Ahhhh, Autumn

Oh, it's finally autumn and it actually feels like it (well, for Austin anyway.) Bowie and I are spending our whole mornings outside. So fabulous. I am starting to feel rejuvenated after total shutdown from summer.

ACL

ACL, originally uploaded by autumn fawn.

I am exhausted after a full weekend at the Austin City Limits Festival. Saturday we sent Bowie off to spend the night with Nonnie and Gramps then bussed for an hour down to Zilker Park. The first show we caught, Centromatic, was my fave for Saturday. Impecciable musicians and really comfortable stage presence. It helped that we were only behind a few hundred people. The rest of the day we were always at the back of the crowds. The Shins were great too, but the crowd was enormous. Truly enormous. And we've seen them many times in better cirumstances. The Raconteurs were also good. Really good. Time to get their cd. We were tired and filthy so decided that we wanted to get home, shower and go to a movie. But it took us an hour and a half to bus back home. We were too tired to go to a 10 showing, so our night without child at home was quite tame. I went to bed earlier that I have in a long time.

Sunday we picked Bowie up and then headed down after his nap. We brought minimal suppiles and bussed again. Bowie likes riding busses, a lot. An hour later we got there in time for Chris and Bowie to catch some of the New Pornographers set while I staked out a spot for the Flaming Lips. They were the band that I most wanted to see. We got fairly close, as close as felt safe and enjoyed the show from afar. It did not disappoint. I wish I had been up there and could show you the girls in alien outfits, the santas, the balloons, streamers, balls, confetti gun, and huge ball Wanye Coyne gets into and rolls across the top of the crowd. Their music is awesome to me: often joyous, sometimes noisy, usually humorous. Bowie is still talking about the flaming lips and the big balloon and the guitar with two necks. Makes us so proud. Took almost two hours to get home. The travel time was longer than our stay. But just as we got off the bus, the storm started. We ran down our dark street in the rain. A great finish.

He Sings Happy Birthday to Me

The thing I wanted most for my birthday was for us to go out and do a photo shoot with Bowie. We caught beautiful light. And Bowie really seemed to LOVE sitting out there and singing to me.

An Early Birthday Party

Sunday, Chris had a birthday party at our house for me. I will be 34 on the 10th. We rented a bouncy house for the kids. Oh, what fun!!!! Bowie loved having free access to jump. The kids were so joyful. It was also a bit hard for them to all be in there together, I think. But they managed it very well. All sweetness. Labor Day morning we still had the bouncy house so we all took turns in it. I would lose 20 lbs quick if we had one of these!

For me, seeing so many of the people I love together in our yard was a wonderful experience. I am blessed by my friends and family.

I Ride It Myselfs

Thursday is Saver's day. We don't go every Thursday, but many many of them. Saver's is a thrift store in our neighborhood. Chris thinks it's not different from Goodwill, but I like it so much more. They categorize the clothes by size AND color!

Bowie and I have this deal that he rides in the cart while I look through the children's clothes adn then he gets to get down and play with the toys and bicycles. There are always bicycles there in various sizes and deterioration. They have always been too big for Bowie, though I would steady the bikes so that he could practice mounting and dismounting. Well, last week there was a tiny bike with training wheels there. He got on all by himself and took off! He very impressively went up and down the aisles, mastering sharp turns and even managing to stop a few times. After about a half hour of cruising Saver's I decided that although I have had my doubts about training wheels (seems to me that balance is very important and I imagined Bowie riding one of those cool European wooden bikes without pedals first) but the $5.99 price tag and the extreme joy of my son won me over.

My baby rides a bike "all by myselfs" as he says.

Biscuit Brothers

Bowie says, "I AM a Biscuit Brother." Emphatically. He is the drummer. When we go see them (has this just been the 6th time?) he does not sing and dance as he does at home. He sits completely still and studies them. Until he gets a hair to run up the stairs to the balcony or stand suspiciously close to the bass drum propped at the edge fo the stage. This past Saturday we took cousin Honey with us to meet up with some friends at a theatrical Biscuit Brothers show. Honey doesn't know the BB liek we do, but she sure was ready to take the stage with Butermilk Biscuit. With her pigtails, linen shift, and cowboy boots she looked just the part. What a cutie she is! A friend's daughter had a bit of an afternoon meltdown after the show and was cheered only by Miss Buttermilk B literally wiping away her tears. So sweet.

This photo was taken at Central Market earlier this month. I promise to get Bowie decked out in his BB outfit. If you don't know about the Austin local kid's group, go check them out. They are a real band, with real intsruments, makin real music.

Tired Baby Whale

After a morning shopping at the grocery store, throwing rocks into Barton Creek, and running around the playscape, Bowie crawled up on this dolphin sculpture and said that he was a tired baby whale. We have a book about baby whales and it taught us that baby whales sometimes sleep on their mama's backs. Isn't that sweet?

Bowie Spent the Night

I have no photos to document this momentous event, but Bowie spent his first night away from us. He stayed at my parent's house overnight this Saturday. And while I think it was challenging for him and them, I think that they all loved it. Chris and I couldn't believe it when we woke up the next morning, hearing sounds and having to remind ourselves that Bowie wasn't there. We got to take a shower together! And go out for breakfast! The night before was a bit overkill for me...didn't eat enough, drank too much. But it was a treat nonetheless. We drove away from my parent's house Saturday and Bowie was riding his bike (yes a BIKE) the opposite direction. My baby boy was riding a bike and spending the night away. Life is changing.

Boy oh Boy oh Boy

My son is full of intense energy lately. It is powerful. And I often feel challenged. Throwing things, eating like cookie monster, running away in glee...the things I am struggling with. May my boy have patience with me; may I have patience with my boy.

Nap with the Hummingbirds

Nap with the Hummingbirds, originally uploaded by autumn fawn.

One afternoon, after going down to the horsecamp, Bowie crawled up into my lap to read books. He curled up and fell asleep on my shoulder. My mother in law laid out a blanket in the shade under the hummingbird feeders. Those tiny bright birds twittered and darted above him. I thought, what an amazing thing, to wake to the sound of hummingbirds.

Mother Nature's son

I look at these photos and I see how big and adventurous and strong my son is. I see him at ease in nature, a huge world to explore. I grew up camping. Car camping,nothing especially adventurous, but I grew up loving it. I spent a lot of time around a campfire, skinnydipping, cooking outside, finding special stones. Seeing Bowie enjoy the earth, the water, the sky is beautiful and promising to me.

It's Bigger than You

One of the things I love about camping with Bowie is that he experiences nature, the world, in a large and powerful state. I'm such a pagan at heart.

Forest Friends

Forest Friends, originally uploaded by autumn fawn.

We got back home yesterday from the Santa Fe National Forest. It was a great adventure for us. My friend and former teaching partner came along with her son. Those boys were so cute and fun together. Thye had a few challenging moments between them, but they had more hugs and sharing. It wasn't as chilly or rainy as usual, but sure was a welcome break from the horrible heat here.

Called to the Mountains

Ten years ago Chris and I made our first trip to the Pecos Wilderness of New Mexico. We undoubtably fell in love there, for good with no turning back. Chris can't go with us this year because of our trip to Malibu, but I decided last minute that if I cuold get my friend Kendal to come along with her son, that I had to go back. We will be meeting up with John and Karen where they are running basecamp for St Mark's. Ahhhh, the mountains. I am called.

Getty Center

And for me, museum and art lover that I am, the Getty Center was the highlight of the trip. It is the most amazing space, a place you must choose to travel to by tram after parking your car down hill. That journey to this place that it all on it's own really intensified the experience for me. While we didn't get to see much outside of the Family Hall and Elliot Porter's photography exhibit, it was a wonderful place. Lunch in the gorgeous restaurant was excellent (Chris made the best choices with onion soup and half order of mussels). Lounging on the lawns was dreamy. It felt like Europe, like an island to itself a bit.

The Blue Hockney Family Portrait is not my best in technique but I love it. Finally a pic of all of us, in a fun way, in homage to artists and learning. It was taken in an Hockney exhibit for children. I only had the chance to snap one before a slew of girls took over.

Natural History Museum

Chris, Bowie and I visited the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County on the USC campus after a morning at the tar pits. The pits were cool (not a must see for everyone, but a great trip for us since Bowie is so interested in fossils and skeletons right now). But this museum was truly great. We only went to the dinosaur halls and the children's wing, but the exhibits were good and the building was old and stunning in that style of architecture. Bowie had a fabulous time in the children's wing. It was truly fabulous with live animals, and so many real hands on expereinces. A homeschooler's dreamland for natural sciences. But Bowie appreciated it mostly for it's stage. He somersaulted, air drummed, danced, hopped and jumped off the edge for at least 30 minutes all on his own. We just sat in the audience and watched. He's a natural.

Santa Monica Pier

We were just short drive from the Santa Monica pier. We went one evening when John and Peter were at a ballgame. It was quite a scene. Touristy, but also fishing going on all along the pier. I am kicking myself for not photographing the wooden slabs spaced out on the railing for people to cut their bait (fish and mussels and pocketknives). After a much anticipated ice cream treat (during which Chris realized that he can no longer just dump out Bowie's ice cream into a cup without asking first), we went on the ferris wheel. Bowie wasn't sure that he wanted to because there were people screaming all around us on the roller coaster and dragon boat, but Chris kept telling him that no one was screaming on the ferris wheel. We went around once then were asked to get off because it was being "finicky" but we could get back on in a minute. Bowie didn't want to and again I applaud his caution in such matters. He did seem to enjoy it though while we were up. It was all dark and the lights were truly spectacular.

The next day we went to the Santa Monica farmer's market and breathed a sigh of relief, NORMAL people. Our kind of people. It felt like home. And we met up with a photographer from flickr. She came with her adorable son and her sweet husband (she's afraid to make unprotect left turns she explained) and we headed back to the pier to take some photos. Saddly, my battery was low so I had to be very conservative in my shooting but it was a treat to meet her and take photos of Danny. She got some really cute photos of Bowie, as well. It is so cool to see him through another's lens.

The third photo shows Bowie and I under the pier. He was very sensitive and shy during our meetup. Chris carried him 90% of the time and here he is sitting with me with his hand on my knee. Oh how I love him and treasure his open affection for as long as it lasts.

Point Dume

We went to the beach one day. Point Dume. Bowie was not a fan. Nor I, frankly; however it was truly beautiful and I loved the people watching (one day I'll get up the nerve to take photos of strangers). The water was really strong. Really strong. So while I look forward to him confidently venturing out into one day in the future, it is totally okay with me that he didn't want to have anything to do with it yet. He did enjoy the sand a bit. Andrea walked Ashley to sleep, Chris and Peter boogie boarded and threw the ball a bit, John and Karen kept Bowie happy. Chris and I took a beach walk and then went floating out past the breaks. Coming in was scary. I was pulled off my feet when walking, was running in air and came down on my feet running out of it. Can't believe that I didn't fall.

Long Beach Aquarium

Our first morning we woke up and went to the Long Beach Aquarium with the grandfolks. A nice one! Bursting with visitors. Bowie had a fantastic time, lingering at the tanks longer than any of us would have. I can't really express in words what it does so me to see him so entranced, mesmerized. The teacher in me is screaming teachable moment. And it was. But I say it with these photos, showing his experience as I see it.

He has been talking about it even a week later. Today he sat on my lap and looked at the photos, asking to look at the jelly fish and shark egg again. He loves the photo of him with the shark. We got a bag of sea animal toys and he's been playing with those in the tub and around the house (no spiky toys (squid, crab, manta ray, lobster) are permitted in the tub with him though, Bowie's orders).

The Balcony

The beach house was right along Pacific Coast Highway. It has two levels of balconies. The amin living space openned up to this one. The doors were always open because we had no air conditioning (for get getting a break form the Texas summer). For the first few hours Bowie was totally transfixed by the ocean. It was pounding the rocks below us, to the point of feeling it in the house. No wonder Bowie was afraid of geeting into the water.