A week in Texas

The trip to Texas was not wonderful.  By which I mean Anne slept about four hours the night before we departed, and I slept less.  And the standing in line for the TSA check, I realized that trying to fly these days is not unlike being cattle waiting in line at a commercial slaughter house.  At least it seems that way when you're trying to get through security and board a cramped and overstuffed airplane with a stroller, carseat, violin, diaper bag, and toddler.  While taking off your shoes.  In case you need to know, Continental does not allow parents with young children who need extra time to pre-board, unlike the other airlines I've flown recently.  There was a little fuss about getting the violin on since I was in the last group allowed to board on every flight, but we got 'er done, hallelujah!

After that, all was better.  And I will say that the TSA agents in Austin, Texas are way friendlier and more helpful than the ones at SeaTac.

A quick run-through of some highlights...

We stayed with my parents.  We saw my grandmother.  We saw my sister and her husband.  We saw a lovely variety of relatives, neighbors, and church friends.  I saw my ballet buddy Kirsten and her 2-year-old son.  We were good friends from middle school on but lost touch during our post-college years and met again for the first time in 12 years.  I saw my blogging buddy Abigail and met her two darling children.

These are pictures she posted.  The top one is when we were pregnant with the two little girls in the bottom one.

My mom and I went to an amazing concert, which is probably going to deserve its own entire blog, so I'll save the details for that one.

We took Anne to the playground at my elementary school and the playground at my preschool.  We took her to the botanical garden and the playground at Zilker Park, where I grew up playing, and she rode the train and went canoeing.

Looking at carp with Granddaddy

I played some solo Bach for church.  Gavotte en Rondeau from Partita No. 3, if you were curious.

And my parents put an offer on a house.  They and my grandmother are looking to move in together somewhere out of town.  And my sister and her husband put an offer on a house as well.  So everyone back home is moving.  It was probably the last time I'll hang out in the neighborhood where I grew up, although just to clarify, my parents' current house was moved to my senior year of high school, so I didn't grow up in it, although I've spent plenty of time there.

I ate the vegetarian equivalent of a heart attack on a plate, which was breaded, deep-fried avocado tacos.

Obligatory picture in the Texas wildflowers

Carrying around the chair my mom's cousin Eric made.  He based it off a pattern of a little chair his mother Emalu had as a child.

Riding on Aunt Emily's old rocking horse

Playing in the kitchen my dad constructed for us when we were kids

Chatting with GG and eating raisins

Fun with Grandmother

Riding on the kiddie car my parents gave me for my first birthday

Trying on Aunt Emily's cowboy boots

A good time was had by all, and I was not eaten alive by mosquitos, although I killed several, and I did not die of heatstroke, although it was uncomfortably warm.  Anne had a lot of fun playing with some of my old toys, and my parents had so much fun with her!