Three Days in October

I am so busy at work and I'm trying to photo book and the high yesterday was 98-freaking-degrees in mid-October and there's no time for anything, but I miss y'all. I've been using Instagram lately to still feel connected to the world and I can't decide if I like it, but doing a little "story" each day of my work outfit has been fun and made me feel good and creating that little post on my elevator ride up to the 38th floor at work is sometimes all I need to feel like my day has started out right.

That and getting all the NY Times Connections on the first try.

On the one hand, I am nowhere near being an influencer, I'm just a mom of 3 trying to go to work feeling good about myself for at least a moment, so I occasionally wonder if this is just pure cringe.

But... it makes me happy? I'm not trying to influence anyone? There is no goal except wearing clothes to work. Anyway, if you want to see the outfits Bonnie puts together for me: here I am.

There is so so much to catch up on - I bought a new car! A hybrid + electric small SUV and I love her with all my heart. I've been driving her for 3 weeks, averaged 46.3 mpg, and just got gas for the first time. She's zippy and skinny and fits in all downtown parking garage spots. Heartfelt sigh... she's so perfect.

Anyway! There really is no time to go back through all the things that need going through, so we're just going to hit the last 3 days. Oh, this is important background: I committed on October 1st to working out every day and started seeing a trainer in my building's gym (and also finding and entering my building's free gym that I've pretended didn't exist for the last 2.75 years).

Back to Friday!

The day started with me driving to work and seeing that the 5th grade boy down the street must have had some friends over and decided to tp our house when Cora had a friend over (it was the kids' fall break). At least the decor fit the Halloween theme!

I drove straight to SMU which was hosting a Corporate Counsel Symposium and my partner and I were the first panel of the day. Who doesn't love a presentation on internal controls at 8 a.m.?

From there, I switched my heels to boots, ditched the blazer, and added a cowboy hat and drove to the AlixPartners Chili Challenge event!

A crew of our first year associates manned our booth and did such a great job! As always, it was great to hold a mug made of ice and connect with contacts and colleagues throughout the Dallas area.

Next up I put back on the blazer, ditched the hat, kept the boots (lower heel), and headed to my office for many calls, video calls, emails, and more calls.

At 6 pm I dragged myself to the building gym because I this was Day 11 and I wasn't going to break my streak yet, no matter how long the day.

After I got all sweaty, I drove home, ate a big salad for dinner, and watched Modern Family with my family. Claire was babysitting so I had to stay up a little later than planned (10:30 instead of 9:30, because I am no old and embrace my oldness and sleep is the freaking best), but I had my cat and my photo books and a new episode of The Great British Baking Show so all was well.

On to Saturday!

Saturday began with me driving Claire to her swim meet warm-up and then taking a morning walk along the lake. (Day 12!)

I quickly changed into an appropriate school shirt of support and headed back to Claire's meet JUST in time for the first event, the 200 medley relay, which she was swimming.

Claire did great. I'm so glad she's swimming and watching her cheer for and be cheered on by her teammates makes my whole heart happy.

(The 99 degree temperatures did not.)

As soon as the meet ended we went straight home, changed, and headed out to our first ever Texas State Fair experience!

It was the Red River Rivalry (i.e., the UT v. OU game) and my firm was hosting a big client tailgate event.

We massively lucked out with a free street parking spot, bought our tickets through my phone so we could skip the line, and dove in.

And it was insane. I don't understand the State Fair.

Maybe you have to grow up going? It mostly appears to be cars (auto shows), carnival games, a very small handful of rides, some beer gardens, and ONE BILLION people. Everything costs a million dollars and involves a very long line. Why?

I was delighted to have the V&E event because that meant we had an indoor party (apparently we rented the entire Music Hall) with free food and drink. So that was great. When we left, we told the kids we could walk around and do some rides if they wanted. All three of them looked aroud, shook their heads, and we walked back to my beautiful little car.

Next up James went to swim, I went to work in my office, and then he and I headed out for a date night to celebrate his upcoming birthday!

I wore an outfit Bonnie put together for me that involved a sparkly pink denim jacket I took from my mom's donation bin the last time I was in Houston. I am by no means too proud to take style cues from my mother's cast offs.

We had a delicious dinner, our first one out in many weeks, and just enjoyed chatting and being together.

Happy almost 43rd to this handsome guy. Man I love him so much.

On Sunday I went on another lake walk AND did a workout video with weights. Ugh, it's annoying how good working out feels. I worked for several hours from my home office and then got dressed to go to a baby shower for our sweet former nanny Tara!!

Her whole family was delighted to see Cora. The first diaper Tara ever changed!

We were so, so lucky to have her as part of our family for four years, particularly in a phase of our lives when childcare was so absolutely crucially important, and I love that our kids still get to see her and cheer her on as she builds her own life.

We can't wait to meet sweet baby Henry and for my kids to get to babysit hers!!

The rest of Sunday was more working from home, me running around town trying to find outfits for our family pictures which are next weekend, and then eating a delicious vegetarian Pumpkin Walnut Chili before watching a movie together and going to bed. Bed is my favorite.

This morning I wore what I like to call my "pumpkin spice" fall outfit (from Bonnie, of course) and dove into a crazy day that I'm just barely managing to end with a blog post!

I got home at 6:30, did a workout video in my room (Day 14!), and ate dinner with my family on the patio, laughing and joking with these four people who are my whole world.

Life is busy. Every day flies by so, so fast. On the whole, it's pretty dang wonderful and I feel like I'm in one of those wind machines trying to grab hold of all the memories as they fly by me.

I hope to get back to this space soon to capture it just a little more.

Time is Just a Construct

Somehow it's been 3 4+ weeks since we last spoke. It's almost like when I'm not on vacation and/or on strong enough pain meds that I can't do legal work, I never open my personal computer.

(Me, last weekend, not on my personal computer.)

A mere two days after my last post, I was back at work and off to the races with all the kid, work, travel, and school things. I felt great. Really once I actually logged off my computer for two days like I probably should have done in the first place, I recovered very quickly.

The hardest part was the two sad weeks where I was eating as little fat as possible. Turns out, everything has fat in it. And not even just delicious things- like ALL the things. I do appreciate how much I learned about food by googling "grams of fat in X" roughly one BILLION times in 14 days (oatmeal has 5 grams of fat; who knew?), and there was plenty to eat, but my meals weren't exactly something I counted down the minutes to.

On week 3 I slowly started adding light and healthy fats and now at the one month mark I've only had one mishap when I tried a piece of every Crumbl cookie last week because they were all perfect and amazing and oops. Six giant cookies covered in an inch of icing might have too much fat for my gallbladder-less self. But now, one month out from losing my that particular organ, I can eat pretty much what I want, including going to Chicago and eating a bag of Chicago mix, and feel just fine!

(Well, I mean I felt sick, as one does after eating Garrett's Chicago Mix, but there were no regrets. Biological or philosophical.)

Okay, memorable moments in September:

We celebrated our actual wedding anniversary on the 3rd. 19 years!

This picture was taken the day after the wedding, and the day before we drove to Chicago to start law school/married life! I was only 5 years older than Landon is now. [That... seems insane.]

When I got home from work on the 3rd I had flowers and fresh fruit waiting for me. James usually buys me a delicious cookie, which of course I couldn't eat, so he said he wanted me to have something that felt like a treat. He is the best.

While we already had our official celebratory dinner, we decided we still deserved a night out on the actual day, so after all our children were in the various places they were supposed to be we grabbed sushi at a neighborhood spot ("grams of fat in seaweed salad?" "grams of fat in tuna sashimi?").

"We're so lucky," we both said at different times during dinner. Not that there hasn't been work or periods of disconnect in our 23 years togther, but most of the work has been work on ourselves to be better partners- the relationship, the bond, the ease of it, the fire, the romance, the fact that I still want to jump him in the pantry when we're both getting something and the kids aren't looking- that's easy. He's my favorite and I'm his.

We're really so lucky.

I spent the next weekend in Austin for a recruiting event at the UT game. I hadn't been to a tailgate or UT game since I was a student at UT 20+ years ago and wasn't sure I was up for the crush of people and hundred million degree heat, but it turns out, when you have your tailgate indoors at a gorgeous conference center with a band, multiple bars, and buffet, and then walk to your firm's air conditioned suite with more food, drinks, and one of the best cookies I've ever had, it's pretty great!

I stayed in Austin two extra days to connect with some clients and friends. I've mentioned many times that I love being a parent to teenagers, and one of many reasons is they keep me up to date on all the important happenings at home when I'm away:

When I got back my parents stopped by for a night on their drive home to Houston from Colorado. It was my mom's birthday, so we had a table ready for her when they arrived.

They were out early the next morning (as were we), but it was so nice to see them!

And then my mom came back a few days later because my dad was out of town on a golf trip and we snuck in a day of shopping that was SO fun and I got a few beautiful things for fall and it was the best.

That weekend all of the kids had a friend over and at some point Landon said, "Mom, can Dylan and I eat outside?"

"Sure!" I replied.

A few minutes later I heard Claire yell, "Mom! Did you know Landon is on the roof?!"

I did not, no.

Last weekend, Landon went to Austin with a friend to watch the UT game (not from the V&E suite, but from seriously excellent front yard 40-yard line season tickets a friend's family has), James and Cora went to an elementary school father/kid campout, and Claire and I went homecoming dress shopping! [more on that later]

Claire was babysitting that night, so for the first time maybe ever, it was just me alone in my house for 4 hours on a Saturday night. I was so excited I couldn't even decide what to do. What would be worthy of this unique and incredible opportunity to do whatever I wanted in my own house?

I... deep cleaned the dishwasher.

It was satisfying, and I don't have any regrets, but I'm glad I course-corrected by ordering some Thai food through Door Dash and eating on my couch while watching TV with Milo

Almost caught up!

I spent Monday through Wednesday of this past week in Chicago for work, which was great. I moderated a panel on insider trading at a conference and then got to meet Top Chef fan-(and Rebecca!)-favorite Fabio Viviani at a consultant's dinner event! He made fresh pasta and was hilarious and wonderful and my love for him remains constant.

I got a quick walk in before my Wednesday morning flight and man, I will always and forever love this beautiful city on the water.

Yesterday, Landon and Claire had their first high school meets where they were both competing, though from different high schools!

We were a high school house divided.

They did great and my parents drove over to watch the meet and then go to the SMU v. FSU football game. (Both my parents' undergrad degrees are from FSU, as is my dad's MBA.) They got a ticket for Landon because their love for football skipped a generation and landed in him, and while the game was "terrible" (per them), they had great seats and a great time.

And now we're off on a walk along the lake, a stop by the Arboretum to see the pumpkins, and then making a big brunch at home. They'll head back to Houston and I'll dive into my work inbox. Happy Sunday (and September!) to everyone!