Things to Do in Austin: Lone Star Riverboat Sightseeing Tours.

I may be a twelve-year resident of this great city, but that doesn't mean that I can't sit back and enjoy the view as a tourist! With that mindset, we took to the lake last Sunday in order to enjoy Austin's expanding skyline from Town Lake (it's now referred to as Lady Bird Lake, BUT I refuse to change what I call it, along with the other tried and true residents of the city - just FYI).

As it turned out, the weather was beyond gorgeous: clear, sunny, and nearly 90 (!!!), so we weren't alone on the water. In fact, we had more paddle boarders, water bikers (not the technical term, I'm guessing), kayakers, and others than I ever would have expected for late October!

You don't have to be an athlete or interested in watersports to enjoy all that Austin has to offer, though:

And, even if you're not into Auditorium Shores's dog park, Stevie Ray Vaughn (and/or our current live music scene, which is the best in the Country), or performing arts (the above picture is the Long Center, which features world-class artists as well as Ballet Austin performances regularly), there is the sheer beauty of the city that proves magnetizing to anyone who has had the good fortune to visit this gorgeous city!

I love this city! So much so, that I'm a wee bit jealous that Ava is getting to grow up a native Austinite!

If you're interested in taking a tour of your own, hop on over the Lone Star Riverboat Tours to make a reservation. Sightseeing tours run weekends at 3pm only, but bat tours are every evening during bat season, and can offer some of the best views in downtown Austin! Cost is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for children, and 2 & under are free. 

The Plight of a Low-Carb Dieter.

Alternatively titled: How I Turned Stark-Raving Mad in Five Days.

In this case, "mad" is definitely duplicitous, as I'm both a total lunatic, as well as angry. You'd think I was weaning off of meth, as opposed to carbohydrates, the way that I'm biting my nails (something I've never done) and cursing out strangers in my head (well, that's par for the course, to be honest). 

It all started with my desire to lose five pounds. Don't all good stories from your twenties? Anyhow, I decided I was feeling fat and bloated and just plain unhealthy and that I needed to lose a handful of pounds. Now I recognize a fad diet when I see one (baby food? No way, Jose!), but I believe wholeheartedly in the South Beach Diet, especially given the medical research and side benefits (lower cholesterol, blood sugar stability, etc.) that go hand-in-hand with it. That being said, it is one thing to believe in something in theory, and another to put it to practice. 

While I believe there is nothing more effective in quick, small-goal weight loss than low-carb dieting, I also think there is nothing more difficult.

I should add that there is scientific research linking carbs to that good, warm-feeling, satiated feeling of bliss, so it's not entirely my fault that I'm insane. Low-carb dieting does, in fact, piss people off. But oooooh, I'm feeling a case of the low-carb lows, and the obvious cures (pasta! cookies! french bread!) are out, so I'm turning to my little corner of the internet to vent instead. Also? It happens to be dinnertime, and I've reached the point of Stage 1 of the South Beach Diet (where you eliminate all carbs, entirely, for two weeks to detox, since your body gets physically addicted to carbs - obviously.) where each meal I feel defeated, dejected, and depressed, asking myself, "Why even bother?"

If you think I'm being dramatic, clearly you aren't familiar with the diet. 

I should add, it's about fifty times harder than it was pre-parenthood, too, since before I could just avoid carbs like the plague, not tempting myself with their presence in my home. I would literally rid my pantry of anything remotely carb-containing. Now, all hell would break loose if I tossed all the goldfish and other assorted snacks in the house that are carbohydrate-based, not only due to Ava, but because my husband doesn't have to watch his girlish figure. No, he's naturally stick-thin and can eat whatever he wants. Pardon me while I vom on myself over that.

Within twenty-four hours of starting the diet (just last Wednesday, despite feeling like it was five months ago...), I was faced with a box of pizza at work. I had to open it, dole out pizza slices and heat it to it's fragrant best and serve it to four kids, two of whom left half of it on the plate. BLASPHEMY! It was physically painful for me to feel that soft, gooey pizza dough and not devour it.

Everyone says that the first two days are the hardest, which is somewhat true, but I'm definitely relapsing in my cravings today. I dished out some goldfish to Ava and when she handed them back to me in the car, I had to literally throw them out the window while my vehicle was moving*, because I didn't trust myself not to eat them off the driveway if I waited to toss them when I got home. 

This is SERIOUS, people.

It’s also made much worse by the fact that I’m a bit of a picky eater. I don’t love meat, but I’ll eat it, but only with something on the side because I don’t like the texture alone. Whether it’s a bun, or pasta, or rice, or anything, I need something to go with my meat. I hate the texture of eggs, so I squish them nearly to death and eat them with toast in the same bite, but that’s gone, too. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit around eating cauliflower “mashed potatoes” or sauerkraut or half their suggested items. Blech.

I know, I know, I’m making it much harder on myself.

So guess how much weight I’ve lost in five days?

A POUND. One single, f&#*ing pound. I got on the scale this morning, thinking I was in for a nice start to my day, and literally sobbed when I stepped off the scale. How is this even possible? My husband would lose that if he skipped carbs in his lunch. NOT. FAIR.

Add to that a case of PMS and a toddler that's gone from the "terrible twos" to the "holy-shit-this-is-insane threes", and I'm a woman on the edge. If you don't hear from me for a few days, send help. Or - what I'll really need - donuts. 

*Note: I'm generally not a litterbug. In fact, Ava and I pick up trash on our walks usually, so quite the opposite. At least they're biodegradable?

Dogtoberfest at the Domain.

This annual event may have taken place the Saturday before last, but it's still fresh in Ava, my little dog lover's, mind. In fact, despite being out of it during the event (allergies are killer around here right now, and she's definitely inherited them from her dad :( ), she woke up from a nap (bonus!) that day mumbling something about doggies, so it clearly made an impression!

Dogtoberfest, as the clever name suggests, is a celebration of dogs, as well as a fundraiser for the many local dog rescue organizations. Not only are there vendors lined up ready to give away some freebies, but the event also consists of numerous contests, including a costume contest and wiener dog races - hilarious!

Check out a few of the sights we were treated to:

A cat, on a leash, in a backpack-style baby carrier. My day was made. Ha!

And what would one of my posts be without a picture of my sweet pea?

Friday Phone Dump: Wedding Edition.

We attended a wedding this past weekend, and for the first time, Ava was invited (encouraged, even, since her best friends in the world would be there) to come along. Despite my many reservations, we took her along, and despite a rocky start during the ceremony (David had to take her out to avoid a scene) and a few low points during the reception (that, in her defense) went well past her bedtime, she did fabulous!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the grand event:

Gee, thanks, Ava.

Voting, Through a Child's Eyes.

The other day, I was out and about knocking out errands right and left when I remembered that early voting was taking place in polling locations all over town, including a library directly next to me! I was a weeeee bit nervous about having Ava in tow, since she is definitely going through the torrential, terrible and tear-filled threes, but I believe in the power of leading by demonstration and want to teach her the power of the political process, so in we went.

Between the time I decided that I would vote that day and arriving at the voting location, I took a few minutes to explain in two-year-old terms what exactly we were going to do. It went a little something like this:

A: "Where we going, mommy?"
Me: "We're going to the library, honey, but not just for books. Today is a special day. Today mommy is going to vote, and you can help me!"
A: "What vote mean?" (she can't quite add "does" to her vocab for some reason...)
Me: "Well, sweetie, there are two men in our country currently who want to be our leader. One's name is President Obama, and the other's name is Senator Romney. When we vote, it's like raising our hand to tell the country who we want to be in charge. Mommy wants Obama to be in charge for a lot of reasons, some of which revolve around protecting your future and your rights and the rights of your Uncles.
A: "Is the other man a bad man?"
Me: "No, honey. He's not a bad guy like Jafar or Gaston. He's just not the person we want making our decisions for us and who we want to get to decide what we can and cannot do with our bodies, or in our homes, or who we are allowed to love."
A: "Bama a nice man?"
Me: "I think so, honey, yes."
A: "Bama, baby!"

Ha - not quite sure where she came up with that last chant (maybe we've watched a few too many football games in her life?!), but she was cracking me up while saying, "Bama, baby!" repeatedly when we were waiting at the polling location. There was no secret who we were there to vote for, and I surely did let Ava hit the "enter" button while casting my ballot :)

I know I talk to Ava like a much older child sometimes. Sure, most of what I said may have sailed right over her head. Sometimes D comes in and I'll be explaining something to her or defining something and I can hear him just snickering. But I firmly believe in the importance of never underestimating our children's intelligence and treating children with respect and like the little citizens they are and who we want them to grow up to be. I was treated as a member of a team growing up in my family, as opposed to a powerless child who had no say. Sure, there are some things I had no say in. Some decisions are for adults alone, obviously. But in growing up with the general feeling that my opinion mattered, and that somehow, I could change the way that things were? The value of that just cannot be stressed enough, and has become a defining way in which I choose to parent Ava. I don't want her to ever remember a time when she did not believe that things could change; a time when she didn't have faith that the world could improve and that we are not helpless and powerless to help it to do so. Shouldn't all women have such a belief instilled in them from a young age? Wouldn't so many great things happened if women grew up feeling empowered?

No matter what she took from today, I hope that when she's old enough to do her civic duty and vote, she remember the importance of the act and know that she, in fact, can change the world.

Wordless Wednesday: The Moment I Knew...

...that my child would not grow up and reveal that she is a lesbian:

(For the record, though, I wouldn't care in the slightest if she did. I just thought this picture - and her obvious crush - was hysterical!)

Things to Do in Austin: Tiny Tails to You Petting Zoo (Fall Edition).

Yeah, yeah, I've written about them before here. And maybe here. But we like to go as often as we can, and there is clearly a reason for that: we love Tiny Tails to You Petting Zoo!

I was joking with the owner, the very wonderful Chelsea Phillips, that I always come with Ava and a different child, and that really does speak to the fact that we just can't say enough good things about the experience.

As always, it starts with an applicable story for storytime. This time, we read A Boy and His Bunny and Bark, George! - both of which were adorable stories! We definitely are adding those to the Christmas/Birthday list!!!

After that, it's time to get right to it and hop into the fenced in area with the animals for the hands-on, petting zoo portion! So fun! Ava always adores the animals, and one mom even commented how brave and compassionate she was, holding each of them and cuddling them up to her! Aww!

My sweet, sweet girl :)

After we've spent a good twenty minutes in the pen, we come back out and do an animal-related craft, which has ranged from putting together pre-cut shapes to form an animal (a lion or elephant, etc), to a coloring page with sequins, etc. We still have all four or five that we've made this year on her bulletin board in her room because she loves them so much!

Have YOU been to Tiny Tails to You Petting Zoo and Storytime yet? If not, what are you waiting for? They've expanded their days and locations to include Westlake, Pflugerville and Round Rock, as well as the centrally located BookPeople that we frequent, so there should certainly be one to fit your schedule! You can view their full schedule of events on their website above!