Sunday....what a fun day!

While Daryl mowed the lawn (thanks honey), Mia and I hit Whole Foods downtown. She played on the playscape while if finalized my list. I really like having new recipes, because it helps me plan our meals for the week better...a lot less waste, too. I made chicken fried bison for dinner on Saturday, but he cut was weird...I swear I bit into a couple of tendons....ewwww. The butcher today told me that WF North must have had a novice cutting, because that just shouldn't happen. He helped me pick out a nice bison ribeye that he cut lengthwise for me and then in half. We'll be eating meat more as a side dish than the 1/2 of the plate it usually takes up...so, one steak = 2 meals for us :) I also picked up a couple of cowboy burgers that we grilled tonight (yum!), some ground bison and some shrimp. Oh, another huge find for me...ok two huge finds...1. WF brand of GF hamburger buns!!! OMG they ROCK!!! Even Daryl prefers them to the old kind. 2. I found my sun dried tomato and basil hummus that they USED to carry at WF North. I know I was very thrilled and vocal about my find. I'm glad Mia isn't at the age where she's embarrassed my her mama :) Oh, speaking of embarrassing. How many times do I have to walk up to the register with a whole bunch of beer before noon on Sunday and be told no go before I learn to be mindful of the day and time?


Back home to pick up the Dada and we drove over to Auntie M, Unca Joe and Cousin Gwen's place for a fun afternoon. Nana and Pawpaw were there, too. Happiness. Nana was center of the girls' universe, so I was able to chat a lot with Melissa....when we weren't trying to redirect a tot...Mia really doesn't dig sharing her Nana....but she's learning. When her Nana was occupied with her cousin, Mia looked for her Pawpaws' loving arms.


The guys chatted about the house we're looking to buy. We all ended up out on the shaded deck. Gwen applied dots of sunblock on herself, Mia found a new purse (watering can)and the girls stole ice from their Nana's glass....Nana was in HEAVEN.



I actually played ping pong (I don't call it table tennis...that's not how I grew up) with Joe. He's a blast to play with and was very understanding of my super competitive nature and my lack of ping pong skills....both those things together just made me laugh and laugh and laugh. I'm so ready for round two...hell, if I break a sweat...that's exercise and it counts!

I was given two Mother's Day gifts....an amazingly beautiful orchid by Dee. I love that gifts from her are always thoughtful and things that I want but would never buy for myself. Melissa was super sweet and gave me a sweet treat...a yummy chocolate bar. Yes, it is gluten free :) I embarrassingly was empty handed. My mind has been so clear lately, but I spaced on a going away gift for Elsa and now Mother's Day. I need to work on that. I hope these women know how incredible I think they are and how fortunate I am to have them in my life.

Yesterday

Mia and I hit the Angel Valley Farms market. They come to town on Wednesdays and it's always fun. It had rained earlier that morning, so there were oodles of puddles for Mia to jump in. She found a fabulous one in a safe area...she splashed and I shopped. I scored a pint of wild blackberries...we ate about half in the check out line. Well, here's a snap or two of our treasure.

Then Melissa and Gwen were having an impromptu playdate that we got in on. It was so nice and relaxing. Sarah with her Leilani & baby Orion were there too. Melissa and I have both been so busy that we haven't seen each other for a while, so it was great to catch up a little.

Before music class....a conversation with a shell:

Mia puts a sea shell to her ear and says: 'mama, I hear the ocean'

then, as if she's talking on the phone: 'hey water, how ya doin' today?'

That evening, I wanted to try some leaf rubbings that pal Andrea did at Casa T. I'm not sure we did it right, but it was fun and colorful.


Oh, Mia was also into water again. She's learned that if she steps on the side of her pool, all the water comes rushing out :)

Hopper Time

Well. I'm feeling a little better. The Doc said I was at the beginnings of a virus...that never came. I never developed any symptoms, and feel fine. My thyroid check won't be in till Wed, but we remembered that I'd been diagnosed with PMDD a few months ago. I haven't had any severe symptoms since then, so I forgot about it. Well, symptoms for hypothyroidism and PMDD are very similar. So, now we're treating the PMDD, and won't forget about it this time. On, to stuff about the snapper...

Yesterday, we went to the Angel Valley Organic Farm in Jonestown. We saw Mama friend, Donna and her crew driving out as we were walking in. Then ran into a fellow Mama, Wendy and her husband Gabe and their kiddo, Zephyr. After I picked out some wonderful looking veg... Brussel sprout greens, red peppers, broccoli, turnips and some Japanese eggplant, we went for a look around the farm. Mia was enchanted by all the hoppers (grasshoppers) around. I caught one for Mia and Zephyr to check out. Mia loved it, Zephyr was not very impressed and swatted it from my hand...let's hope it survived the fall. They both loved the chickens, though.

Then we went for lunch at our fav little Mexican restaurant in Cedar Park, Los Reyes. It was yummy, as usual. Then we headed home for the UT game. Mia learned how to say 'hook 'em horns' and was able to get her pointer and pinkie fingers to make the hook 'em sign ... only once. She did love running around saying hook 'em while waving the peace sign around :)

cutie at the farm

checkin' out a hopper Mia found another stick to write with Hittin' the bottle during half time

It's hopper time:

Hook 'em...sort of, but not really: