shrimp and an toast with tomatoes and brie. We ended up with something on toast that resembled worms and tiny shrimp and another toast with what tasted to be chutney tomatoes and brie. We were so disappointed we paid our bill and left…..upset to have been taken by Spaniards who got a good laugh out of us. What was even more shocking to my sister and mom is that I did not photograph this food. You see I photographed every meal as a way of chronicling the trip, but I was so shocked by the smell and look of the worms that I didn’t even reach for my camera.
After Toledo we rented our European coche and drove down to the Costa del Sol to the charming beach town of Nerja. Ironically it was pouring rain when we got there. From there we went to Fuenrigola, a small white washed hill town, and Marbella, another small Oceanside town with lots of great cafes and shopping. We also went to Granada and explored the town, focusing most of our time on the Alhambra. I have lots and lots of detailed pictures of this walled city, as I was so impressed at how ornate it was, even though it was built for one king and scheduled to be torn down for the next king. After all this touring, we decided to spend a day and a half on the beach in Nerja. The beach was picturesque with great restaurants like Ayo’s, a place famous for its Paella. The water was cold, refreshing very salty and quite different from the Pacific Ocean in Maui (where I started this year).
In addition to exploring Spain, we decided to spend a day in Tangier, Morocco. This port town is not the most accurate portrayal of Morocco overall, but it did give us a taste and feel of it. My impression of Tangier is the markets and food, especially the chickens, are all extremely fresh. The woman, as expected, are shrouded in public with layers of fabric and the shopping is exhausting, requiring skilled and lengthy bargaining.
After 12 blissful days we came home to our families, who we missed terribly. Although the trip is over I am totally refreshed. Thank you my Mom and Sis for being just wonderful travel companions. Thank you to my husband, mother-in-law and step father-in-law for taking such wonderful care of my little girl!
More photos can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33307475@N05/sets/72157622446078497/
Spain Recap
About a year ago my sister, mom and I started talking about celebrating our big birthdays in a memorable way. We talked about a family trip, ultimately settling on Spain- a place I had never been and they had only seen Barcelona. During the planning and figuring we decided that it was too much travel for my 1-year old, and since we decided on Fall my niece would be in school, so we settled that it would just be the three “amigas”.
Our first stop was Madrid. Although this is not a small city by any measure it felt intimate and friendly. We walked everywhere, exploring the markets and shops as well as the Thyssen and the Prado. We came away with a new appreciation for Spanish art, an understanding for the generous hospitality of the Spaniards and bellies full of the most tantalizing tapas on the planet. Madrid is now one of my most favorite cities- one I will visit again.
After a quick train ride we arrived in Toledo, a walled city. It was gorgeous and amazing in its stature on the hill. I can see why it was intimidating for invading warriors. The Cathedral was magnificent. The interesting piece to me was the difference between Italian and Spanish cathedrals. The Spaniards decorate with the theory of more is better, gilding everything and even going so far as to put an entire Christian scene into the ceiling just because a skylight was determined necessary. Of course we will most fondly remember Toledo as the city with the sea worms. We picked a random spot to have dinner and of course ordered tapas. What we thought we were getting was toast with grilled shrimp and an toast with tomatoes and brie. We ended up with something on toast that resembled worms and tiny shrimp and another toast with what tasted to be chutney tomatoes and brie. We were so disappointed we paid our bill and left…..upset to have been taken by Spaniards who got a good laugh out of us. What was even more shocking to my sister and mom is that I did not photograph this food. You see I photographed every meal as a way of chronicling the trip, but I was so shocked by the smell and look of the worms that I didn’t even reach for my camera.
After Toledo we rented our European coche and drove down to the Costa del Sol to the charming beach town of Nerja. Ironically it was pouring rain when we got there. From there we went to Fuenrigola, a small white washed hill town, and Marbella, another small Oceanside town with lots of great cafes and shopping. We also went to Granada and explored the town, focusing most of our time on the Alhambra. I have lots and lots of detailed pictures of this walled city, as I was so impressed at how ornate it was, even though it was built for one king and scheduled to be torn down for the next king. After all this touring, we decided to spend a day and a half on the beach in Nerja. The beach was picturesque with great restaurants like Ayo’s, a place famous for its Paella. The water was cold, refreshing very salty and quite different from the Pacific Ocean in Maui (where I started this year).
In addition to exploring Spain, we decided to spend a day in Tangier, Morocco. This port town is not the most accurate portrayal of Morocco overall, but it did give us a taste and feel of it. My impression of Tangier is the markets and food, especially the chickens, are all extremely fresh. The woman, as expected, are shrouded in public with layers of fabric and the shopping is exhausting, requiring skilled and lengthy bargaining.
After 12 blissful days we came home to our families, who we missed terribly. Although the trip is over I am totally refreshed. Thank you my Mom and Sis for being just wonderful travel companions. Thank you to my husband, mother-in-law and step father-in-law for taking such wonderful care of my little girl!
More photos can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33307475@N05/sets/72157622446078497/
My lil baby smash
>> Friday, September 18, 2009 –
baby smash,
Sophia
Julia and I are amazed every day by Sophia. She has picked up the crazy habit of smashing herself around. She likes it when it is into something soft like the couch or a pillow, but cries a little when it is a corner or a chair or a coffee table. In this video you can see her smashing some soft stuff. She giggles and laughs through every moment.
We love her so much!
My lil baby smash
>> –
baby smash,
Sophia
Julia and I are amazed every day by Sophia. She has picked up the crazy habit of smashing herself around. She likes it when it is into something soft like the couch or a pillow, but cries a little when it is a corner or a chair or a coffee table. In this video you can see her smashing some soft stuff. She giggles and laughs through every moment.
We love her so much!
First Carousel Ride
Sophia and I spent the other day with Cannon and Karen walking in Vasona Park. After a nice stroll Sophia pointed at the carousel....and since I am her translator I decided that meant she wanted to ride it, so we did. I was not paying too much attention and happened to put her on a horse that went up and down. When the ride started it started to go up and down and I was not sure I was tall enough to hold on to her, but I was just tall enough on my tippy toes. She loved the ride and squealed the entire time, waving at the operator and Karen and Cannon as we went by each time. After the ride was over Karen was nice enough to take our picture, but on a different horse because of where the carousel stopped.
First Carousel Ride
Sophia and I spent the other day with Cannon and Karen walking in Vasona Park. After a nice stroll Sophia pointed at the carousel....and since I am her translator I decided that meant she wanted to ride it, so we did. I was not paying too much attention and happened to put her on a horse that went up and down. When the ride started it started to go up and down and I was not sure I was tall enough to hold on to her, but I was just tall enough on my tippy toes. She loved the ride and squealed the entire time, waving at the operator and Karen and Cannon as we went by each time. After the ride was over Karen was nice enough to take our picture, but on a different horse because of where the carousel stopped.
We've been toddlerized!
You might ask me why is it that we have not posted a blog entry in over a month. I might give you the standard response of we have been busy, but truthfully the correct answer is that we have been toddlerized. For those of you with small children or children that were small only recently you might understand this phenomenon, but for everyone else let me enlighten you.
Toddlerized is defined as having a young child who "explores" everything and by explore I mean gets into everything, everywhere and then leaves and moves on to the next thing in under a minute. You turn your head only to find that your once clean home has been torn to shreds in under 3 minutes. Honestly I am thinking that maybe we should get toddlers together to demolish homes that need to be torn down.....they would do great and have a the best time at it. Of course the rusty nails might be an issue.
Back to my point, our lives have a been toddlerized. No surface in our house or car is safe. They have all been demolished, covered in crushed cheerios and fingerprinted.
So I spend my days following my little tornado around, trying to restore my house to its rightful order. When I am not doing that I am feeding the beast known as my 1 year old since toddlerizing works up quite an appetite. This kid eats more than I do in a day. In case you are skeptical about the validity of this story, I leave you pictures worth a thousand words. 
We've been toddlerized!
You might ask me why is it that we have not posted a blog entry in over a month. I might give you the standard response of we have been busy, but truthfully the correct answer is that we have been toddlerized. For those of you with small children or children that were small only recently you might understand this phenomenon, but for everyone else let me enlighten you.
Toddlerized is defined as having a young child who "explores" everything and by explore I mean gets into everything, everywhere and then leaves and moves on to the next thing in under a minute. You turn your head only to find that your once clean home has been torn to shreds in under 3 minutes. Honestly I am thinking that maybe we should get toddlers together to demolish homes that need to be torn down.....they would do great and have a the best time at it. Of course the rusty nails might be an issue.
Back to my point, our lives have a been toddlerized. No surface in our house or car is safe. They have all been demolished, covered in crushed cheerios and fingerprinted.
So I spend my days following my little tornado around, trying to restore my house to its rightful order. When I am not doing that I am feeding the beast known as my 1 year old since toddlerizing works up quite an appetite. This kid eats more than I do in a day. In case you are skeptical about the validity of this story, I leave you pictures worth a thousand words.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
