There is a reason that my children are media free right now - images are powerful. So today Tyler is messing with the radio in out room (it usually plays static when Quinn sleeps) and Tyler hears a talk show about hurricanes. I can here it too and remember that there is a tropical storm in the Gulf.

Well, I bring Tyler in to the computer and say we will check out the radar. See I am a weather dork and have already gotten my son into checking the doppler radar when anything is going on weather-wise. Well, I head over to the weather channel and there is a weather forecast video. So I pop up the video so we can here the forecast.

While I was in disposed, Tyler clicked around on some other videos on the left about hurricanes. And watches one that talks about the damage they do. He sees a roof get blown off, talk about glass windows breaking and talk about houses being damaged. At this point I am at the computer and pretty much shut off the videos. He wanted to see more, but i told him I thought he had seen enough.

The rest of the day was all about hurricanes. He was really scared about them and I kept telliing him we were far away from where they are. He kept saying, “I know!” I realized that he was worried about the people who were near the storms and I think still worried about us. Especially when he heard Port Aransas mentioned because that is where we head to the beach.

Well, when Daddy gets home, he starts up again. He goes to the computer and shows Daddy the Hurricane Tracking map and is asking Chris about it. Then Tyler says this, “is that the sad path where the people were?” My sweet boy - he is so concerned. Then there he was asking about glass breaking and “the glass could poke through people?”

Wow - he is really thinking all this out. What can happen? What will happen to the people and the houses? And we told him that the people would go to safer places and they would not be there for the storm. I think there was a part about the county police making preparations because then he wanted to know what would happen to the fire and police people.

Part of me has to laugh that of all places - it was the Weather Channel whose images freaked my child out. No, it wasn’t the movie Red Dragon (Hannibal Lector) that was on at the mail place that he stared at 1 minute before the people realized they needed to mute it. And the part he saw was scary, but he never said word on about it.

Part of me melts for my child who is so worried about everyone else. My child that these days seems to self-centered is showing a wealth of compassion and concern. I told Chris I thought he might have nightmares because he was really, really concerned.

Tomorrow the storm will make landfall, but I may just not say anything lest he catch an image that reinforces any fears or concerns. Every day is an adventure - you never know what you will be presented with….

Then I head to the knitting store and start many knew projects, I get busy at night with chores and whatnot, and lately, I have been plain tired. Chris and I are both somewhat confused and frustrated by our fatigue lately.

Are we getting old? Have we lost our endurance? He and I are both pretty productive people and a lack of energy just doesn’t work with out lifestyles.

I have about 100 too many things that I want to accomplish this fall. I feel like I spent this year shedding every extra-curricular thing I was involved in only so I could start it up again.

At least I do so with fresh ideas, renewed vigor and enthusiasm instead of a feeling of dread and resentment. Maybe I just needed some time off.

Keep checking back because i have like 5 other blog posts sitting in my head just waiting for me to have the time to get them out.

Oh, and I the above project was a vest for my Mom. Well, sadly, I have almost finished the front part and it doesn’t fit her. I am new to knitting clothing and I understand that there are a lot of tricks and know-how and experience that go into making a knitted fitted garment. So, I guess I am just getting started there. On the upside, it looks like that vest will fit me perfectly. Wow, I am making something for myself - what a novel idea!!

Remember all the new recipes I was going to try out this week? They were all awesome and fun to make. That black bean and mango salad was a perfect combo of flavors. The vegan nacho cheese was really impressive. I think I could sneak it by a non-vegan with no problems.

The question of the week last week was whether or not I should go vegan. That same night, I found three different vegan blogs with a plethora of amazing recipes right up my alley. I don’t like using a lot of processed foods and although i will use tofu and tempeh occasionally, I prefer to stick with grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts and spices…and almond and sometimes soy milk. I think that is what I like about vegan recipes - they are just so fresh. I mean - mashed potatoes and zuchini tacos - yummy! I will post some of the blogs I found in case you want to peruse them.

I think I am trying to lean as far vegan as I possibly can. We will see - I have a strange coming together of principles..maybe someday I will have the time and patience to delve into it here. For now, pics of the meals.

The other day we were upstairs and Tyler says, quite flustered, “all my hiding spaces are gone!” What honey? I had filled a cabinet up with craft and sewing supplies and had unknowingly taken away a hiding spot. He was also upset because we had decided to let go of his train table to make more room and he was very sad it was going away. He goes on, “my hiding spots are gone, my train table has to go…” I felt bad for the kid, it did seem like his chips were down. So I offered to move my stuff. And he told me, “Yes, Mom. While I am sleeping, you move all your stuff out.” And so I did. I am all about hiding spot preservation….

It must be in the air and Elizabeth T. and Elizabeth H.’s sons recently made their leaps. Tyler has now been in underwear a week and for the most part, things are going pretty well. And I have no idea how it happened.

I have been fretting about his pottying or lack there of for the last few months. See, he has pooped in the potty for like a year and a half now. He just never made the leap to peeing as well. And what bothered me is that he never had that “oh crap, I need to pee” moment when we put him in underwear before. I have tried underwear two times in the last few months and usually had him in diapers before the day was over.

For some reason, potty training is a trigger thing for me, so I would rather have him in diapers than get mad about it. The other big reason is that when I gently suggested he go potty, he refused. Then he would have an accident like 20 minutes later…seven times a day (my son pees like a racehorse).
Last Saturday, I just felt zen about the whole thing, I don’t know why. And he also felt ready, I guess because when I suggested he go potty, he obliged. And that is what has made this round of attempts stick - I think he is truly ready, he will go if I ask him to and I am freaking out less about the accidents.

And just yesterday, he was in the office with me, looked up at me and said, “I have to go pee pee!” The moment I was waiting for! Horray!

This kid has an active mind and body and I know there will be more accidents. When he is hyper or really engaged in something, he doesn’t pick up on his body’s signals. Nevertheless, I am thrilled about this step forward.

It is weird how it is already like he has been peeing in the potty for a long time. It is already automatic that we go to the bathroom before we leave the house, when we get up etc. It is like that when your baby walks. My kids took forever to figure it out and two weeks after they started walking, it felt like they had always been walking.

So I guess out potty learning journey is slowing coming to a close. One last hurdle - nighttime. I am not pushing that though - we are going to work on mastering one thing at a time.

Quinn has started using the potty occasionally, so maybe before long, she will get there too. That would be nice!

Vincera….Chris came to Austin with 6 friends to start a company. Considering the economic climate at the time and backlash against web startups, they had an uphill battle the entire way. While their story isn’t a 100% happy ending, they did get funding and had a pretty good run spanning many years. That core group - those 6 guys and their significants became a family.

I walked into the office with a crazy new haircut one Friday at the end of the day and tried to round up some folks to go our for dinner - everyone came. I remember Trieu asking some of us to come support his cousin at a film fest at the Alamo - we all came. We had Iron Chef competitions at our house and so much good times. We traveled to Canada to attend Kevin and Candice’s wedding. Everyone came - even Ashish and Shalini with their 1 year old son. It was the most amazing group of people I have every been around. Everyone was there for everyone. We could lean on each other. And when the guys were working way too damn much - we formed the Vincera Wives Club and consoled ourselves with drinks at Trudy’s.

Enter kids and suddenly 6 months go by and we haven’t seen or talked with each other. Babies are born and by the time we get over to see the new little one, he is 5 months old. Everyone is so busy with their lives these days.

Well, Michelle emailed a few weeks ago and we all managed to get together at a water park in Round Rock this past weekend. We had a picnic, played in the water with the kids, and well it was awesome. We are all ready to do it again and start getting together way more often. We all missed each other so much. It was like old times.

A few weeks ago, I lamented I had lost all my friends. And now I realized, that no, that is not the case - I just need to pick up the phone or send an email. It is amazing what can happen when you put some effort in!

My Girls!!

Well, a very, very part-time one anyway. Remember I was talking about enjoying process and building organizations? Well, I have a part-time job with Blossom Family Center. It is a small gig, about 3 to 5 hours a week, but I am sure I will volunteer way more than that. I am basically an office manager. There is so much chaos to organize and i love that - files, office organization, enrollment and admissions processes, accounting.

I am already designing a database in my head for storing records and streamlining the enrollment process. I am dreaming of an on-line registration process. Oh, and I am completely ignorant when it comes to web software, but considering all I learned in constructing the web site and how well it turned out..well, I am pumped.

This is the first part of my wanting to do more, expanding out into the world, and reclaiming parts of who I used to be. And the great thing about this job is that is is something new for my resume. This job and projects I am starting up serve a dual role: fulfill my need to participate more in life outside our home, volunteering and helping orgs and finding ways to demonstrate my skills/learn new skills that can be added to my resume when and if I head back to work.

Remember that dream of wanting to run a non-profit? Well in lieu of a fancy degree, I am hoping that lots of practical experience and good references might get me somewhere in that quest.

Chris is concerned about me getting over-extended and rightly so. But I am always happiest running around like a chicken with my head cut off. The Blossom Family Center is run by a woman with 4 children so she totally understands the demands of family and is very flexible. Most of my work can be done from home which is nice.

Ah, employed again - it feels good.