An Update from San Antonio

Burgundy, Holden and I are in San Antonio, visiting the most awesome sister-in-law and brother in the universe. We drove over here Wednesday evening, and we're leaving Sunday.

Burgundy spent the first part of spring break at our church doing UM Army. This was her first time to participate in an actual UM Army event; last year, she attended "boot camp" in the summer, which is intended to prepare youth who are too young to participate at the full event. UM ARMY stands for United Methodist Action Reach-out Mission by Youth. Young people from churches all gather at one church, organize into teams, and go out into the community to perform work for people who need it. This week, Burgundy's team tore out and replaced the subfloor and floor in a wheelchair-bound man's bathroom and repaired the floor in his kitchen. They also patched his siding, leveled his stove, and hauled off a broken refrigerator. Other groups, painted, built wheelchair ramps, repaired rooves, and served people in our community in many other ways.

Holden will be 12 weeks old in just four more days. At last measure (9 days ago), he was 14 pounds, 12 ounces. He currently wears size 3-6 months clothes. In short, my son is huge. He tries to talk to us now, cooing and gurgling and occasionally squealing. He smiles often and beautifully now, and when he does, it lights up my world.

Today, he started trying to use his abdominal muscles to pull himself into a sitting position from a semi-reclining one. When he was 3 weeks, 2 days old, he lunged at me from Mark's lap. The last month has seen copious drooling, and he spits up at least once now after every meal. He still doesn't care for car seats or long car rides, but 3 days ago I bathed him, and he appeared to enjoy it. He even smiled at me a few times.

Everyone tells me that he looks like me. I think he must, because the only features that I can really identify as Mark's are his eyes. They are large and rich and beautiful; however, he even inherited my slight slant to his eyes. He hair remains mostly blond, but sometimes in the sunlight I think I see a glint of red. I want a "ginger" so desparately. But I'll love him even if he's blond.

Burgundy competed in science fair again this year with wondrous results. She placed 4th in her school for health and medicine, and she placed 2nd in the district; she'll go to the Houston-wide science fair in April now.

She made a 190 on her PSAT this year, which as a Sophomore qualified her for an invitation to an exclusive and very effective prep course for the exam. The PSAT/National Merit Scholar classification is the pivot point for a number of scholarships.

Right now, I still have a chance of sleeping tonight, so I'm signing off.

Vacation Day 3 - Adventures of a Snot Junky

First, @($*TWERJGOIW#%)(T&Q#$%)(*#$%@#)(*%@RJGFSDFGJW#$!

WARGARBL!

There. I feel better having gotten that out of my system. Saturday night, I laid down for bed, and the roof of my mouth started itching. This is a warning sign of an impending allergy attack, so I leapt up, guzzled a glass of water and an allergy pill, and my sinuses promptly exploded in a shower of unwanted, stubborn snot.

Sunday Mark did most of the preparation and packing for our vacation while I moped around, occasionally throwing myself across the couch and moaning, "Oh woe! WOE! Why me? Why now? What have I done to deserve this?" and blowing my nose and wiping my runny eyes.

Mark drove to San Marcos while I knitted, bitched fairly consistently about everything, occasionally wept,  and pouted.

When we arrived in San Marcos at our neighbor's beautiful second home she graciously offered to us, we all unloaded the car while I continued to whine and the snot continued to flow. I collapsed into bed at the first opportunity and cried. Like a big baby. Because I'm on vacation and suffering one of the worst, most painful allergy attacks I've had in years.

In what I'm certain is completely unrelated news, we celebrated Pi day on our arrival by splitting a bottle of Shiner Bock and eating Moon Pies. Burgundy had an orange Fanta.

Monday I managed to drag myself into consciousness long enough to note that I could not stand without dizziness from the congestion, and my ears and throat hurt horrifically. I told Burgundy that it felt like someone was stabbing a needle into my ear. Burgundy and I drove into town, where I called Christi for help. She recommended Zyrtec D. I dropped $23 without hesitation and took one in the parking lot.

We drove to the Prime Outlet Malls for girl shopping time, where I slavered and swore and tried not to drown in my own snot while finding a parking spot.

We shopped. Not as much as Burgundy would have liked and a little too much for my liking, but we both picked up some nice and needed stuff.

Once home, Mark announced that he'd found free venues in Austin. I almost stayed home, but Mark really wanted me to go. We saw a band called Trey Brown at the Mohawk on Red River, and Mark and Burgundy saw a documentary about chip music at Alamo Draft House. By the time it started at 10, I felt fairly certain that my own death by cranial implosion was imminent, so I parked the car, kicked the seat back, and slept until they called to say they were done. I took another Zyrtec on the way home and fell into bed in a heap upon arrival.

I woke several times throughout the night to blow rivers of snot out of my sinuses. Rivers. I'm pretty sure I blew the Amazon out of my nose last night.

This morning I woke at around 9 AM and took another Zyrtec. I made a heavenly quiche this morning chock full of leeks and kale. I downed it with potentially lethal coffee and some revoltingly sweet orange juice. I really wish I had thought to bring my Vitamin C tablets.

Now I'm sitting in the garage, borrowing a neighbor's unlocked wireless and telling you about the amazing adventures of a Snot Mommy.

I'm desperate enough to try my last resort remedy, one that works pretty well but is beyond the pale in terms of its Nasty Factor: 1 table spoon of apple cider vinegar, a bit of water, and some honey. I will drink it, and it will clear my systems - all of them - out. For a little while, anyway.

Oh No! The day that slipped away

Well, last night we did not get to work on the room at all. A surprising irony, because Burgundy had nowhere to be and a lot of free time. On the other hand, I had plans to meet up with some friends, and by the time I helped her finish her critical issues (homework, study time, preparing for science fair), Mark had come home. He and I spent a little time together catching up on our day, and my ride arrived before I had a chance to work further with Burgundy.

 

Meanwhile, I stayed home from work Monday, and we’re traveling next week, so I’ve been working longer hours than usual this week in order to stay caught up. The result is that I’ve only barely stayed on top of my core daily housework: making the bed; doing a load of laundry daily; the dishes, etc. This week I haven’t swept at all. I did vacuum Monday, but I think I need to do that twice a week at minimum. That dog is so nasty.

Our spring break plans are starting to get me fired up (in a good way). We won’t leave until Sunday because Burgundy has Houston-area Science Fair Friday with the awards ceremony Saturday afternoon. I also have a baby shower to attend. I’m making the gifts for her; I can’t wait to see what she thinks. Sunday morning, we’ll load up and head over to San Marcos.
Hill Country always offers a lot of options for us:

• Shopping in San Marcos (woo outlet mall)
• Pick your own fruit and vegetable farms
• Visiting a dairy farm
• Bike riding
• South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin
• Visiting with little brother and his wife in San Antonio
• Shopping at a couple of “famous” are yarn shops (especially the Tinsmith’s Wife)

I also plan to take my spinning wheel and sewing supplies with me. They’ll take up a lot of space, but I am really excited about early-morning spinning on the front porch. I never get to spin anymore, and I have several batts I can’t wait to spin.

 

As for the sewing machine and supplies, I have five “vintage” style patterns that I’ve wanted to glom together for a while. I have several different bodice options and only one real skirt option. I don’t like skirt and blouse combinations because skirt bands pinch and blouses ride up; I want to make a dress.

 

I plan to modify a blouse pattern to use the neckline and collar from a reproduction mid-20th century apron pattern. I then plan to modify that blouse pattern with the bodice pattern I like from a reproduction 60s dress pattern and to integrate the resulting bodice with the skirt pattern from a second reproduction 60s dress pattern for a final result dress that actually fits me. The bodice will take the longest because I’m short-shouldered with a large bust and a long waist. I’ll have significant modifications.

 

Happily, I have a plethora of fabric that I will never, ever wear. It is cotton, country (in the worst possible way), and screams, “Look at me! I’m homemade!” So I’ll use that fabric to tweak everything to perfection, and once I love the dress and the way it fits, I’ll go to fabric stores until I find the perfect fabric to make exactly what I want.

 

Tonight I have to make cupcakes and find time to work with Burgundy on her room. And I really need to vacuum and sweep. Happily, I will be able to leave work at 2:00 or so; that should give me plenty of time to get everything done.