My Ideal Life

If I had to choose it would be something like this, completely steeped in family life in the rolling hills of a beautiful country or this, experiencing the world and something completely out of my realm and reveling in every second.

For now my ideal life will do. We are us. A family. Brando has been making such an effort with our relationship lately, taking me on walks, really listening to me or at least making me feel like I can blabber on and not be completely ignored hehe, taking me on dates, and being there. We've gone out as a family as well. I am so deliriously happy with where we are at right now that I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Friends of ours are moving to France in the coming year. It is so much fun talking with them about the logistics of doing the actual move. It makes it seem possible to move and live abroad and not just a "if only..." dream. I would LOVE to live abroad one day. I'd also love to live in the snow. I once thought that would have to be in the form of a visit without the kids or reality when they grow up, but I'm beginning to think maybe not...

Argh

SO pmsing today at EVERYthing. This dog is eating POOP people. Am I not feeding her enough? Never mind the eating she's actually pooping in my HOUSE and she's getting over the runs. Ugh. The good dog? I'm not sure what happened to her. Maybe she *poof*ed. She's pooping and peeing NEXT to the puppy pad. No, no, not on it. That would be too easy. Grrrr. Could this paragraph have any more frustrated growling sounds?!

Not to mention my internet hasn't worked all day. I thought I was hardwired turns out hubby had set up the wireless AGAIN with the new wireless router that I keep telling him is NOT working. Agh!!

At least the kids are being fabulous, Justinbustin and I got school completely done today and had a blast doing it, I've had ten cookies - maybe that's part of the problem though, and the kids are hilariously copying Ice Age 2's The Meltdown's Sid dance where he makes all the little sloth things dance strangely, and I know I'm supposed to start tomorrow so at least I don't feel like I'm a raging bi-otch though I am totally being one.

Family Days

We went to Zilker Park today in downtown Austin and it was cooold which we had come completely unprepared for. I ended up using Brando's sweatshirt and my jacket because I'm cold blooded. Justinbustin was the only one of us completely prepared with four shirts on. Yes. Four shirts. That's my Justinbustin. He was so sweet and gave one to Shawners - that's our Justinbustin too, so now Shawners was warm enough, I was warm enough, Justinbustin was warm enough, and Brando suffered, because, well, he's Brando and he does that sort of thing. I did rub his arms to keep him warm though! We took Brownie, the pups, and leash trained her a little more. The boys ran on ahead and we walked arm in arm with the puppy by our side, and talked. It was such a great family time. After our walk we climbed rocks and then as we headed to the car Shawners says, "I'm the oneth, Daddy you're the twoth, Mommy you're the threeth, and Justinbustin you're the fourth." We can't even remember what it was about but it was so cute it had to be blogged.

xoxo

Shawners: Do you know why I always give you hugs?

Mommy: Because you love me.

Shawners: Because I love you and you are the beautifulest and the sweetest in the whole wide world.

Just Kidding

I just told Allison the other day I've been really good at blogging and now look at me. I've been wrapped in a little cocoon bubble of peace for the last few days. I've hardly seen Brando at all this last year as he has been starting his business (note to self: need to note how hard starting a business is for future and for others who are starting their own) and we've adjusted to a completely new schedule of work, work, work. Oh there's time for play? Good! Nope, just kidding, it's work time. Yeah, lots of that. These last three days have been bliss, he has come home and asked me to take a walk with him and we've walked and talked, along with little Princess Brownie who has become more of a chew Brownie, no more than before it's just getting old. He's asked me to go on a walk for three nights in a ROW. That's got to be a record somewhere. Then yesterday the four of us walked up to the business center at the front of our apartments in the breezy, gorgeous 80 degree weather that it was. These are the moments I want to remember about starting a business, not all the busyness, hardship, and money stress mixed in between, but rest assured it. is. there.

Austin

The Little Things

You know the nice thing about blogging? The little things matter here. They're the little things that make up the whole but it's usually those that are forgotten when the whole stares me in the face every day. Here it all gets to be spilled out with no inhibitions, every nook and cranny covered with dust and cobwebs from lack of being spoke of, every experience too redundant to rehash in person yet becomes a beautiful memory when written down. When the whole smacks me upside the face that gets to be written too. But for the moment that gets to take a back burner, and the little things? They get to have the front seat.

We Don't Have The Money

So many times I say that and I wonder what I really mean. When I want to get my nails done, or I want to order pizza on New Year's Day or I stop by the grocery store to get beer and ice cream I have the money. When I need to buy Christmas gifts, or I need to buy a gift, or I want to do something extra special for a friend I don't have the money. Unless I feel like I have the money to go all out for that person I won't do anything. All out meaning more than I would do for myself. Ice cream and beer cuts the mustard for me. It would be a homemade strawberry souffle dessert or a birthday cake from the grocery store and a bottle of champagne and some red wine for somebody else. It would be a french manicure on my nails and a color on my toes to save the three dollars for me, for somebody else I would make sure it was a french manicure on both and include a substantial tip. So instead of doing the ice cream and the beer or the french nails and the color on the toes or heck just the french nails like I do for myself sometimes, I end up saying I don't have the money to.