Saturday Morning

On Friday evening Sarah had Vivian and Evan while Jo and I went to Fonda for a quiet dinner and then to a movie ("The Theory of Everything" - Stephen Hawking's love life. Didn't need to know). But it was a lovely evening and I plopped into bed happily with that warm fuzzy feeling that though there were things going on, tomorrow was Saturday.

This is what greeted me beside my bed on Saturday morning. Better than coffee.

The kids helped themselves to breakfast cereal while Jo scrounged around the house for unwashed Taekwondo uniforms and tossed them in the drier to make them look better than they were. Hurriedly we piled into two cars and took off for the first activity of the day - Taekwondo photos.

Tree

The Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend we carted the Christmas tree back home. So on Tuesday evening when Jo and Vivian and Evan decorated the tree, I took a couple of pictures and then sat back contentedly to read a book in the other room. Till I got some big scowls from Jo. Still don't have a good understanding of this Christmas thing. Next year I'll jump in and decorate the tree and reminisce about each ornament.

But the tree does look lovely. And the counter tops and shelves are stuffed with green and red plush things that make an awful racket if you push a button. And the mantel is lined with stockings. And the Christmas CD is queued up in the car. Can't wait for that Boxing Day.

Haystack Fun

Sharath had hay stacks at one end of his enormous garden in Hyderabad. When Alu and he and I were around Evan and Vivian's ages and a little bit older we'd climb and jump off the haystacks. And take our BB guns and play five-man-army or the dirty dozen. Yesterday when we went to get a Christmas tree, there was this smallish haystack right in the middle of everything. Evan eyed it, as did a couple of other kids. Then Evan asked if he could play on it and I asked him what he was waiting for. Vivian joined him a bit later. The first time she slid off the haystack, her dress and panties didn't cooperate. So I supposed she decided to dive headfirst the second time. And Evan followed faithfully. And landed on his head and thought he had broken his neck.

An Austin Sunday

On Sunday we hit Austin with the full force of family that's been away for a long time. Okay - a week.

Crazy drove us crazy and sat on anyone's feet she could find and screamed very very loudly all day. Jo went to work out in the morning. Evan, Vivian and I got breakfast tacos from the Shack and went and ate them at Pine Cones on Town Lake. We went and got a tree from the Christmas tree place on Lamar. Jen and Travis and his parents came over for dinner. And Evan even got a yak porn picture before going to bed. A very Austinish day.