Pour Some Sugar on Me

Our Austin trip for June was a visit to Hey Cupcake! which is a local cupcake trailer chain in and around the city. I know our last trip was also of a trailer-food nature but I can't help it. I started a new job this month and by the time I realized we hadn't done our Austin thing for June I was too exhausted to plan anything big. Plus, who doesn't love cupcakes?

The cupcakes were good but I am sad to say that they did not even come close to Sara Sara Cupcakes in OKC. That place is one of a kind and this trip really made me miss Oklahoma City. I'd heard that Austin was famous for it's food, but there were some wonderful gems in OKC and we haven't found those out here yet.

Now, on to some pictures of our sweet excursion.*







*I also have photos of the actual cupcakes which we ate at home but they hadn't been uploaded and I'm too much of a slacker to do it right now.

Back to Life...

...back to reality.

I just finished my first two night shifts at the new hospital (and by "just" I mean exactly that, just). "Just" as in I've had a shower and am feeding the kids breakfast. "Just" as in the time on this blog post is not a fabrication. "Just" as in I'm working on my end of shift beer and am about to fall blissfully into bed.

I can already tell that getting back into the routine of leaving after dinner and coming home during breakfast is going to take a little more time. I do however, love working nights. There are less intrusions and less distractions, not to mention the added bonuses of not having to wake up early AND getting to sleep during the day.

All in all it's a good fit even if it does mean that I have to spend a few days on an opposite schedule from the other people in the house.

White Wedding

I know I'm behind on my "what I'm reading" reviews and it's probably because I haven't had many good things to say about the books I've been reading. I was however, thrilled with what I've most recently finished and am optimistic about what I'm reading now which has motivated me to complete the reviews in between.

Now, what to say about A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve? I think it's telling that the most interesting part of this novel was the book that one of the characters was writing about the Halifax Explosion. The awkward conversations between old prep school classmates, reunited by a wedding 20-odd years later, did not hold my interest. Nor did the seemingly contrived inclusion of references to the attacks on the World Trade Center. The story seemed forced and the characters incomplete.

I would recommend a big PASS on this one...meh.

Food, Glorious Food

As a special treat, and because Asher woke me up at 0630, I made blueberry muffins for breakfast this past Sunday. I've made them before using this recipe from The Pioneer Woman's website and they are so delicious. And I'm not just saying that because I made them either. I made a dozen and by Monday morning there were only two left. Yesterday, Amelia wouldn't eat her lunch because she saw the muffins and demanded one of those instead. I love that my family enjoys them but I especially love that I can name, and recognize, every ingredient!

(Note: The recipe calls for fresh blueberries, but I have used frozen and they work just fine.)

Boys of Summer

Yes, it's true...that is Asher. And yes, my darling little boy is sporting what his father refers to as a "sweet mullet."

Asher is a boy who has always hated to get his hair cut. When he was younger we endured countless screaming sessions in the salon chair. And I'm not talking about the barber shop ones, I'm talking the cutesie made for kids with video games and movies salons. The entertainment (nor the price tag) didn't matter to him one bit, he was going to scream throughout the cut and I was going to have to shell out for the tip. One summer we bribed him. He was two years old and we were visiting family in Pryor, Oklahoma. His hair was becoming unmanageable so Elijah and I told him we'd buy him a little three wheeler if he'd sit still and be quiet for a haircut. He took the deal and his haircuts have been pretty much scream free since then.

The issue now, is that he just doesn't want to get it cut. He doesn't want to spend an hour in the afternoon watching a movie in a chair that just happens to not be in our living room. He gets away with this by telling me that he wants to grow his hair long. I'm a reasonable, practical mom that believes I should pick my battles, and I've decided that hair is not a battle I'm interested in fighting. However if he does want it long, he has to let me brush it, which is yet another thing that he would rather not do.

Earlier this year, he informed us that he would cut his hair this summer. For us that meant the last day of school, but for Asher that meant the ACTUAL first day of summer, June 21. Still, we were thrilled and Elijah offered his styling services. I'm sure based on the first picture most of you will add "you get what you pay for," but I encourage you to trust me when I say you'll be relieved by the following pictures.

Before - look at that shaggy do. To be honest, I was a little sad to see it go.

Elijah was far too eager for Asher's liking.

The first cut is often referred to as the commitment cut.

Mid-way photo break. He loves his sweet mullet.

It makes him so much tougher than his shaggy style.


Finishing up the job.

Finally, I can see those beautiful blue eyes again!

The finished product. See, I told you you'd be relieved.

Simply The Best

Yesterday we celebrated Elijah. My husband, the provider for our family, the father of my children, the man who makes us complete.

Every day I am grateful that I get to share this adventure with him. I couldn't have designed a better father for our children. He is so eager to teach our children about the things he loves and it's obvious that he really enjoys playing with them, on their level, which is something I often struggle with. He's the perfect playful and easy going compliment to my structured, less imaginative self. While I make sure the kids are physically provided for; packing snacks, clean clothes and extra diapers, he nurtures their childlike-ness: planing for water gun fights, insect and rock collecting, and otherwise providing opportunities for them to play and interact more wholly with the world around them. He is a loving, patient man with a good heart who has always been thoughtful and wise about his choices in life. I'm so thankful that he chose (at 19 years of age!) to spend that life with me.

Bang The Drum All Day

I realize it may seem that I have dropped out this week, but I assure you that is not the case.

I got a job.

A real live, leave the house, talk to adults, practice my craft, hone my skills, make new friends JOB!

I've spent the past three days in HR orientation for the hospital and will work my first shifts this Saturday and Sunday. I'm very excited about the new position and am anxious to get started. I am also however, totally freaked out about going back on the floor. I'm hoping it's like riding a bike and I'll pick up right where I left off.

Elijah and I decided that I wouldn't take a full time position but would instead work a couple days a week (mostly weekends) so that I could still be home, during the weekdays, with the kids. Although I complain about how crazy they make me, I do want to be home with them as long as I possibly can. Hopefully this job will give me just enough time away from the house and kids to recharge, so I can begin to feel like a whole person again.

I will let you know how it goes!

God Blessed Texas

Yesterday was classroom cleaning day and Asher came home with all his remaining papers and art projects. I love looking through this stuff. I have been saving his artwork since he was in preschool and I keep everything in plastic bins organized by year. I separate the "keepers" from the busywork so I'll have something to go through that will make me sob during his first week away at college. My favorite thing about the end of the year is going through the journals. That is where I found this gem.


You may have to click on the picture to bring it up larger, but there it is...in the middle of his "ALL" word family, y'all!

Home Sweet Oklahoma

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. Ours was a little chaotic, but still nice. We headed back to Oklahoma City last Wednesday to clean up and close out our Oklahoma home. We had been planning on closing this past Friday but there were some problems with the broker/lender/buyer/whatever so we signed an extension and will hopefully be closing on June 11th. I will be so relieved when this is behind us. Living in two houses (at lest mentally) is exhausting!

I am a control freak and I really struggle when things don't turn out the way I'd planned. The "visit to Oklahoma" portion of this weekend made me a complete wreck, but I'm trying to accept the things I cannot change blah, blah, blah. There was absolutely nothing I could do to make the deal go through as planned, so I tried my best to enjoy the weekend by visiting old friends and reconnecting with family. We were home by Saturday afternoon and spent the rest of the weekend recovering from the late night visiting and the long drive.

I was glad to get back to Texas. I've grown fond of our new home and neighborhood. In fact, as soon as we pulled the truck in we had a neighbor over helping us unload. We spent Sunday evening at a neighborhood BBQ and Asher spent the remainder of the weekend with friends both at the pool and on our block. As much as I loved our Oklahoma years, I am so glad we moved. This new place is a perfect fit for us.