Chardonnay is not for sippy cups

Jeff and I took off late Thursday afternoon for a weekend adventure to celebrate our second anniversary. Needless to say, we owed each other some face time to reconnect thanks to this adventure we call raising a ten-month old! After we convinced Harper to stay home with the all important job of taking care of Wrigley (with Grammy's help, of course), we headed off to the Texas Hill Country.

Though it was easier to say we were going to Fredericksburg, our actual destination was Becker Vineyards in Stonewall, Texas, which is about fifteen miles east of that pesky tourist town. Of the three routes we could have taken, we chose the one that took us through Austin. Duh! We tarried around ATX for as long as we could. After dinner at Trudy's (also the scene of our very first date), we sauntered through West Campus so Jeff could reminisce on his rowdy UT days. (It's probably a good thing we didn't know each other in our college years!) Our last pit stop in Austin was at Whole Foods aka "Whole Paycheck." I'm convinced the lone reason for that stop was for Jeff to witness "beer alley" for himself. Tell me, was it all that you thought it would be, Clamjam? ;)

We finally arrived at Becker Vineyards late Thursday night. Our humble adode for two nights was quaint, rustic and--my favorite part--very well air-conditioned! The cabin consisted of a living room, kitchen, bathroom and loft bedroom. The word "bedroom" couldn't be any more fitting, because, literally, the bed filled the entire room. No wasted space here! There was no TV and no Internet, unless you count an iPhone with spotty reception.

Our cabin. It was built in 1890 and housed a family of six. I'm not sure where they stored everyone, because that place was tiny. Jeff and I barely fit ourselves, and we are small people!

View to the right of the living room immediately upon entering the cabin. Stairs lead up to the loft bedroom, which Jeff dubbed "the tree house."

Other half of the living room. Not much to it! Off to the left of the kitchen was a cute little bathroom with a claw foot tub. I took a nice, quiet soak in the tub, and it was deservedly relaxing. I can't say if I missed bathing beneath Harper's frog toy pod or her mini-basketball hoop. There is something to be said for a game of one-on-none shower hoops!

The "tree house" bedroom was complete with a sloped roof. Doesn't this bench look comfy?

The kitchen. You can't see the fridge, but I assure you there was one present. I'm pretty sure that the microwave and coffee maker were authentic to the 1890's. ;) Friday morning, we treated ourselves to a continental breakfast (aka carb breakfast) before heading next door to the winery. Jeff suggested the bag of grapes in the fridge might have come straight off the Becker vines. Yeah, either that or they came straight from HEB!

The winery was a mere stone's throw from our cabin. Jeff plotted to leave one of the winery doors unlocked, so that we might have snuck back over after hours. Yeah, 'cuz that would have worked!

Bags o' grapes! Jeff listened intently to the lesson on wine-making during our private tour.

Friday just so happened to be a day for bottling. Pretty nifty machinery!

Full barrels of wine that weigh 300 lbs each. Wouldn't have minded rolling one or two of those on over to the ol' cabin!

Downstairs in the cellar for extra barrel storage.

Tasting some Cabernet franc straight out of the barrel made possible by the wine thief. Not too shabby!

We also drove to Blanco, Texas, to tour the Real Ale Brewery. Despite my love for Fireman's Four, we were less than impressed at this joint. The tasting left much to be desired, and the tour was steaming hot. We should have known to turn around when we saw two AC repair trucks parked in front of the building! Seriously, we snuck out of the building after five minutes into the tour, and headed back to BV for some more wine. Why mess with a good thing?!

All in all, the trip was veddddy nice. If it weren't for that tasteless Mamacita's dinner Jeff picked out on Friday night, I would have given it a ten. Oh wait, Mamacita's was my own doing. My apologies! Apparently, I romanticized my memories of the green sauce and how much fun we had at the M's in San Marcos during my college days/daze. But I digress...

I could have done without that pesky sinus infection, but even that wasn't enough to put a wrinkle in our mini-vacay. We enjoyed the break, and we relished in Harper's welcome reception when we came home on Saturday night. Until next time, th-th-th-th-th-that's all folks!

Smile...you're on candid camera!

Just a small sample of Harper's new trick. I could have worked harder to get a nice long march for y'all, but I chose not to. Sitting down seemed so much more appealing at the time!

Disregard our odd furniture arrangement, too. I've yet to return Jeff's couch to its proper place following playgroup. (I think he likes it this way--odd?)

Anyhoo, I'll try to get something better for y'all tomorrow!

What's in a name?

Do you ever create nicknames for people or object for simplicity's sake? I did it a ton in college. In the company of close friends, I referred to other friends such as "Blue Shirt," "Red Hat," and "Crazy Hair" to name a few. Blue shirt never knew he was Blue Shirt, just as Crazy Hair never knew he was Crazy Hair. Well, he must have known that his hair was crazy, but how could he not? Mostly, these nicknames were given to guys we/I had crushes on, but occasionally they just made it easier to quickly make fun of people that we would otherwise not remember. Like that one guy, "Candyman."

Unlike the first three monikers mentioned, I don't know Candyman's real name, nor do I wish to. He was christened "Candyman" because he ate a piece of candy. Not just any candy, mind you. It was a piece of hard candy that originally belonged to an old friend, Rachel. Said candy was tossed out into a crowded meeting room in which Rachel and I were seated in the front row. Rachel caught this piece of candy, popped it into her mouth, and was promptly disgusted with its flavor. She promptly spat it back out, returned it to its wrapper, and tossed it over her shoulder further back into the room chock-full of our fellow RAs. We turned around to survey the scene, thinking the candy might pop an unexpected meeting-goer in the noggin. Not quite! We sat in awe as we watched this big oaf of a guy catch the candy in question. He excitedly unwrapped it and gobbled it up! (I shiver at the thought of it even now, like eight years later!) We were mortified, so much that we could only express our feelings with uncontrollable laughter. "Candyman" had no idea that piece of candy was previously tasted and rejected by another's mouth. Did he think all candy came pre-moistened? We later realized Candyman was a friend of a friend who confirmed there was no knowledge of the candy's previous ownership. And so the oaf became forever ingrained in our heads as Candyman.

Long intro, but I told you all that to preface one of many self-appointed nicknames of which I am a party. Jeff and I are the "Falcon Peels". Not in a Falcon Crest, soap opera-esque way, I promise. I use it to differentiate from Jeff's parents, the "Crossbow Peels," in my phone book. They live on Crossbow, and we're a short walk away on Falcon. Simple as that. We also call our house the "Peelton." Not because our humble abode can be likened to a night's stay at the Hilton, but because it's catchy and it works. If the name fits, wear it!

And now I can get to the main (and sole) point of this rambling post. We, the Falcon Peels, will soon celebrate our second wedding anniversary. Next Tuesday marks the spot. As such, the Falcon Peels will depart from the Peelton for a period of three days for an anniversary road trip. Grammy will man the Peelton along with Harper's diligent patrolling service. We will be baby-free........woo hoo! Harper, we love you dearly, but this reprieve is just what the doctored ordered (literally and figuratively, but we'll get to that later)!

Jeff and I will be headed to Becker Vineyards, which is just outside of Fredericksburg. We'll be there for three days and two nights while exploring the vineyard itself, and possibly a few surrounding areas of interest. Oddly, the town of Harper, Texas, is about thirty miles down the road. Luckenbach is fifteen minutes away, as is Cain City (which may only be of interest to a newly engaged friend of mine!!). I still need to Google Maps the distance to the Real Ale Brewery in Blanco, Texas, too. Depending on Grammy's wits and our own energy levels, we may tack a third night onto the end. We shall see!

As if anyone is still reading at this point...

I'm very excited to take this trip with Jeff, AND to celebrate our second anniversary. Two down, eighty-something to go! Bring it on!

You've got a friend in me...

Harper and I hosted playgroup at the Peelton again last Thursday. Breyer and the twins were the first to arrive. When HP looked up from her play prison and saw Breyer walk in with Kyle, she went nuts! She ran to the gate, began waving furiously and said "hiiiiiiiii!" Her face lit up! Seriously, she had the face of a scratch Lotto winner--like a big winner, not when you just make even on a $2 ticket.

Some people shake hands as a greeting. Harper prefers to shake a foot.

Kyle was tickled by Wrigley's "hello" kisses!

Kyle hanging out in the play prison.

Breyer and Kase. What a good lookin' mama!

Breyer wanted me to point out that Kase is sitting in a pink Bumbo.

They are all so focused! Parallel play is fun to watch, but I can't wait until they actually play with each other. Heck, we're just happy to have company--big and small!

Walk this way

For one reason after another, I've put off blogging about Harper's latest accomplishment. Not a skill she has mastered by any means, but it is one she pours a great deal of effort into every single day. Yep, she's working towards becoming an official, card-carrying pedestrian. It started around three weeks ago when her dad/trainer, Jeff, witnessed her first steps. She started out taking three or four solo steps at a time, which has evolved into canvassing several feet when the mood is right. If she is really feeling it, she just may go on a twelve-foot jaunt through the Ridgewood ladies locker room buck naked. Where is my camera when I need it?

Don't get me wrong--I'm not ready to categorize her as an official walker just yet. She still spends plenty of time crawling and cruising. Actually, most of her time is spent walking laps around and around the house while holding onto one of our hands. I thought all this activity might help wear her out, but honestly, only her parents and grandparents seem to be feeling the effects of this mini-marathoner.

We have yet to decide whether we are walking Harper, or if she is walking us. It is probably fair to say the latter is true!

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehn, Goodbye!

She smiles, waves and says "hiiiiiiii" whenever she sees a familiar face...or any random Joe in the mall. I say it time and time again, but ain't she sweet?!

And just for you, free of charge, in my best "You are the weakest link" voice, goodbye.

Where's my snack pack?

Who knew that "back to school" season would have any relevance in the life of a ten-month old? Harper begins Mother's Day Out in one month, and I feel like I'm getting ready for a school year. She needs a backpack, a lunch bag, her name written on every item she owns...the whole works. I'll pack her lunch in the morning, along with a change of clothes and a stash of diapers. We haven't left the house that prepared since Harper was ten weeks old. Heck, who am I kidding? It was more like two weeks. Maybe this MDO deal will help get me back on track. At the very least, it will ensure that we are all dressed, fed and out the door before 9 a.m. Progress!

Sometime over the next few weeks, we can expect to meet Harper's teacher. I'm curious about the other kiddos in her class. Her birthday is two weeks shy of the cut-off date for the next class, so she will undoubtedly be the oldest of her classmates. I just hope the other kids are at or near her age--there just isn't much HP is going to learn from a room full of wee babies. Ah well, she'll be giving noogies non-stop no matter the age difference!

Likewise, I'm also headed back to school in a couple weeks. I haven't earned the right to a fancy new backpack or a snazzy lunch sack, but my deal is even better. I'll be lucky enough to have the opportunity to write a five-gazillion page paper on... ... ... ... Yeah, I got nothing. Buckle your seat belts, because this is going to be a bumpy ride! For me, at least. The most Harper will have to worry about is whether or not Mom remembered to pack her snack pack.

And of course, I will have.

Loaner baby

Kristi, Alyssa, Breyer and I met at good ol' Southwest Texas State University in good ol' San Marky. It was the late '90s, and times were different. We were single, childless, and the beer fridge overfloweth. I still have a beer fridge, thanks to my dear husband, but most everything else has changed.

We're all married. Kristi and I have a child each, and Breyer has two. (Show off!) Alyssa had to use a loaner baby. In other words, whichever of Breyer's twins that was the poopiest. Not even one beer was consumed while we all hung out last Saturday. (The one you'll notice is the last pic belonged to that dear husband of mine. He was either littering or trying to make us look bad.)

The good news is that we can still pick up where we left off, and have a grand ol' time. Man, I love these girls! And their babes, too!

What a great smile from Kase...

...and another great smile from Kyle, even with a foot in his mouth!

Alyssa and Cy. She wanted any and every baby she could get her hands on. Don't they loan them out at the SMPL? ;)

Aunt Alyss tells the boys stories about their mommies in college. Lies, all lies!

Tickle fight!

Kristi is one hot mama!

I've got Harper and Cy balancing on my foot while Alyssa and Breyer man the twins. Babies, babies everywhere!

Kristi showin' off her sweet moves!

The other babies were off fending for themselves in the hot tub. Hey, we're Bobcats....ya gotta live a little! ;)

Driving Miss Daisy

Harper's friend, Lily, paid us a visit a couple weeks ago. Maybe she wasn't exactly "Driving Miss Daisy," but it was pretty close!

HP appears excited at the thought of having such a cool Austinite friend! LJ is probably excited at the thought of a free chauffeur service!

A day in the life of Harper Elle...

Some days are fast and furious, while others are nothing more than humdrum. Today was none of those things. We attended a friend's mother's funeral this morning. It was a "first" for Harper, though not one we'd like to become habit. Harper acted wonderfully peaceful--maybe she sensed that today was a sad, yet special, day. Luckily that dove was firmly attached to its headstone or Harps might have lost points on behaviour. Whew!

Without really intending to do so, I created a visual documentation of Harper's day. It might be boring to some, but to Harper it was an entirely new day. I like to think she is constantly amazed, forever learning, always exploring, constantly napping.....ahahahaha! Yeah, that last one was a joke. If only!

THURSDAY, July 23rd, 2009. 8:44 a.m. - 8:47 p.m.

HP helping her dad get ready for work...or she may have been giving him tips on his fantasy village game. Build more mills, send out the troops, buy more formula! Or something like that...

Brush 'em, brush 'em, brush 'em!

Spending quality time with her Piggy. Pat-pat, little Pig!

Wrigley understands that HP can only sit still for so long. Like 38 seconds max.

Pat-pat, little Piggy. Again. And again. And probably another few times before the day is out.

Checking on the dogs. Possibly enlisting their help for an upcoming jailbreak. They can be very, very sneaky.

***

I wish I had gotten a shot of her after dinner. She was unbelievably gross, coated with fish sticks and bananas from head to toe. G-R-O-S-S. (See, added emphasis.) No time for a pic--no time for detours from the kitchen to the bathroom. By the grace of God, she didn't scream at the sight of the tub. I hope her "screaming bloody murder during tub time" antics were nothing more than a one-week stand. Actually, I'm not hoping, I'm begging.

***

She had plenty of time for cheeky shenanigans after her bath. She shimmied under the hood of her car...a mechanic in the making, perhaps?

The car passed inspection, and Harper's Garage closed for the night.

Mini Jeff was hot on the trail of my digi cam. Quite the techie baby.

How 'bout a nice warm glass of shut the... uhh, milk. I meant milk. Nice warm glass of milk. (Sometimes I want to say normal things, but I end up channeling Adam Sandler instead. It just happens.)

Nightie night, sweet HP! I expect to see you at 7:30 AM tomorrow, and not a moment sooner! Fingers crossed...