Wharf Kids

Mobile is the home to the Gulf Coast Exploreum, a science center with exhibits, toddler play area, and seriously awesome IMAX dome theatre. I love IMAX dome theatres.On Friday, we all visited the Exploreum (hooray for memberships!) and enjoyed "Roving Mars" about the twin robots, Spirit and Opportunity, that landed on Mars in 2004. It was pretty darn incredible, both the film and the theatre. The kids did great. We knew that loud noises would not phase Kate; although I did almost take her from the theatre when she tried to engage the Rovers in chatty conversation near the end of the film. Will liked the rockets. The majority of the time at the Exploreum was spent in the Wharf -- a fishing port complete with boat, lighthouse, and a sea of blue and green balls with lobsters, fish, and crab ready to be caught in nets and brought to market.
Kate enjoyed rolling around specially designed padded areas for crawler playtime. We hope to go back during our next visit to Mobile -- a great place for kids to play.

"Trust me, Mommy..."

"...Kate needs her teether..."

At the park

Out running errands with Mommy, with a stop at one of Mobile's playparks.

Kate at 7 months.

- Just over 17 pounds.
- Full of goofy, squinting grins.
- Eating bananas, sweet potatoes, peaches, applesauce, and oatmeal and rice cereals.
- Calls me "Mama."
- Crawls much faster than you think she can.
- Has absolutely no fear.
- Cruises while balancing on any and every object.
- Bites (hard!) while nursing. Then laughs. (Will would cry if I cried. Kate laughs.)
- Climbs.
- Is still a midnight rock-star.
- Adores her big brother.
- Giggles when tickled.

It came just the same!

Despite the bugs that kept rolling through our family, Christmas came. We celebrated in the predictable, treasured ways: Christmas cookies for Santa, presents under the tree (several times), Christmas dinner made by Mom, family gathering and lots of laughter.

With family together, "Holly Season" was in full-swing. The goal of Holly Season is to bombard me with endless jabs until I melt into a lump of babbling goo or explode into a rash of profanities. This year, my Dad upped the ante, offering $50 a pop to the one who can dish out the most impressive blow.
This is the same "The Night Before Christmas" book that Dad read to Skip and I when we were little. It was followed by my Dad throwing rocks on the roof and ringing the decades old antique family sleighbells in the backyard ("Hear that, Will? Better get to sleep! It sounds like Santa is nearby!") Growing up, my brother and I never went to sleep faster than when we heard those bells...
Kate handled the events of the holidays like any other day. She used the presents as opportunities for climbing, did her best to taste every ribbon and bow, and loved all the fun attention. She is showing incredible independence and a frightening sense of curiosity. Presents are great... but doorstops and electrical sockets are tops!! Yikes.
Emily and Skip shared in the holiday illness funk... no all-night Catan sessions this year!
Our happy girl! Climbing on everything she sees...!
Little man, in a very rare pause.
My Dad covered video and let me have a ball taking pictures. I got to play with a ton of settings and learned a bunch... (more on that later).
Christmas cards and presents finally went out. FINALLY. There are two more that I'd like to send, but at least the big stuff is done and out. Whew!
Chew, chew, chew.
Will loves his super-cool CAMERA. He takes it everywhere. We haven't uploaded any of the pictures yet... keep an eye on Will's photography blog for updates!



The kids also opened music instruments! Including a REMO gathering drum (like in Music Together) and NINO percussion sets. Whole lotta shakin' goin' on!
What a wonderful holiday!

Abeona Winter Formal

Abeona held a Winter Formal today -- complete with all the kids dressed up and me as the photographer. I only took one picture of Will, who was my test kid during set-up. Kate went next, while we were still working out some details. Bottom line: I took some great photos that will go towards a school fundraiser (parents buy prints with a percentage going to the school). It was a LOT of fun and there are several pictures I'm very proud of! Paul was a super-wonderful assistant and held my gold reflector (another early Christmas gift!) to great effect. We realized about half-way through the kids that bouncing the flash off the reflector was best. (Neither of these photos show it!)
I really wanted to reduce the aperature to soften the back -- but for some reason, could NOT getting the setting right. When I reduced the f/stop, the photos flashed out everything... I have no idea why. There wasn't time to tinker with it and since that it one of the things I really need a test subject to work with, it's a hard thing to figure out. (At least for me!) I'm going to have to con someone to be my guinea pig over the holidays and figure this out...

It'll be a long wait.

Our Christmas cards came yesterday. Will was perplexed.

"Mommy, it's NOT Christmas-time yet!"

"Will..." (showing calendar) "Christmas is in 5 more days. This is the time to get ready for Christmas, 'Christmas time.'"

"No Mommy. Christmas time is with SNOW."

Grading in Oak Street Cafe

"Want to read one of the exams? You can read my answer key."

"Okay... although it's not very exciting."

"Not exciting? The logistics of what to do when 50,000 people come pouring into another country... I think it's fascinating!"

"I already know what to do."

"Yes?"

"Give 1.5 billion to Halliburton."

Festivus

We missed Sunday night carols in Jackson Square. We forgot about the afternoon Second Line from lower 9 into Marginy. Didn't quite make it to City Park for Celebration in the Oaks, as hoped. BUT... we made it to Festivus!
Named for George Costanza's family tradition, Festivus is a holiday art market sponsored by the Crescent City Farmer's Market.
It was typical New Orleans -- yummy food, musicians, local color, familiar faces and friends. We are constantly amazed at how this big city has such a small town feel.
Favorite local artist Heather Elizabeth was there (we took home one of her beautiful "REBUILD" ornaments -- that's her with the dark hair, above), our neighborhood bookstore, Basin Street Records (local label), and other community artists and businesses.She's playing an African finger piano, made by David (the guy playing the guitar).

Household Update

Paul is: recovering.

Will is: recovering.

Kate is: recovering.

Cat is: recovering.

I am: grading.

Bed has: 4th set of sheets in 2 days.

Christmas gifts: will be late.

Christmas cards: will be late.

The day Kate ate Tweety Bird

We were such a happy, bouncing family in the doctor's office yesterday. Will, still sore but improving; Kate, happy and talkative; Paul, reading books in the waiting room; Me, holding our bouncing baby girl. We told Dr. Milvid of our awful weekend... the vomit, the diarrhea, the dehydration. She asked if Kate had shown any symptoms, because, "it can be awful with one so little." We said "no" -- and Kate, babbling and bouncing, complied.

Until last night.

The vomiting and subsequent discomfort, push of fluids, and lack of sleep are all manageable in that Mommy-can-handle-anything way. What is not so manageable is when a child begins to vomit up buckets of bright yellow fluid.

Bright. Yellow. Ask: Did Kate eat Tweety bird?

Apparently, vomiting bile wasn't nearly as disruptive to Kate's mood as it was to mine. She has remained okay and is currently sleeping with her Daddy on the sofa. She still will not take a bottle, but will at least chew on it if I am not around, so she is getting a little Pedialyte in this manner. The goal is to keep her just hydrated enough for the virus to pass through her system without IV therapy. Bright Yellow puke, although traumatic, does not trump IV insertion for level of parental (and child) trauma. Please send positive thoughts our way that this fun holiday bug will be promptly exiting our happy home.

Mommy's Playtime

Ho Ho Ho!
To celebrate the completion of grading papers (until finals come in on Thursday), as well as Will's better post-nap mood and semi-health status, I dressed up the kids and took them out for playtime!

Will: "Dere dey go, Mommy! Up in the sky! Reindeer!"
My instinct for when to get the shot is faster than my ability to focus... damn.
Getting both of the kids looking in the same direction with semi-pleasant expression is a serious challenge!
I love Kate's little face all scrunched up when she cries... is that so wrong?? (She was upset because Will took away the leaf she was trying to eat.)
Turns out that the flash wasn't hooked up quite right for all those outside shots (above). I got it worked out for the ones below... and played with a variety of flash shots and camera settings.
Getting artsy-fartsy...
Finally... a setting and flash I'm more happy with!
Wittle-bitty-elf-ears.

More TLM Update

The Little Man is basically recovered from his primary infection... unfortunately, his tummy didn't get the hint.

Along with the squirts, he couldn't keep anything down all day yesterday... poor guy. Somehow, we managed to keep him hydrated enough to get through the day. Today has been better, he's kept down Gatorade and popsicles. He seems normal and okay, just cranky.

Christmas came early

Paul surprised me with two very early Christmas gifts this year: an incredible lens and unbelievable flash for my camera. We're talkin' the real deal. He sought advice from several amateur and professional photographers... and to all you advisors out there, I say Thank You!!!

I may never use an automatic focus again. I also may never take this lens off of my camera. I got to try it out today when I brought Will to meet my Dad at the golf course to hit balls. It was late afternoon and the light was incredibly challenging -- full on horizon sun -- it was really fun to play with the lens and flash to see how to deal with the light.





I can't do much more for about another week -- but it's a definite that I'll be annoying everyone this holiday season!!