Twittercane

As Connie Reece (@conniereece on Twitter) will tell you, microblogging (twitter specifically) isn't just some irrelevant, superficial chatting service. The Home Depot (@thehomedepot) is using it to coordinate Gustav preparation and information.

Our evening with My Morning Jacket

My Morning Jacket played Stubb's on Sunday night, and neighbor friend Katie and I gathered the energy that was left after our already intense weekends and headed downtown. Glad we pushed through the 3-hour set, much of which you can see though this set of YouTube videos. A little too ethereal and jam band at times, but in all a fantastic show I'll surely remember for awhile.

Patty Griffin's 'Be Careful'

Patty Griffin sang a really beautiful version of "Be Careful" at the KUT Live show on Friday night at the Austin City Limits studio. I didn't grab the whole song, but you can still feel the grace with which she sings.

Thanks for the oh-too-cute surprises, GaGa!

Both Julian and mommy got a surprise in the mail this week from my grandmother, who has been known to wear a go-to-hell hat or two in her life.

The boys are back in town

Ian and Julian were in Waco for a few days this week, which left me alone in this house for more hours than I've been alone here since Julian was born (not much of an exaggeration, even with the long days of work I had this week...). Toddlers don't leave you much space or time for yourself. It's just a fact that parents of young ones grow to accept. I fight it still (Putting him down for a nap at 9:30 instead of 10 or ignoring his shouts of "mom" that start 20 minutes after we both go down for a nap, for example.) but there's little use. He's interested in everything in the house except his things. The DVDs are particularly of interest, especially since he's figured out how to reach the eject button even though it's as high and far from his reach as we can get it. Friends, babysitters, even family members — everyone but fellow newish parents — have a hard time really understanding the attention and energy required to tend to, much less entertain and educate, a 19-month-old.

That's where Ian gets the super gold stars. I've officially decided that staying at home with Julian full time is not anything I'd want or would be capable of doing. It's getting to the point where Ian, too, is having to make the conscious decision to continue with the current childcare situation. We've been talking about finding somewhere for him a few days a week, which I hope will happen in the next few months. It would be good for everyone in this house to have some more time to him or herself.

My time away from the child is taken up pretty wholly with work or work-related activities. Thankfully, that also means I've been eating some fine food and meeting some fabulous people. I even got to go to the circus this week! That food price story on Wednesday ended up being more work than I thought it would be, but it was worth it to try to explain why some of H-E-B's prices have dropped amid the largest food price increases since 1990.

Thanks to neighbor/sound guy Pat, we got to see the lovely Patty Griffin last night at the Austin City Limits studio on the UT campus. It was a great show; the live rendition of "Bad News" kicked ass and her last song, which she wrote for a graduating class, brought tears to my eyes. Sunday is My Morning Jacket, which I'm having a surprisingly hard time finding a partner to go with. Triste. They are too good to miss.

Pink is my favorite color

0818081549-04.jpg, originally uploaded by broylesa.

Dinner at Uncle Tom's house was an excuse to listen to the rain, no matter how shortlived, on the roof of his garage, get out in the country for a little while and wear pink bandannas.

Playing hard, learning lots

Julian is amazing us these days with his curiosity and developmental skills. No matter how many times your kid does something new, the newness never gets tiring.

He opened the screen door to walk in the house today and then turned around and closed it behind him. Ian said he was pouring his juice from one cup to another and saying "juice," then drinking it and saying "nice." He held on the end of Shiva's leash and repeated "good girl" on a walk today. You ask him his name, he says "Juli." Ask him to play guitar, and he rocks out with an air guitar that would rival any at the Alamo Drafthouse competition.

Did I tell ya about my girl Ruby?

Our adventurous weekend in Houston offered its own learning opportunities. He got to see elephants, turtles, lions and the lot at the Houston Zoo (the monkeys! the birds! it was enough to make a kid's head explode), and he even went to his first beer tasting. Well, he stuck with root beer while Erin and I hit the St. Arnold's sauce. Some Montrose shopping meant he got to run in and out of dressing rooms while mommy was only half clothed. It was hot as hell, but he stuck out one final destination for me: the Menil Collection, where the two of us quietly perused the cool, quiet galleries, taking in the powerful and moving works. He finally fell asleep in the Rothko Chapel and slept most of the way home.

Add to that nap, which was his only one the WHOLE WEEKEND, a full day yesterday with Dad and Corey on the Greenbelt and Barton Springs and an evening of kickball, he was tuckered out enough to sleep until 9 this morning.

I took a few photos and videos of this weekend that I'll hopefully post later this week. Sorry I've been so neglectful to La Vie Dansante. Relish Austin has taken over my life a little, including a column tomorrow about cooking in bulk and freezing food and this video about how to make a great margarita, but I'm starting to really get into food blogging. Happy reading (and eating!)...

Julian photos July 2008

I'm going to let the photos tell the story of Julian this month. They include lots of animals, good friends, some creative (and messy) projects and one very energetic and vivacious toddler.