Chasing Butterflies

Our weather is so nice right now, we are spending lots of time outside enjoying the beginning of Fall. Child o'mine is a bug hunter, and Fall is Monarch Butterfly season here in south central Texas (they're making their way down to Mexico for the winter). They are tons of them everywhere and my son spends lots of time trying to catch one. Today he found a playful one (you can spot him in the upper right corner of this photo) - he would swoop his net in an attempt to capture it and the butterfly would gracefully dodge it, but wouldn't fly away. This happened about 4 or 5 times until the butterfly finally flew off, probably thinking his luck would eventually run out.

I was so enthralled watching my son play and wonder at the world. Does he truly know how carefree childhood is? I try to remember what it was like to spend my days playing, not having worries or concerns or many responsibilities. I wish I could have captured that time in a butterfly net. I'm so happy that I have my sweet boy to help me remember.

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.

~George Eliot

Today marks the official beginning of Fall. The Autumnal Equinox is here and so is my favorite time of year. After today the nights grow longer (does that mean I'll get more sleep?) and, depending on where you live, the days will be noticeably cooler. Here in Texas, well, let's just say mid to high 80's is cooler and we'll take what we can get. Although, in our defense, temperatures usually remain very Summer-like during the first week of Fall.

One of the reasons I love this time of year is all the fun things to do. Here's a list of some Fall festivities in my neck of the woods:

• Love Creek Orchards' Great Hill Country Pumpkin Patch (Every Sat., Sun., Mon., & Tues. in October)
  
• Oct. 3-5 Fredericksburg Oktoberfest
• Oct. 10 - 12 Rockport Seafair (crab races, gumbo cook-off, kayaking, kite boarding)
• Oct. 17-19 Boerne Fall Festival of Art and Music
  
• Oct. 25 Boerne Harvest Moon Celebration
  
• Oct. 25 Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest
• Oct. 31 through Nov. 9 New Braunfels Wurstfest

Wherever you live, I hope you get out and enjoy this beautiful time of year. I look forward to sharing Fall recipes and decorating tips in the weeks to come!

What do I want to be when I grow up?

I saw the movie The Women this week with some friends, and it seems to have me pondering life a bit. Amidst all the drama and the shameless product plugs (there were A LOT), the movie was quite provocative. The main character (Meg Ryan) goes through a difficult time in her life and ends up trying to figure out what she wants out for herself. She's a wife and mother, but something is missing.

All week I have been deep in thought about what may be missing in my life. I gave up a very successful career to become a Mom, and I do not have any regrets. I am very blessed that my husband is able to support my decision to stay home during these early years of our son's life. My main goal and purpose is to raise a happy, healthy child to send out into this big, big world.

That being said, my son is growing up so fast and it's starting to become clear to me that I cannot stay home forever. Going back to my old career is not really an option; too much travel and very long hours. I have thought about teaching and was working on my degree before I got pregnant. Now I question that path - will it really fulfill me or will I just be getting a job that allows me to work around my son's schedule?

The minute I gave birth it stopped being about me, and I completely accept that. However, I also believe we are all better Moms if we have something in our lives that fulfills our desires. When my son was 6 months old, I started a small business that has managed to stay afloat for 4 years, but it doesn't pay the bills. I need to find something that truly inspires me and that I enjoy doing, and that will help support our future. My fear is if I take a job doing something I don't enjoy, it will not benefit my family in any way (we all know if Mommy ain't happy, no ones happy).

I have some time to figure this out, but I must do just that. When the time comes for me to start working again, I want to be ready. I want to know what I want to be when I grow up.

I'm back...but I need some rest!

It's been a while since I've visited the blogoshpere, let alone post on my own blog. Things have been quite hectic around here, to say the least. My son turned five last week, so I was deep in party mode (Pirate party mode, to be exact), plus I had my Mom and her good friend visiting for a week so I was a tour guide as well. Life is getting a bit back to normal now, except I've been totally exhausted. Feeling like I've been run over by a bus tired. All I want to do is sleep, but alas, that doesn't seem to be in the cards for me. I had a hard time sleeping last night because the sink drain in my bathroom was gurgling all night. It's probably stopped up with some sort of hairy clog, but since I've been making a concerted effort to go green around here, I can't pick up the Liquid Plumber.

I found this recipe online to "safely" unclog drains. I'm going to try it out along with my super cool new drain snake . Next time you reach for the Drain-O, try this instead: Pour a cup of baking soda, followed by a cup of white vinegar, down the drain. Plug the opening with an old rag or a stopper and let it bubble away. After a few minutes, rinse with hot water and repeat if necessary. I'm taking my plumber hat off now and, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a nap!