portraits
One of my favorite places in Austin is the Avenue B Grocery (I couldn't believe it, but they do have a website). My friend Valerie took me there about 15 years ago on a hot summer day and we drank Coke out of glass bottles and sat on the bench in front of the store. I was so happy to see it still there and still the same.
My friend Stephanie is making these fabulous monsters and selling them here. Check it out. I don't know any kid who wouldn't want one. I know where I will be shopping for the next few birthday gifts.
I really love this line from Rachel Cusk's A Life's Work:
What the outside world refers to as 'the weekend' is a round trip ticket to the ninth circle of hell for parents.
This is especially true when their father leaves on Sunday morning for a week long business trip to San Francisco. It's bad enough that he gets to stay in a hotel and not run after kids or change even ONE diaper, but he's in San Francisco. I love Austin, but I miss it there so much.
I got the idea to write letters to my children from dooce. But I soon realized that it was her "thing" and that I didn't do it nearly as well. I wrote one to Ben when he was two months and another at six months. So now I want to do at least one for Sam so he doesn't feel left out. In addition, I now KNOW that there is not a chance in hell that I will remember this time. Before I was optimistic about my memory. Now I am plain old realistic. So here goes.
Dearest Sam:
You are now four months old and a dream. You are quite simply the loveliest baby on the block. You smile more than any other creature I have ever seen. You giggle like a pro. After we had Ben I thought we could never have a baby as easy and charming as him. But you proved us wrong. I have a feeling that you will do a great deal of this in the future.
It all began with your "scheduled" birth. It was more than disconcerting that we had an appointment for your delivery. It just felt wrong. I am sure that your future self will be none too happy that your mother picked your birthday. You did NOT want to come out of the warm womb and it took three adults pushing as hard as they could to get you to budge. But once you came out you were just about the happiest baby ever.
It is hard in the present to think of all of the silly, sweet things you do, but I will try. I love how your eyes light up when I enter the room and how you giggle so much. And you do a half cry/half laugh every time you are about to get fed. As if you are so excited, but also nervous at the same time that you will be deprived. You put everything in your mouth and I mean EVERYTHING. Your fists and thumb are of course a favorite as well as your toy Sophie the Giraffe. You are an excellent sleeper which thrills me to no end and only cry when you have a need to be met. You love to watch your big brother Ben. Everything he does fascinates you. It is already clear that you aspire to be just like him. When you and I drop Ben off at school all the kids flock around you as if you were an exotic bird. And you take this all in stride like an old man who is wise beyond belief.
You love to fall asleep on your daddy's knees in the evening after big brother Ben is already in bed. You seem delighted to be allowed the privilege of staying up late. You try to watch television every chance you get. Just like your daddy.
I love you so much Sammy. Each day I grow to appreciate you more. I am excited to see who you become. Just know that no matter what I will always love you.
Love, Mommy
Our friend Rob was in town from Cali and we wanted to take him to a funky Austin eaterie. So we decided to try Torchy's Tacos, which has an amazing fried avocado taco. It turned out to be a trailer with outdoor seating that was heated by a firepit. That's us. Class all the way. But we had a good, if a bit chilly and smokey, time. And the tacos and queso were to die for. I have a feeling I will be spending many nights there this summer. When it's a bit less smokey.
This was the first time Ben walked Lula on his own. Oh so cute.
I saw another good bumper sticker the other day. There is a big saying in Austin. It's "Keep Austin Weird". This bumper sticker said "Keep Round Rock Mildly Interesting". Round Rock is a suburb northeast of Austin. That's also my motto. I don't aspire to be weird. Just mildly interesting.
Ben fell yesterday while jumping on the bed and has a shiner on his right eye. On the way home from Central Market today Josh said he wanted someone to ask him about it. I asked what his answer would be and he said, "The first rule of baby fight club is that you don't talk about baby fight club." I almost fell off my seat laughing.
I never got out of my pajamas today or out of the house. It was THAT kind of day. But I did manage to take a few shots of Sammy. He is getting so big.
Last weekend we went back to Maria's Tacos and this time I brought my camera. First we stopped at the neighborhood park with our friends Melanie and Grayson who we then cajoled into accompanying us. The whole family went, even los peritos. So get ready for more pictures than you have EVER seen in one post. I especially love the self portrait I did in Melanie's glasses, so look carefully. Are you ready? Steady? Go!
Sam's adorable pieds.
