Ahhhh, Texas

So, I've got a few updates. For one thing, we finally got to eat some of the bounty of my little summer garden. The drought has been wretched, and most people haven't gotten anything at all. With my patience, watering, and loving touch, here's what we enjoyed on sandwiches this weekend.

 No, I wasn't growing mini-peppers (I included Nate's sunglasses in the photo so you could truly see the size of this little guy.). It's just that this lone, tiny red pepper is all my exhausted plants could manage. I will tell you this, though - it was the most delectable pepper I've ever had.

Second, Milo just decided to take off crawling last week, and now I can't seem to stop him. He earned his independence, dang it, and he's going to use it! Now I have to chase him around every second that he's not napping (which isn't often, friends), and I keep finding him hiding under the chairs, the piano, the end table... It's pretty adorable, especially since he thinks he's so sneaky...

Slightly blurry shot that I absolutely had to include because he looks so pleased with himself.

He didn't stay there long before he had to get back on the move.

Yes, my child is wearing just a diaper. No, we weren't in public or even with anyone else, and yes we live in Texas where it's still 100 degrees (No joke, the other day I remarked, "Oh, only 96 today? We must be getting a cold front!" What has happened to me?), so if my babyson wants to wear just a diaper then I'm going to let him! Within reason... Within the confines of our own home...

Finally, on a sad note, I've started re-hating the outdoors in Texas. I've tried and tried to make a place in my heart for the prickly, burned-out grass, the assorted creatures, the blazing sunshine, but yesterday something truly horrid happened. I took Milo outside to play in tubs of water (a kiddie pool might be in order) for some afternoon fun, and I was squatting (not even sitting, mind you, because I don't like to take my life in my hands like that) in the grass beside him. I noticed a few ants crawl across my foot, and even one on my arm, but I calmly moved and thought I was home free.

Until it happened...
An ant bite...
On my, ahem...
(Trying to be discreet here...)
Lady part...

Oh heck, we're in Texas, let's just say it. A fire ant bit my hoo-ha, and there's nothing comfortable about that! I snatched Milo up and ran into the house, depositing him in the pack and play on the way by. Surely that couldn't be what had happened, right? Surely when I got to the bathroom I could verify that something else had happened (although what better alternative I was looking for, I'm not sure). But alas, that nasty ant really did it. Something so dreadful, so embarrassing, so painful and itchy at the same time could only happen to me.

I texted Nate and his reply was, "Oh my word, were you wearing underwear?"
OF COURSE I was wearing underwear (and shorts, too). What kind of woman would take her small child outside to play wearing no underwear? (and if you are that kind of woman, I mean, how lovely for a woman to take her small child outside to play wearing no underwear).

And so, ladies and gentlemen, I truly, truly, with my whole heart truly hate the outdoors in Texas, where it's still 100 degrees in the middle of September and fire ants have no respect for a woman's privacy.