More Pictures from Texas

While I'm here, I may as well post a few more pics from our trip to Texas. I have some new vids too, but I haven't downloaded them yet, and QT took the camera with him to their "boys night out" so I'll just go with what I've got for now.

After several revisions, this was my final draft for the addition to the restaurant. At least, that's what I turned in. I don't know if they made changes to it again after I left.

Also, while in Texas, I took my mom to Houston to visit with a friend of mine, who's a Diabetes specialist. We stayed in a posh hotel near the Galleria so, on our 1st night there, we strolled over to do some shopping and grab some grub. Here are a couple of photos from that outing. Just for grins, I also threw in a picture of the Houston traffic that was visible from our hotel room (it wasn't even rush hour!).

Class Notes

Goodness me! Has it really been 2 weeks since I last posted? My, I'm really letting this thing go, aren't I?

Well, here's an update for you guys. I mentioned previously that the Field Office at the UH Grad School of Social Work originally wanted me to move back to Texas to do my internship. Well, after many useless attempts at negotiating, I finally had no choice but to file a grievance against the Field Director to get her to understand that it would literally be impossible for me to leave my family behind and move back to Texas to (basically) take a college class. I mean, if my job right now is SAHM, then what would I do? Quit my job? Anyway, I mailed my grievance letter to the Dean right before we left on our trip to Avon. By the time we got back from our vacation, the Field Director and I had already reached an agreement. :)

I'm happy to report that I will be doing my internship in Denver and from the comfort of my own home base. I've even already found a placement (though I'm not technically supposed to "promise" myself to any agency until I get the go-ahead, but the Field Director seemed to think it'd be ok when I mentioned it to her). I'm actually very excited about this place b/c it seems so different from anything else I've done up to now in the field of social work. The agency is called CHARG, and they have been sooooo incredibly patient in their dealings with me and with the GSSW. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about going back to work after being away for so long. I'd like to think that it's like "riding a bike" and that I'll be able to just pick up where I left off, but I honestly don't know if I'm up to the task. Now, if a client comes in and wants to sing nonstop Wiggles songs, I'm their man! If they have more serious matters to discuss; however, I'm not exactly sure how I'll be handling those. Perhaps I should reread some of my textbooks.......nah!

Anyway, tonight, I'm enjoying a quiet evening at home (which is why I suddenly have time to blog again). QT took Pumpkin and the neighbor boys out for some pizza. He wants to make this "boys night out" a weekly ritual for him and Pumpkin. I know Pumpkin must've really enjoyed himself last time they went out alone b/c he's been asking me all week if "Daddy come to pick up me?"

Ok, I have to say it. That kid is so dang smart even if he can't quite form a sentence correctly. The other day, he was holding a crayon with both hands, and he put his arms up over his head then slightly behind. When I asked him what he was doing, he said "I stretching, Mommy." Now, where the heck did he even learn what stretching means? I have to give the credit for this one to the kids back home b/c it sure didn't come from me, Ms. Anti-Exercise!

So, what good's a post without a pic? Here's a really cute one of Pumpkin and his absopositively favorite cousin Lis. Sure, it's a little blurry, but I love it because he looks so incredibly happy. They both do.

Hanging with La Familia

I told QT I'd be posting entries every so often to let him see what we're up to since we're going to be separated for a while, but most nights, I don't even get to the computer until midnight at the earliest. Sorry, QT. :(

In a nutshell, here's what we've been up to since you left. First, the kids decided to make a clubhouse out of a cardboard box. Next, we're going to make a television set out of a cardboard box and make shows inside it, but we haven't started that project yet. Hopefully, we'll get to do it before I leave for CO, but I think this stomach bug's caught up to me so who knows if I'll feel up to it. :(

Next, we attended a Hannah Montana birthday party for Lis, where partygoers were treated to the sight of Mom (Grandma), Anne, and the party girl on the hula hoops. . The party was held at the Imaginarium at the mall, and it was pretty neat. That was also the first day that I noticed that it felt really hot outside...and even then, I had to concede that it wasn't really all THAT hot since it was still tolerable in the shade, and there were no mirages yet. I think it probably got to 99 or maybe even 100 that day. Yesterday, on the other hand, it topped out at 104, and there I was, like a "lagartijo" running last-minute errands!

Anyway, the kids had fun singing, dancing, playing, and of course, eating ca-ke at the birthday party. Here's a short clip of Lis and Soph dancing the Chicken Dance.


Naturally, there's also been plenty of Wiggly fun going on in between our other activities. I daresay that Pumpkin gets better at it with every trip we take down here, but of course, he's getting better at so many things as the days go by! I swear, QT, you'll hardly recognize him by the time we return! Anyway, enjoy this lovely tidbit:


And, on that note, I'll say goodnight. I've been kind of sick today, and I may have to go puke soon. Shades of San Diego all over again! ;)

Cool Cat

With Father's Day approaching and Daddy-O so far away from us, I'd like to dedicate this post to the Coolest Cat on the block. Daddy-O!! (aka QT-Pie ;)

QT, I'd like to thank you on Pumpkin's behalf for taking the time to play trains with him (endlessly) and for taking him on rides in his wagon and for playing basketball with him and carrying him to the net a gazillion and one times when he couldn't reach it himself. Thanks also for reading the "Baby Bible" to him every night and for helping him brush his teeth and for teaching him to count in Spanish and for explaining traffic rules to him and...and for all those countless other things you do, little and big. I've said it before, and I'll happily say it again: You're truly a great dad, and I would be delighted if Pumpkin grew up to be like his "Daddy-o" (except perhaps a little less Grinchy around the holidays ;).

In your honor, here's a little pictorial retrospective of Pumpkin's 1st year:






1=With Pumpkin @ 2 weeks old
2=Getting ready to attend P's 1st baseball game (Houston Astros) May 2005


3=Learning to appreciate books June 2005
4=Riding the train at the Kemah Boardwalk Aug 2005
5=Disney World Sept 2005
6=House hunting in Denver Oct 2005

Sadly, I could only get through the first year of pictures (not even that), but you get the idea. Happy Father's Day, Daddy-o!!

A Day In The Life

Woke up. Got out of bed. Dragged a comb across my head. Well, sorta. At 6am on the morning we were to depart for Texas, I woke up to the sound of Pumpkin coughing. He quieted, and I drifted back to sleep. Shortly thereafter, I woke up again when I heard him crying frantically. I ran to his room and found him sitting on his bed, crying his little eyes out, and covered in vomit. It seems the stomach virus that had been going around finally caught up to us--and once again on the eve of our departure. To make matters worse, I was on my own; QT having left on his trip the day before.

Well, in a nutshell, I gave Pumpkin a bath, threw his sheets in the wash, put him back in bed, and jumped in the shower. Then, he vomited again; I washed more sheets, cleaned him up again, put him back to bed, and finally decided to just give up on even thinking of getting any more sleep. Instead, I got on the computer to read up on stomach viruses and check us in for our flight. The rest of our day went by in a blur until my friend Mel arrived to take us to the airport. Here's a self-portrait I took sometime that morning. I was so busy after my shower that I never actually had a chance to drag a comb across my hair. As the morning wore on, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my curls still existed. (I'd thought the dry Colorado air had killed them, hehe). So, forgive me, but I had to take a quick moment to snap a photo. It's for posterity after all!

On the plane, we were fortunate to be seated next to a very nice man on his way to basic training. When I warned him that Pumpkin had been ill that morning, he said he wasn't worried about getting soiled having two small kids of his own. Other than that, the flight itself was uneventful, though if anything had happened, I'd have been prepared having gone through this once before when we flew out to California earlier this year. So, I carried a couple extra pounds of clothes and barf cloths on my back, big whup! Thankfully, there was no cause to use them this time.

We arrived at the Denver airport shortly after 1pm MST. We landed in San Antonio around 7pm CST and arrived at my parents' house in Laredo around midnight. A long day indeed!

So, what've we done since arriving? Well, we've eaten at Salsa's a few times already. Speaking of Salsa's, Mom & Dad just purchased the suite next to theirs and are planning to expand the restaurant. A good portion of my first few days here was spent drawing plans for the expansion. Here's a picture of the floorplan (contractor's original plan is on the left, mine is on the right).


Next up: dealing with diabetes, investment banking for my in-laws, getting haircuts