Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Peacocks and Playing Hooky

I'm having a hard time believing that Christmas is over and today is a work day. I took off yesterday and was continually perplexed by all the emails buzzing on my blackberry- I kept forgetting it was a Monday and there were people in my office actually working on legal things.

I've been busy too, just not on anything billable. On Saturday I cleaned the whole house and carefully put away all our Christmas decorations in labeled bins. My mother-in-law was horrified as she keeps most of her Christmas decor up year-round, a practice that horrifies me. JP installed the gorgeous new ceiling fan I picked out for our bedroom (our old one was ugly, didn't match, and made a clicking noise that was slowly driving me insane) and hung up my pretty picture frames on the walls. Our bedroom is now complete and I love it. It's like a modern little hotel room totally separate from the rest of the house.

On Sunday we went to Green Pastures for brunch. If you live in Austin, I HIGHLY recommend heading over one Sunday. It's a little pricey ($35/person) but it is in a gorgeous historic home on 7 acres, the service and food are incredible, the highly alcoholic milk punch and homemade juice blend are included -- and, best of all, the grounds are home to a few dozen peacocks (or "peafowl" as I just learned from their website; only the male is a peacock, the female is a peahen). It's great for a special occasion and Landon was enchanted by the Christmas decor, the piano player, and especially the "big birdies".



Landon: I want to give it a kiss.



Mommy: I don't think peacocks like kisses. Let's just look. From a distance.



This peacock refused to show me his pretty feathers. Apparently I am not attractive as a mate.



The albino peacock dug himself a little hole - I wondered if the other peafowl made fun of him.

We managed to get another good picture of the 3 of us (3.5?)- of course the only two I got this year were both taken after we sent out our Christmas cards. I've decided that the two pregnancy pounds I've gained so far are split among my cheecks and my boobs, which seems odd given that the baby is in neither of those places. But I still like the picture, Landon looks so proud to be wearing his new "I'm so handsome" sweater vest.



Last night we ate at Z Tejas and Landon kept sticking his head under the table. When we asked what he was doing, he said, "looking for the peacocks!" We thought that was a great idea and he stayed busy looking for those wily birds for most of dinner.

The in-laws left early this morning and while the visit went fine, eight days is a very long time and it's very, very nice to have our house back to ourselves. JP no longer has his angry eyes on all the time and I can relax for the first time in a week and enjoy a quasi-day off while working in the study. The boys are building a comlicated train/block city in the play room and I can watch them from my desk. It's cold and rainy outside, the dogs are at my feet, and Lilly is in her Nordstrom box. All is well.

9 comments:

  1. Green Pastures! I've only been once and it was amazing. I must find an excuse to go back! I am ready to put the Christmas decorations away too, but I have to be sneaky.

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  2. Beautiful pictures! Austin sounds like such a great place to live, especially for a young family.

    Do we get to see pics of the newly remodeled bedroom? :)

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  3. 1) Christmas decor up all year? Yikes. I feel like a slacker having mine up TODAY.

    2) I've never been to Green Pastures! That place looks amazing.

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  4. You look great, girl! You all do.

    I can't believe you take your decorations down so soon. I would never leave them up all year (how weird would that be?!) but we do leave them up until New Year's Day.

    Actually if I had my way, they would probably come down the weekend after New Years (why rush?) but the "compromise" I have brokered with my husband (after not a little bloodshed over the years) is that they come down New Years morning. The good part is it's usually half done by the time I get out of bed. :D

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  5. I like to put it all away the weekend after Christmas, which this year just happened to be the day after. I love Christmas and love the way our house looks all decorated, I just don't like Santa, the reindeer, etc. around after Christmas is over. For me, it's like playing Christmas music before Thanksgiving- it's just in the wrong section of the calendar! Our outside lights stay up through New Year's as they're still appropriately festive, but once Christmas Day is over I'm ready to box everything up indoors and start looking forward to next year :)

    I think it's partly what you're used to - when I called my mom on the 26th and mentioned I was boxing everything up she said, "me too!"

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  6. To throw my 2 cents in...I'm a 12 days of Christmas fan. My stuff stays up until Epiphany.

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  7. She keeps up Christmas decor all year?! Doesn't that take away from the fun of actually having them up at holiday time?

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  8. I look how clean and fresh my house looks when I take down the Christmas decorations, so I always do it early. Last year we took everything down the day we came home from the hospital with Timmy.

    And I second the motion for pics of the fabulous new master retreat! I can't wait to one day fix up our bedroom :)

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  9. 2 pounds?? I officially hate you. I'm weeks behind you and after this holiday season, have added 13. Gah.

    Christmas with a toddler is so fab, isn't it! Lovely picture of you all.

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