Japanese Tapas

Max looking swanky for his sushi dinner date

We went to dinner at AFin Japanese Tapas sushi restaurant tonight. Yum! They have a combination of sushi and seafood dishes done tapas style. Tapas is a way of eating rather than a style of food. It focuses around traditionally smaller portions, like appetizers but are neither appetizers or main dishes. Rather, a tapas is meant to be enjoyed slowly over the course of your dining experience. Many small dishes of tasty foods. This is a really great way to eat when its super hot outside and you don't want to eat a huge filling plate that will not settle or digest well. I had a couple nice sushi rolls and an amazing seared tuna with peppercorn mushroom sauce and asparagus. It was delicious!


Here's my Yelp review.

Dad's got beer, I've got a sippy cup. NOT beer!

It's TOO HOT!

According to this site, there's no end in sight to the drought in Texas that's keeping the temperatures 100+ every day and all of us baking like biscuits down here in Austin.

"A record-breaking stretch of scorching weather is keeping Texas and the lower Colorado River basin firmly in the grips of severe drought.

The 10 months from October 2010 through July 2011 have been the driest for that 10-month period in Texas since 1895, when the state began keeping rainfall records. Across most of the Hill Country and the Austin area, rainfall since last October is between 16 and 20 inches below normal. Across the eastern counties of Central Texas and the middle Texas coast, rainfall is running more than 20 inches below normal."

I like these colors together, I think I'll make an oven mitt out of it for opening my car doors....

When the heat is to-the-Max, Max goes to-the-heat! 

Staying cool playing in water with a 'mister' hose Daddy bought :)

We shaved Max's head again. He looks so funny but it keeps him cool. This time he resisted a bit and has a more patchy chemo-kid look haha!

KEEP COOL AUSTIN!

"Giggles Baby" to-the-Max

Product Endorsement from Mom and Max!

Max really loves Giggles Baby software. We started him out with 'Shapes and Colors' several months ago, on his tiny computer (set up on a shelf just his height in the bookshelf next to my desk). Our budding computer geek took to it right away. I tried to find other baby geared software that would hold his attention including a few online sites that boasted a wide variety of activities, but still Max wanted his Giggles Baby. So we just bought another in the series, the musical themed one, and he loves it even more.

Max 'working' - head shaved to help with the 105 degree Austin heat!
(if you want an awesome keyboard for baby like ours, see the amazon link)

Giggles Baby is a definite two Max thumbs up from us if you're looking for fun interactive software for babies and toddlers.

The Cow Parade

Seems like every day we go out we learn something new and really cool about Austin. It's definitely to-the-Max fun!

A few days ago we were driving around and I said to my husband "I've never seen those cow art exhibits out in that park before" and then, in front of Whole Foods "hey another one of those cows!" I said it must be some event, and he said (teasingly) "no, those have always been there you just never noticed them!"

This is the 2011 Austin Cow Parade!

Cows on Parade for a Cause

"This week, colorful cows will be taking over the streets of Austin. Roughly 100 large cow sculptures, painted by local artists, will be installed. The cow parade is the self-proclaimed largest and most recognized public art event in the world. It began in Chicago in 1999 and featured 340 cow installations. New York followed and the event has since gone global.

On October 30 the Austin cows will be auctioned off at a gala at The Driskill Hotel. Proceeds will benefit the Super Hero Kids Fund (of Dell Children's Medical Center). Each cow is expected to bring in $7,500-$10,000. The Super Hero Kids Fund helps families of children in treatment."  - from austinist.com

I finally found one to check out while walking to an office building downtown for my lease paperwork:

Meet "Flowerida" ... sadly these are the only bluebonnets we saw this year...

There Goes the Neighborhood

Look out Hyde Park, Max is on his way ... There goes the neighborhood!

All About Hyde Park

We signed the lease on a condo today. I'm so excited! This is after exhaustively researching many areas of Austin, checking out numerous neighborhoods and getting a lot of suggestions from friends and long time residents of this cool city.

My Uncle suggested taking a look at Hyde Park, with our base of operations starting at Hyde Park Bar & Grill. Hubby and I had a great 'date' there and absolutely loved it. Great food, great small town atmosphere.

Just north of University of Texas campus area, Hyde Park is minutes from downtown but maintains a quiet small-town atmosphere.

I've been camping craigslist (which has turned into mostly agent spam nowadays), padmapper, rental management company listings and the classifieds for months. But finally I found us the perfect little apartment, and it was amazingly available even this late in the 'college' rush season.

We'll be a block away from Shipe Playground and only a few more blocks away from the popular venues at the 43rd and Duval 'town center' with so many nice little restaurants, a deli, bakery and Fresh Plus grocery.

We move in the first of September. Can't wait to begin more Max adventures in our new neighborhood!

Bull Creek Park

Yet another accidental cool find in Austin. Someone on a Mom's group I'm a member of suggested meeting up at 'Bull Creek' to let the little ones wade in the shallows. I missed the meetup, but one day we were out riding around after a family outing and I realized we were right near the place so we stopped just to take a look. It ended up being a very very neat experience that we've not been able to reproduce since the drought and summer heat have completely dried up this unique creek bed.

Bull Creek Park is a 3.5 mile long, 48 acre 'greebelt' section of the Bull Creek watershed. Very centrally located its easy to get to from just about every part of Austin.

This is a definite must see for anyone who likes trails, water, hidden creek beds and natural swimming holes. If you have dogs, its also popular with the four legged friends.

Here are some great photos from our family adventure in the waterfalls just off N. Capital of Texas highway where it crosses over the creek, at the Lakewood Dr. entrance.

The base of the waterfall, a hidden grotto

 Max isn't too sure about the rushing waterfall

This was the Max spot - splashing in the shallows 

Sporting a sexy speedo - wading in the creek

A beautiful creek bed with lots of exploration potential

Mothers Day with the Grandmas

We got an unexpected invitation to visit my Mother and Grandmother who were up visiting my Uncle who lives in beautiful Lago Vista TX. Max and I took the scenic drive to Lake Travis on a beautiful Mother's Day Sunday.

Here's the great photos of our visit:

"Grandma Pie" & Max (15 mo. old) - May 8th, 2011

Uncle Russ feeding his local deer friends

 "The Girls" 

Reading a new book with Great Grandma Charlotte

Goofing around with Grandma!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL MAMAS EVERYWHERE!