Daniel = 34

Daniel turned a beautiful shade of 34 on March 25th. This year that fell on a cumbersome Wednesday so I planned to tell him happy birthday and be nice to him but do the official celebrating on the weekend. And then, Tuesday night, I wondered why I was doing that again? So I told the universe to come to dinner.

In the morning we had biscuits and gravy topped with a candle for good breakfast wishes. Then we headed to the baby doctor and found out Wiggles is a Girl!

That evening we had to extend the table, pull out all of the chairs and incorporate a "kids table" in the kitchen. Every bowl was scraped of its condiment and that's just the way I like it. I made a double decker carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. There was Rummikub until late in the evening. I gave Daniel a t-shirt I had been hiding away for the longest.

Happy.

On Friday my dad came all the way over from Arkansas (again!) so that I could take Daniel to the Magnolia Hotel where I'm quite content to spend the whole day in bed.

It's hard to sit here and pour all of my feelings for Daniel out in one fell swoop. I rather like the way we do it every day. I relish the "Good morning, I love you," every single morning. I love the routine of locking the doors, turning off the lights, saying goodnight to the dogs and heading to bed together every night. I'm grateful for his presence in our lives and the model he is for Penn and the upcoming Margot. I melt when I see his eyes glisten over at the mere mention of his new daughter.

He's still my best friend. And I'm still the luckiest. Forevers.

Click here to see the whole set of photos.

The thing I don't understand is ...

The thing I don't understand is my dog's skin. Ringo came to me a sweet healthy little 6 week old pup and I fell head over heels for him. He's a lovable, quiet, family friend who just doesn't stir up much of a ruckus.

But his skin is another story. When he turned about a year and a half old he began to be really itchy. The vet named a number of things and prescribed a number of things. I spent a ton of money on solutions that didn't work. I still haven't found anything that works.

Neither Ringo or I want to go another summer with him growing increasingly miserable. The vet gave him steroids, benedryl, oil for his food, changed his food, and advised hefty constant doses of Frontline. We're still itching.

So I'm posing a question to the internets. Can you help me understand my dogs skin?

King Penn and his worksheets

King Penn and his worksheets, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

Penn has a perfection complex. On one hand, he's very organized and tidy like his mom and like his Mr. Daniel. On the other, if he can't make it "perfect" he kind of loses it.

He couldn't make the number 3 Helvetica Accurate. "It's not cinched in the middle well," he said. I told him it was fine and great and we could all read it. He said it's just not fine and a couple of big fat tears rolled down his nom worthy cheeks.

I gave him some space to erase and scribble while I finished cooking our coffee and grits and he seemed more satisfied with his attempts. I gave him a sticker and told him it was great. But, he was still so mad at himself for "messing up" in the first place.

This happens a lot. I don't feel like I've ever put any pressure on writing being perfect. His old school did, but I didn't think at the time it was "too much."

I had this conversation with Daniel via im after posting this photo:

carissabyers: I had a perfection complex too, but I kept trying or quietly moved on to something else. I didn't break down or beat myself up or compare myself to the others around me. It didn't make me feel bad if it wasn't "perfect."

I've always been an "enjoy the journey" kind of person. Penn's more of an end result kind of guy.

daniel: "guy" being the key thing there


carissabyers: Ah. Really?


daniel: yesh
don't worry about it
"s" and "h" aren't really close to one another on the keyboard. not sure how i managed that typo

The thing I don't understand is.... (an ongoing list)

The thing I don't understand is, why would anyone "follow" or "friend" or message someone they don't know? (Re: Social Networks like Twitter or Facebook, excluding hubs of information or entertainment like CNN or Obama or rockstars of various facets or internet streams who are actually seeking to engage your opinion and response, etc.)

This morning Janice tweeted back at Daniel, "sounds like a good morning to me." And we discussed that it's creepy enough when a stranger replies or follows you on the internet but even creepier when they are in "your" town. Closer to you than the average stranger with therefore greater stalking abilities. Chatting it up on the interwebs with strangers is a slippery sloping effect trending towards creepy. If you don't know if you're being creepy-----chances are you just might be.

It's kind of like Crazy. The Crazy ones are always the last to know they have it.

It's kind of like that guy who wrote in to Diggnation wondering why the girls he messaged on myspace wouldn't chat it up with him. After all, he just said, "sup grrrl, u r hot, wanna chat?" I mean, he just wanted to be "friends."

There are varying levels and classes to the tubes. If you understand them, you can navigate the playing field without confusing and/or scaring the messagee.

But that part is like talent. You either have it or you don't.

The majority of me dislikes everything about the modern day meaning of the words "social" and "network" (separately or combined). "Friend" is so meaningless now that I don't want any more "friends." I want love and understanding and community. And you can't really love or understand me via my twitter stream or my blog or my Facebook page (which is updated via my twitter stream and my blog, so ...)

Lisa and Matt's Wedding Album

Lisa and Matt's wedding album is finally done! Lisa customized a Linear Bound book with a Mystique Weave cover and Brushed Champagne Accent topped with a perfect metal cameo on the front. It's 30 pages of super glossy prettiness.

And she's only a couple weeks behind me in pregnant land so stay tuned! I fully intend to coax her in front of the camera again.

Fruit Fly Trap

Fruit Fly Trap, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

We have a fruit fly problem. The obvious fruit bowl is now in the refrigerator. I've inspected and sprayed houseplants. My guess is the drain. My guess is especially the drain after I cleaned the garbage disposal a bit today. (I didn't see any actual larvae, but the amount of gunk around the edge looked like it would be fruit fly gourmet meal material.)

So I made a trap. A halved strawberry in a bowl covered in plastic wrap and pricked with holes. Flies can get in, but they can't get out.

It works. It's gross and really gnarly, but it works.

Meet Margot: 22 weeks, 5 days

She'll have her oxygen-based debut sometime in July. In the meantime we have these photos, her giant punches and my expanding waistline to tide us over.

We are already helplessly in love.

Meet Charlie

This is part of her 5 week old portrait. Remember what she looked like 5 weeks ago?

Mmmm babies....

Penn vs Nature

Penn in nature, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

He's mad at me because we read a sign at the entryway of the forest that said to "be quiet and enjoy the silence."

He thought the stroller was too loud. He's really into rules.

Austin in video format

SXSW 2009 from carissa byers on Vimeo.

On March 13-16 Daniel, Penn and I drove to Austin, Texas for SXSW Interactive.

Penn and I explored the city for the first time.

Click here to see all of the photos.

Yawn

Yawn, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

Sleepy mom and kiddo lounging in starbucks.

Typical

Multimedia message, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

The kiddo is asleep. Just as we reach our destination. I long to take a nap here in the shade but that seems like an awfully homeless thing to do. Also a meter maid just nicely addressed how I have failed to put a coin in the meter.

Only a bit of time left in dear old Austin. I think the scenery and lack of strip malls is novel. But I'm told it will suck the ambition right out of you and I don't doubt that at all. It's almost too laid back, but in a good way.

What I have enjoyed most is spending some time with my friend who I haven't seen in a decade. She is accompanied by her two girls and one in utero. We take up the whole sidewalk.

Toy joy is mind blowing.

Toy joy is mind blowing., originally uploaded by carissabyers.

Toy joy is the very definition of over stimulation. It is head to toe wall to wall plastic and rubber, bounce and spin, play and sing and decorate your world.

We escaped with only a boomerang, bouncy putty and magnet.

Funny toy from book store.

Funny toy from book store., originally uploaded by carissabyers.

Book people

Book people, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

Penn is chilling in the playhouse in the bookstore. And yes I'm small enough to fit inside.

Lunch

Lunch, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

Lunch at Whole Foods. Penn has decided be would like to live here so that this could be our grocery.

Also NOW I find the travel bottles. (AFTER I already bought the big size.)

Back at the lego pit.

Back at the lego pit., originally uploaded by carissabyers.

I've made a car for Penn so he can better join the other boys. It's no match for the kid who scored the "wheel turner" or the boys and their three foot tower.

I'm tired and feeling more Asian than usual due to such sleepy eyes.When we get back to Dallas I have plans to enter a small coma.

We continue to explore Austin without a schedule.

Dinner

Multimedia message, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

After a long fun day of Daniel at sxsw and Penn and I exploring Austin and visiting with old friends, it's time to grub at a hip veggie spot.

Tech mom

Tech mom, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

tbis girl just took my picture because she needed a "techy mom" for sxsw bingo.

Lego pit at sxsw

Lego pit at sxsw, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

We've made it to the convention center in Austin but not past the lego pit. That's because it's awesome. I'm getting the rest of my coffee in to compensate for the lack of sleep while the boys defend and maintain their status as boys by diving into the plastic goodness.

Snack Plate. Now.

Multimedia message, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

And now, dinner. In the form of a snack plate. So happy to be out of car.

Serenade

Multimedia message, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

We've made it to Austin and @theyblinked's mom is the coolest.

Belly

Multimedia message, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

Third stop of the neverending journey due to tiny bladder and the person sitting on top of it.

Finally

Multimedia message, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

Finally. Also, I wonder why reading this tiny mobile screen doesn't make me carsick. It almost feels like it's keeping nausea at bay.

Czech Bakery

Multimedia message, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

Second stop of the journey at czech bakery for kolache and gas. All this stop and go nonsense is silly on the preggo-ness. The child is chattering inscessantly. The new phone is keeping me very entertained.

Goodbye Dallas

Multimedia message, originally uploaded by carissabyers.

We're on our way to Austin. I'm testing my mobile blogging capabilities with the new phone. With luck the rain won't pose too much of a problem in our travels and my bladder will hold out for longer than 30 minutes. Also hoping the ginger chews can stave off the nausea and my morning concussion isn't serious.

L'objet Petit A

Go forth and download all of them FOR FREE! I sing on this one which is a rare thing to occur outside of my shower walls. But, along with the rarity I got to help Daniel make his art and I got my picture on Salim's wall.

"L'objet Petit A" releases March 7

For fun graphical projects entertain me greatly. Daniel has a digital EP coming out March 7th and this is the cd sleeve (front/back) design and banner I played with tonight.

Sloth!

While I was at the ASMP meeting Daniel and Penn went for lunch and the aquarium where Daniel was inspired to get a pet sloth.

I am totally down with a pet sloth. Have you even seen a baby sloth? The cute power of baby sloth is surely supreme. Also, having a sloth around would have made me look damned active last Sunday, despite reality.

Click here for the video recap.