A lengthy post

I just put on Ryan Farish, and am winding down for the day. Today has been such a struggle to get through, for some weird reason. I don't know if it's the drab, rainy weather (which I usually love), or that it's a Monday ... maybe a combination of the two? Either way, I have been so lethargic and I'm already thinking about bedtime. It's 8:32pm. Call me Grandma.

To catch up on the past few things we've done, I've decided to just put them all in one blog. For starters, we took a trip to The Blanton Museum on UT campus, as well as another trip to the capital for Zach to run around. I absolutely fell in love with this museum. So much so, I have been trying to figure out how to volunteer there in the near future. I took some photos of my favorite pieces, as well as a few that were ... well, interesting, to say the least. The pictures did not come out nearly as nice as I would have liked them to because, though the lighting in the museum is lovely for art pieces, it's horrid for photos. (And you are forbidden to use flash photography.) Understandable, but frustrating. The most frustrating part is that I know my kick-ass camera probably has a way to get around these sorts of lighting issues, but I just haven't figured out how to work it yet. Gah.

The first exhibit you see, and it's outside.

That's Z, starting to run through them.

Standing inside of them, looking up.

This is supposed to be the Virgin Mary, receiving an apocryhpal premonition of Christ's birth.

A piece that caught Z's eye, though it was like a car wreck for him;

he wanted to look away, but couldn't.

He can talk about this in therapy in a few years.

The bust of the Roman Emperor that Z is named after.

Hmmm. I have artwork from Z in pre-K that's more interesting than this.

Those were bones hanging from the top, and pennies on the bottom.

Another "interesting" piece.

Loved this.

Seventy-two pieces in one, all of household pots & pans.

Close-up.

My brain can't believe someone's hand could be that steady.

Another one we loved, by artist Kazuya Sakai (1927-2001)

These are all identical one-inch thick white slabs, made by a woman in Chile. She set herself the task of making as many as she could in six months, and ended up with 2,244 in total.

She stamped each one with the date that it was made.

The next few are from an artist from Argentina, Marcelo Pombo, who quickly shot up to the top of our favorites list. I need prints of his work in my house. I don't know why, but his stuff spoke to me ... and Aaron. He loved them too.

The detail is amazing.

Naturally, the lighting seemed to be the most horrible in the room displaying Pombo's work. Therefore, these photos do not remotely do his paintings justice, but trust me when I say they are truly beautiful. The detail is something marvel at, in person. Moving on ...

Another favorite of me & Aaron. Apparently, everyone else's, too.

This print is plastered all over everything in the gift shop.

The stuff on the ground was part of the piece.

It was meant to look like this tiny guy was shoveling all that "dirt" by himself.

After our few hours in the museum, as thoroughly intrigued as Z was, he was still a six year old boy & needed space to run off some energy. We strolled the grounds outside the Blanton, then headed toward the capital.

An eye-popping quinceañera photo shoot taking place.

Those crazy squirrels.

My sweet angel.

Looking out my back car window, driving home that evening.

It was a magical day.

The next event was Valentine's Day. As most of you know, I'm not a huge V-Day fan. I'm not particularly intrigued by made-up, orchestrated holidays, so Aaron is off the hook each year. I'd much more prefer a random gesture of love or kindness on a day other than V-Day, and he's always very good about doing just that. Anyway, I had to make the obligatory cupcakes for Z's kinder class, being the room-parent and all. Then, I was also recruited by co-workers to help create goodies for our lobby, for our residents.

For Z's class, part I.

For Z's class, part II.

My tuxedo strawberries, for work.

Z's loot, from his V-Day party at school. Sheesh.

Aaron had to work his last Borders shift (a closing shift) on Valentine's Day, so we went to a movie on the night before. We generally never go out on V-Day, so we just used that as an excuse for a date night. I won't even bother talking about the film, it was so horrible. Ninety-minutes of my life I'll never get back.

Since Valentine's, there has been a lot of outside & park time. The weather has been pretty mild, and really gorgeous, so you'll find us outside most days.

Z, with his friend Preston.

A sunset, the other night, above our house.

Spring is coming ...

Two "hearts" Aaron picked for me at the park. Awwww.

See? Stuff like this means so much more than stuff on 2/14.

I think that catches us up to speed. Aaron started his new job today, and it went well, for a boring paperwork-filled, overflow of information type of day. He was a little sad this weekend, leaving Borders and the co-workers he had grown to love over the past six years. I felt bad for him, because I remember how that felt when the dorm closed down in 2004. It was like leaving my family, and it resonated as a mixture of fear, relief, and excitement. But, he's got faith that this new job will bring him the challenges he's craving, and the slower pace he has wanted for years. If you pray, put in a good word for his transition, will ya? A little propping up through prayer surely wouldn't hurt him.

Three things I'm grateful for today:

1. Being able to take Z to work with me today,

since he didn't have school.

2. Aaron's new position.

3. Art museums.

Peace & pastries, to everyone.