Adventures in Texas - Sculpture Days!

So, this summer I decided to make the most of my six, yes, 6 weeks off from school and have adventures with the children and S. We have gone and done some pretty fun things. Look for more updates about the things we did this summer as the weeks progress.

In no particular order......

Adventure 1 - Sculptures, sculptures everywhere!

Managed to get into the waterfall with getting soaked!

Today was Family Day at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden in Zilker Park. I saw a posting for this event last month in the Free Fun in Austin blog but I didn't go because, well..... I was too lazy. I mean, pack up two kids, go to an unknown event where Superboy might have to behave just scares me. Today though, I was looking for something free to do and this posting popped up again so I thought, why not give it a try. The worst thing that could happen is that he breaks a few million dollar statues right? I packed up the kids, called a friend and she packed up her kids, and then we went off to see what the hoopla was all about.

We got to the Umlauf, and I was so pleasantly surprised! The building itself reminded me of a cross between the Botanical Gardens on St. Croix and an art gallery. There was this great little waterfall to the right of the building that the kids loved exploring and that filled the air with the melodic sounds of water flowing down rocks.  From there we entered into the atrium and listened to a story being read. It was about an Octopus - how appropriate! Superboy ended up talking to the nice lady from Book People all about animals like rattlesnakes, wolverines, and badgers and how cool they were. I think she left that conversation missing an ear or two!

Scavengers on the hunt.

The wonderful ladies at the Umlauf gave each child a photo scavenger hunt of different sculptures and a dry erase marker so they could cross off the sculptures as they found them.  The little little ones LOVED this and had a great time. The older ones liked the challenge of finding different statue hands, but were not as excited as the littles.  The Umlauf also had a sand pit where the kids could make sandcastles, volcanoes, and roadways.  There was sand and water involved so my island kids had a BLAST!  I would say that this was the highlight of the trip.

Playing in the sand.

In short, other than the slight heart attack that I had when we were inside and Superboy almost knocked over a 3 million dollar statue, it was a highly successful day where they ALL had a blast. Do I recommend taking your kids to the Umlauf? Yes, should you expect them to want to go back every week - umm, probably not, but I think they will be up for it once every few months.  This trip gave me the idea that doing a scavenger hunt for all ages would be the way to go when we go to a questionable locale on our next adventure.

In order to end our day, we went Amy's Ice Cream in the Arboretum.  It was cool - they had great flavors. I got Mexican Vanilla, Superboy got Sweet Cream with gummy bears, and A got a Melon Sorbet - I think A's was the most refreshing. We then went to go see the granite cows in the little park behind the shops.  The kids all loved climbing on these statues and riding the cows off into the sunset!

Tandem cow riding!

Go have a sculpture adventure today and tell me about it sometime.

The Ease of Living?

Who cares about playing in the mud and looking
funky if it's for a good cause right?

I was talking with a friend on the East Coast the other day - HELLO! (you know who you are) - and she asked me what was the most surprising thing about moving. I had to think about that one. There are really two things that super surprised me - no wait, three.

1) The move was easy. No, REALLY easy. I don't mean the packing or the actual planning of the move. Nor do I mean the sale of the house or all the angst of picking a place, but the settling was/has been easy. I remeber driving down Ben McCullum - see Anna, I know the lingo - about two weeks after we moved and I caught myself thinking how I felt like I had been here for years not weeks.  I had settled. I was still unemployed at that point, didn't know where anything was, didn't know anyone, we didn't have our stuff, but it(Texas) felt..... right. It was scary. How could I uproot myself and my family from all we had known for YEARS and move to an alien place and it feel right after all of two weeks? Was I a traitor to my island blood, my Caribbean way of life? On the contrary, I think living in such a wonderful place like St. Croix actually prepared me to assimilate and adapt as well as I have.

2) It is EASY to live here. Everyone is SO friendly, helpful, and prompt that life is easy. I can call the gas company and almost before I hang up, someone is knocking on my door to help out with whatever issue I had. I can get home and open the rice and there are no weevils (STX peeps know what I mean), I can take said OPENED unweevily rice and RETURN it with no receipt, no questions asked!!! There are 2 groceries, 3 drugstores, 4 gas stations, 3 banks, 3 community pools, and a MALL(!!!!) around the corner from our house.  The selection in all of those places is unbelievable, the prices are cheap, and there is way more than I could EVER want in any of those places.  Oh, did I mention there is are 2 Targets AND Walmarts within a 6 mile radius of us too? OVERKILL!

My kids moaning about the cold.

3) Everyone blows small issues out of proportion - and not in a good way.  The other day A had a swim meet - her first of the summer and it rained! Which, by all reckonings is rare in drought prone Texas. It was a nice morning between 5:30 and 7:00 am, but then it started to downpour. The kids were all under tents out of the rain, they all had chairs or shared, the meet was going on even though it started a whole 15 minutes late, it was all good to me. Heck it could have been worse right? No, it wasn't comfortable and it wasn't ideal, but kids have to learn to roll with the punches right? Apparently, I was the only one that thought so. Parents were incensed that the meet started late, that the relay's got cancelled due to time constraints, that it was raining, and horror of all that the kids had to stop swimming due to lightning. SIGH. It COULD have been WAY worse. I have noticed, that people complain if it doesn't rain, complain it if rains, complain if the DMV takes 15 minutes instead of 10, b!tch and moan if they can't do what they want when they want, etc.  Sometimes I want to jack slap all the whiners and tell them that spending time together and with family is what is important, that life could be so much worse. They could pay .50c a KW for electricity and NOT have AC, have to choose between wilted lettuce and tasteless tomatoes, have to prep for a hurricane, etc.  I know NOT everyone is this bad, but I do notice a trend of people that don't look on the bright side of life and forget to be grateful for what they do have.

All in all, I love living here. We now have some great friends, have done things that took us out of our comfort zone, gotten a job, bought a house, and enjoyed our experiences here. I do hope that both children remember to savor the bumps or potholes in the road, go with the flow, but appreciate the ease of life here.  C still dresses up as whatever he wants to when we go out. He still LOVES his pirate boots, but has now discovered super heros. A still prefers climbing trees to wearing dresses and shopping (thank goodness!). S still loves to clean and keep house(can I get down on my knees and thank my lucky stars?), and I  still like doing too much with too little time.

Living here in Texas has given me appreciation for the easy way of life that could be mine, but I still like to throw curve balls in everyone in a while, like trying to be two places at once that are 50 miles apart.  It makes life ............... i n t e r e s t i n g.

Ramblings from Texas

Wow, wow, wow! Life has changed and I've neglected this blog. I am going to try to post once a week. Now that summer is here, that should be doable... yeah, sure.

So, we moved - and then we moved again.  We are still in Texas, but rather than being south of Austin, we are now north of Austin in a little bedroom community called Cedar Park.  I got a job, we bought a house, bought a dog, planted a veggie garden, A joined a swim team - or two, C is going to preschool, S stays home and is raising kids, cleaning house, being a taxi for the kids, shopping, taking car of any loose ends that I have left behind, and in short being a fantastic house husband, AND we have been exploring Austin!

C admiring a buffalo statue near Johnson City

There is SO much to do here - Capital tours, Austin sightseeing, pioneer farms, parks, Native American Pow Wows, music festivals, Cinco de Mayo celebrations, dog parks, shopping, movie theaters where they serve food(!), parties, GIANT book stores, kite festivals, etc.  We have yet to scratch the surface, go past the tip of the iceberg, etc. in terms of what there is to do here. We like it, it feels comfortable. I can see how we will have to strive to maintain our island vibe though what with all there is to do, I can see us getting over extended. In fact, most weekends we manage to build in home time where we hang here and do stuff like paint, make flower crowns, ride our bikes, cook, etc.

Crucian peeps and others at the Dirty Girl Mud run

Scarf dancer at Powwow @UT

Do I miss St. Croix? yes. Do my kids and husband miss St. Croix? yes. In fact the other day, C asked Stephen when we were going back and NOT for vacation. When we told him we didn't know, he got very upset and muttered something about going back to his island and selling this house for sixty five nine dollars - sorry kid, we need more money than that for this sucker!

I discovered Crucians here in Texas! We are EVERWHERE!!!! Big Up Crucian massive! I need to have a real Crucian party here this summer, play some Violators, Stanley, Quelbe, and even toss some Daddy Yankee in that mix to really let the new neighbors that "we deh here, meson!" So, if you find yourself in Austin this summer, look us up and "Leh we jam!"

Christmas Spirit

 We have been so busy unpacking, trying to figure out where we are, driving to the grocery store, doing homework, and working – yes, I am working now – that it feels like Christmas is no where near here.  Yes, we have a tree and our chimney has Christmas decorations – and YES I did send out Christmas cards this year(finally), oh and I did bake one set of Christmas cookies too, but still it just doesn’t feel like Christmas yet.

What to do to make it feel like Christmas? Join the neighborhood caroling group of course! No, I can’t sing and you really don’t want to hear me sing, but I still enjoy doing it. Our neighborhood has for the first time, got together and tonight went caroling. We met  at our pavilion, had hot chocolate, cookies, and sweets, practiced singing, and then jumped on a trailer covered in hay bales and set off down the road to sing to some neighbors who have a had a hard year. 

The kids were super excited, hopped up on sugar, and raw energy, the adults enjoyed socializing, and making other people feel good.  All in all, it was a nice way to “bring in” the Christmas season. So, get out there and do something Christmasy.

The Summer of Ice Cream!

Pure ingredients

It seems like in years past each summer has had a theme. Last summer was jams and jellies. This summer has been ice cream!  When I was little my Dad made homemade ice cream every once in a while.  I don’t know why he didn’t make it more often, but I do remember that we had an old White’s Mountain hand cranked ice cream maker. It was the kind you had to put rock salt and ice into.  Maybe we didn’t make it more often because my Mom didn’t like the egginess of homemade ice cream, or maybe because finding rock salt on the island was hard back then.  Who knows, but I do remember being sad when Hurricane Hugo destroyed it.

The secret to tropical ice cream!

A few years back, my Dad got a new Cuisinart ice cream maker that was electric and had a freezer bowl. It was genius! He started making ice cream again, and since he usually had an excuse to make it when we came for dinner, it became tradition for A to tell him what flavor to make. He started making Cinderella and Ariel ice cream….. what is that exactly? It’s vanilla ice cream or almond flavored ice cream that has been dyed the appropriate color to match the Princess in question’s dress. Hence blue ice cream for Cinderella and pink or red ice cream for Ariel.  My niece L also got into and started asking for Aurora ice cream, and then later Pocohantas ice cream. I am sure that is Disney got a hold of this site, they would make an even larger fortune!

Mixing

Anyway, I have an attachment for my Kitchen Aid stand mixer that promises to make ice cream. I tried it once and it worked marginally. This summer, I was determined to figure it out and make it work!  So, I experimented – a lot J

Tricks to using a KA ice cream attachment in the Caribbean:

1.     FREEZE your bowl for at LEAST 5 days.

2.     Chill in the freezer your cream for at least 2 hours before you mix it into your base

3.     After mixing your base, CHILL for 2 days in fridge or FREEZE for 8 hours.

4.     Start mixing as EARLY in the morning as possible(5 am is NOT too early in this case)

5.     Cover your KA with a fluffy bath towel while it is mixing.

6.     Once mixed and soft serve consistency, place into metal or ceramic bowl and put back into freezer at least overnight

7.     Eat with friends and family outside while admiring the lingering heat of the day

Basic ice cream recipe:

1C whole milk*

1C sugar

2C cream

4-6 egg yolks(large)

flavoring

*The more whole the milk you use, the creamier the ice cream

Scald milk and sugar in pan. Beat yolks in separate bowl. Add scalded milk to yolks once milk is slightly cooled. Mix continuasly so yolks don’t cook.  Return to stove top and stir until the mixture coats the back of your spoon. Once it is thick and coats spoon, mix into super chilled cream, add flavoring and chill in fridge or freezer.

Some notes: If you are using whole flavorings like mint leaves, cinnamon, rosemary, etc steep those in the scalded milk for at least 30 minutes then rewarm milk and add to yolks after removing flavoring(or not – your preference)

Some of our favorites this summer were:

Mango and Morita Chili

Rosemary, Blood Orange Olive Oil, and roasted Pepitas

Chocolate Decadence with Cocoa Nibs

French Vanilla

Mint Chocolate Chip with real mint leaves

Mamey, Cinnamon, and Piloncillo

Mango

Mamey

I have a few other flavors up my sleeve but will not tell you about them just yet!

We enjoyed this summer’s theme. Did your summer have a food theme?

Where has it gone?

Sailing camp

The summer is at an end.  About 3 months ago I had all these plans for our down time. I was going to clean out closets and under beds, go to the beach 3 times a week, finish a quilt, pick up a few other sewing projects, cook up some great meals, fix the garden beds, explore a different part of St. Croix every two weeks, etc. 

Here is what I ACTUALLY accomplished – cooked great meals, ran errands, took A to multiple camps, ran C around to different play grounds, played with both kids, started tutoring, became a mom mobile, hung at the beach, made new friends, explored science stuff with the kids,  cleaned the house,  read, put our dog to sleep,  rediscovered Buck Island, realized that I NEED salt water, built multiple train track configurations, did arts and crafts with A, and had a GREAT time.

Watermelon Ice Pops!

Did I accomplish what I wanted to accomplish – no. Did I get frustrated when I realized that my closet and under my bed is still a mess – yes, but did I also get to create some wonderful memories with my family – YES. Was it a good summer despite not getting through my to do list? Most definitely!

I think that A has had the best summer of her life to date. She was in Danica David’s art camp and got to do art 5 days a week for 1 month, she made new friends, went of field trips, and got bitten by the art bug.  Here is a video clip of their end of the camp song:

Then she met not one, but two new friends named Alex. If she doesn’t marry the one later in life I’m going to be crushed. She made new girl friends who allowed her to stay multiple nights in a row for sleepovers, she swam in someone’s pool or the ocean everyday, she learned how to sail, she had friends over to play all the time, and she had 2 birthday celebrations!

Birding at the Buccaneer

C got to go play at the beach a lot, he played in his sandbox, got Mommy all to himself, and missed his sister ALL the time! He took walks, learned how to speak a ton more, came up with some great witticisms, and started requesting odd, odd, odd songs at bed time. Anyone ever hear of the song about the Farmer who ate his chickens pollos, the big friendly dinosaur who played with horses, or the some about the bleeding dog in the bushes? I hadn’t before this summer, but now I know them VERY well.

I LOVED my summer and I’m not really too disappointed that I didn’t clean out the closets or under the bed. There are more important things in life.  How was your summer?

3, REALLY???

3 is just mind boggling. I mean 3! I cannot believe we are at 3.  It’s just one more than 2, but 3… whatever will we do? How will we handle it?  Bet you think I’m talking about 3 kids, huh? While I would love to be pregnant again – I know, I am one of those sicko women who LOVE being pregnant, we are not.  Which is just fine with me.  I mean, I have two hands and we are a two parent household and while when pregnant I feel great and love it, I just don’t think I could another child while having one under 5 in the house…..

So, what’s with 3? Today is C’s birthday and he is 3.  I can hardly believe that he is 3 now. He is so BIG. He talks, tells stories, tells lies(sigh), plays by himself, feeds himself, and is a BIG boy as he told me the other day. He is OBSESSED with being big and not a baby – how did that happen? He views other kids that are shorter than him as “babies awww”. It’s really funny.

When he was born, I had zero idea of what to do with a boy baby other than feed and change him as required. I wasn’t prepared for the fundamental differences between boys and girls – and yes, there are. I had no idea how funny he could be, or that he would CONSTANTLY keep me on my toes. I had no idea that the little miniature human being that came out of me would grow into such a MOOSE or have such personality, or be so LOUD!

Luckily, I like boy stuff like dead animals(as long as we don’t bring their stinking carcasses inside), I like mud, and wrestling, I like digging, and playing so hard that we drop exhausted in the car. I enjoy the made up stories of lions, bears, and dinosaurs. I like pretending that we are cowboys. I love the cuddles and all the kisses. I love the wide eyed wonder of this age. I love that he likes to help in the kitchen, or help clean, or just help. 

 

I still have no idea what to do with his boy bits when he comes to tell me stories about what it did….. I have no idea how to answer for him why they are different sizes or how to stop his obsession with them (I hear  know that the obsession NEVER stops).  And the DRAMA – REALLY!!! – I thought boys were stoic?!?! Mine is a DRAMA queen when he doesn’t get what he wants – it drives me NUTS!

Now that I’ve had him for three years, I wouldn’t give him back nor want to trade him in for the fairer sex.  There are times, however when I would gladly tie him up and sit down with a BIG glass of wine and just be alone.   Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my child and I know that one day he will be all grown up and leave the house and I will be sad, but just once in awhile I need time with a rational human being like his sister.

So, on the anniversary of the day you were born – in 18 minutes from water breaking to touchdown – you have been a joy and a trial. You have brought laughs and tears, you have been a great playmate to your sister and a complete pest. You are a boy and you LOVE vehicles and animals. You are rough and gentle.  May your spirit of adventure, your kindness, your imagination, and your wonderful comedic personality continue to carry you on and serve you well as you grown.

NOW, GET DOWN FROM THE TOP OF THE FRIDGE !!!!!

Fun with Donkeys

I don't know of anywhere else in the world where children and adults can take part in the highly comedic biannual ritual of passage where half wild donkeys are gathered into one spot and then you either ride, drive, or simply watch them being used for personal enjoyment.  What in the world? Why it's the Gentlemen of Jones Donkey Races!

We first went and took part in the Donkey Races with children in tow about 2 years ago. I do remember going to one race donkey years ago that was held at Canegata Ball Park, I think I was in high school or maybe middle school.  When they first started I have no idea.

Well, this year we decided to hang on the beach in Frederiksted until the children wanted to go to the races. Of course we stayed at the beach way later than anticipated, but it was fun. We got to the Donkey Races at the Paul E. Joseph Stadium about 3:30 and poor A was too late to sign up to ride.  I was a secretly relieved Mama as I had C and didn't know what to do with him while I was leading A around the track with her donkey.



Those beasts are some of the most stubborn animals I have even met! Have you ever tried to lead a Donkey around and have it go where you wanted to? It's freaking IMPOSSIBLE! Especially if you have stuck a person on their back, but honestly in defense of the donkeys they only get someone on their back once or twice year, other than that they get hang out in the bush and not be bothered at all and then one day when they are minding their own business a human or two come along, grab them up, stick them in a trailer with a bunch of other donkeys that they don't know and then take them to Frederiksted. Now, while they get a free ride, I am not too sure if standing nose to ass in a crowded trailer while zooming down the highway is their idea of fun.  Then once they get to Frederiksted, they are stuck in pens, bridled surrounded by loud music that ranges from Quelbe to Shakira, petted by children and adults alike, pointed at, not allowed to request any particular type of music, and indignity of all indignities have people tossed on their back and are expected to simply do what you want them to do? FORGET IT!!!!

For the people in attendance, this leads to many many side splitting laughs, guaffaws, and ass jokes. The above video isn't from this year, but I thought it would give you a good idea of what goes on during a Donkey Race.

First place finisher! Woo hoo!

Anyway, once we got to the Stadium, and found out that A couldn't ride we decided to hang out and watch one, maybe two races because frankly standing around watching people and asses make asses of themselves with a cranky toddler just isn't fun. ANYWAY, as we were standing around a little girl backed out of riding her donkey in the 12 and under race so A was able to hop on ride her donkey around the ring.  The course consisted of two laps and A did a phenonomal job on hanging on as her helper lead her around the ring twice.  She did fall off in the homestretch and was able to get back on.  A ended up placing first for which she got a trophy and a ribbon. She also got a sore arm and jammed pinky but hey, if you don't get hurt it isn't fun right?

If you are ever around for the Donkey Races, you should go out west and watch and if you are brave enough, participate. I did two years ago and got my trophy tons of good memories and the title of chief ass rider(for at least one year). Seriously, where else but St. Croix are you going to see something like this???

Beautiful Food

Nopalitos

Yesterday, we had some friends over for brunch. Normally, this isn't that big a deal for us, some eggs, some bagels, some lox, coffee, mimosas, etc.  Well, yesterday was different. These friends that we had over were none other than my food idol - The Crucian Contessa (check out her blog, you will see what I mean) - and her equally well versed foodie  husband. After I invited them over, I started sweating bullets... What was I going to make? Would this ultimate paragon of food excellence like it? Would I "f" it up? AARGH!! WHAT had I done???!!!?? So, after I picked myself up off the floor and grew a backbone again, I started planning.....

Chiles Moritas

I decided to make a dish that I love, but is way labor intensive. A dish that I have only discovered in the last 12 years, a dish that would highlight our Mexican roots and the influences that Mexico and its many native cultures have played in influencing my food palate.  Now, living here has it's challenges when it comes to meal planning, but somehow, there must have been divine approval on my plans because I found EVERYTHING I needed at my first two stops - AMAZING!

The Menu:

Nopalitos

Huevos Motulenos

Roasted potatoes with onions, green, and red bell peppers

Bacon - more for the kids than anything

Mango Flan

Mamey

Mamey fruit in a market in Mexico

So, I KNOW the Potatoes and the Bacon are just not typical Mexican food, but my Irish husband could NOT fathom a brunch without potatoes. Also, C could eat a side of bacon by himself and knew it was in the fridge and had been hounding us for Bacon for DAYS!!!

Pinto Beans

Anyway, I started prepping on Saturday by chopping, making my salsa for the Huevos Motulenos, and made the Mango Flan.  My house smelled like Mexico, the aromas that surrounded the bubbling pots, the oven and just the kitchen in general were memory invoking. When I was roasting and parboiling tomatoes and garlic it felt like I was in Merida in theYucatan. The scent of the cooking Flan took me to Christmas at home with my parents and making Pine Nut Flan. The dried Morita chiles that were reconstituting on the counter top filled the kitchen with a deep smokey chile flavor that rested on your tongue and made your mouth water.

homemade tortillas
that A helped make

On Sunday, I got up and finished cooking the beans, making corn tortillas(with the skilled help of Ms. A), and chopping ham and cheese. Once it was all done and the platters were prepped, it was time to wait for our guests.  We played with the kids, watched the Olympics, and just enjoyed our morning - especially when A and C decided to play with his toys in the living room and ACTUALLY played NICELY!!!  So once the Contessa and her Count got to our home,  I started frying tortillas and plating and explaining flavors as best I could as the Contessa's attention was divided between myself and C who has decided that he wants to be the Contessa's child and not mine.

Nopales or cactus paddles

I am very proud of myself for making such a fabulous meal with 2 kids, I am proud of my hubby who followed directions and made the potatoes, and the eggs as I just can NOT make sunny side up eggs to save my life, and I am super proud of my children who not only sat nicely during the meal but also spoke well and articulately and entertained themselves for most of the brunch.  I am especially proud that my Mango Flan earned a "Vicious" from the Contessa :) I love her, she made my day.

Thank you Contessa and Count for coming over, allowing us to entertain you, cementing our friendship, sharing stories, and eating our food.  Also a BIG thank you for dealing with the constant interruptions from C and for being such a good sport at eating some wildly crazy food.

So, if you haven't had friends over yet this summer, do it. Brave the heat and spend the morning in the kitchen, whip up some good food and have some friends over for good times. It's what life is about.

Huevos Motulenos - yum!