Ivory Coast Beauty

Yep, my very own djembe.
Isn't she a beauty? Authentic and from the Ivory Coast.



I realized I needed to invest more in the self-care department. Often, as caregivers, this is neglected. So, along with yoga, I'll be drumming again. After I was introduced to drumming last spring, and took a summer class series, I knew I would be back. Since my former teacher lives so far south, I will begin drumming at Drumz in Central Austin with my friend Tanya.

BSM ~ Gratitude

When I describe my husband as an industrious little ant, I mean it. He can work, work, and work, and do these amazing things that would probably take most husbands 3 times as long to get done. He works non-stop, especially when it comes to a project. He wants it done. Weekend before last, he spent all weekend demo-ing the fence and pulling up the posts so we could get our back fence replaced. We hired a guy to replace the fence because, well, Mike has to work during the week.

I then told him I wanted the garden expanded. He had the double gate moved to the other end of the side fence to open up the area by our current garden, and he expanded the garden area this weekend. About 6 times its current size, from a meager 130 sq feet to 850 sq feet. He got himself a heavy duty tiller, put the tiller together and tilled the yard for approximately 10 hours straight yesterday. TEN hours. All while pulling out hundreds of pounds of the annoying limestone and caliche rock that is abundant in our area, along with the old posts from the first fence that we discovered. Domi helped. Then, the hubby came inside and made dinner for us.

Today, starting at 8 am, he brought in compost, from our own compost we’ve been “harvesting” for the last year, and an extra truckload of Turkey compost from the garden center, shoveled that in, then tilled it into the garden. He later tilled up that dirt and moved it from the flowerbed to the new garden area, (about 25 wheelbarrows full) then went back to the garden center for 2 more truckloads of really good Rose and flowerbed soil, shoveled it in, then tilled it. Domi was still helping. I don't think my boy has ever worked so hard in his life. Last year, he helped, but it doesn't compare to what he did today. They finished off by replanting the rose bushes. They're still in the yard cleaning up. I’m in here waiting for him with a cold cerveza and their favorite buffalo wings.

This is what makes my husband (and son) amazing.
AND the hubby still makes the time to read to his tot.



This is only the newly tilled area. The existing garden is to the left.


Replanting rose bushes.



I took this photo below, of our blossoming plum tree while the guys were tilling yesterday, and I intitially chose for my BSM, but now that I've typed all this up, I think the others deserve to be my BSM. Whatcha think?

Artful snippets

Gorgeous day today. We spent the majority of the morning playing outside and exploring in the "atelier" (aka covered patio).

Artful Hands

We've been doing a clay exploration since last week. Even though the photo is a bit flawed in my opinion, I love how Sophia's artful hands were captured. They're usually strewn with paint, but you're only a kid once.

Cindy and Frances

A couple months ago, I was asked to do a quick, last minute, pre-holiday photo shoot for the Maroney family in their lovely central Austin home. The occasion was a new addition to their beautiful family. It was interesting trying to photograph a newborn and her 15 month old sister when neither one of them wanted anything to do with the camera, however, I think I was able to capture several tender moments for them. Thank you, Holly, for this referral.

BSM ~ Rainboots

One of the things I love about running my little program out of my home, is we can go with the flow. We hung out on the covered patio for quite some time, and enjoyed the crisp weather this morning. It rained throughout the evening and in the early morning and the children wanted to stomp in the puddles with their rainboots. That is after all, what they're for, right?



For more Best Shot Monday images, hop on over to Tracey's at Mother May I.

Yvonne's Birthday and Housewarming

Last night we enjoyed an evening of good food, drinks, and art to honor my cousin Yvonne's birthday, which also doubled as a housewarming party. She purchased her first home a few months ago, gutted it, and transformed it into a beautiful, inviting, and zen-like space. I wish I had before pictures of the house when she bought it. The labor and work that went into this place is unbelievable (there were many tears shed as well).
But, it is now a home.

Congratulations!



















Happy Birthday to my best friend, my cousin, my soul sister!
To many wonderful years ahead.

Domi-isms

So, last night I'm at an Evening of Indulgence at The Good Earth Day School, and I see an email come through my cell phone from my husband.
Here it is:

Ring, Ring
Mike: Hello
Dominique: Hey dad, we're done so you can come pick me up
Mike: OK, give me a few minutes to get Sophia ready, wait 3-4 minutes then meet me on el salido
Dominique: ok
Mike : Sophia, wanna go for ride?
Sophia: yes, runs to get shoes, trips over metal gate, she's ok, puts shoes on
Mike: let get in mom’s car
Sophia : ok
:start driving:

Get to cypress whatever… no Dominique

Mike calls Dominique :Hey, domi, have you started walking yet?
Domi: NO, I’M ALREADY HOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike: did you walk, you can’t be there already?????
Domi: No, Stephanie brought me home
Mike: Domi, do you think it would have been a good idea to call and let me know ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Domi: :silence: :silence: :silence: :silence: :silence: :silence: :silence: :silence: :silence:uh….. :silence: :silence: :silence: :silence: :silence: :silence: :silence:uh
Mike: I’ll be home in a minute
Mike :drive home:
Domi: guess I should not have surprised you….

Mike: ………

Standing My Ground

Well, the property I discussed below, we walked away from today. Even though the landlord agreed verbally to our proposal this weekend, once he ran it by his father, we were told they do not negotiate on leases. I find that strange, especially in this economy, but all that does is confirm that Terra Luz is not meant to be there. As a small preschool, I'm not comfortable moving into a property at that monthly rate. If I were to pack many children in the classrooms like the previous tenant did, then it would work, but that goes against my philosophy.

So, I'm standing my ground, and moving on.

Sharing a photo from the beginning of our clay exploration this week, which brings a smile to my face today.