Nightline, Helen, Paul, and Abeona

We uploaded the Nightline segment on the violence surge in New Orleans that discusses Helen's murder to youtube. In short, the piece cuts down to heartstrings and buzz points. Emmy (Abeona's amazing director) provides a wonderful interview, even if the clip edits out much of her thoughtful and poignant commentary. Our kids are featured (Will included, although mostly hidden at the lunch table). Several of my photographs (4, I think) are featured, although uncredited. Kate and I are in a group photo from the March (taken by Paul, uncredited). While the clip is respectful, it falls short on content. The grinding poverty exposed and exacerbated by Katrina and its relationship to violence are not discussed. The spot was between an Oscar story related to the best picture snub for Dreamgirls and physical signs of rudeness in France. Make what you will of that.



I also found these march/rally videos. This one features Dora (friend, Abeona parent, and ShoeNami shopkeeper) in the very beginning.

Helen's husband, Paul, wrote a moving piece in the Times-Picayune. It came at at wonderful time. I've been seething about Riley's assertion of Paul's withholding information for days; too frustrated and angry to speak or write a thing about it. What can I say? Warren Riley is a horrible, ineffective leader. He lies, points fingers, distorts truth and by doing so, provides one more reason why New Orleans and her people struggle. He is an embarrassment. How dare he.

Our photos from the March/Rally may be viewed here.

Underwhere?

Now that Will is out of diapers, a whole new world has been introduced to us: KIDS IN UNDERPANTS.

Even with the choices of disposables, cloth, characters, and brand, diapers are collectively ambigious, nameless, and generic. At least they seem that way compared to the fast-paced world of Underwear. Underwear is a serious business. Kids talk about their underwear with the same intensity that they discuss treats, toy, and trips to the zoo. They announce that they're wearing it to strangers. Give the slightest hint of interest (or maybe even not) and chances are, that little guy or gal will flash some Dora, Spiderman, or Bob the Builder.

Last week, Will spent a Saturday back in Pull-Ups because they were BOB Pull-ups. The generic pirate undies, although good for "pirate days," weren't cutting it 24/7. In the pushover mindset of parents who are willing to do whatever it takes to solidify successful potty training, we found Bob Underwear. Will found the box of undies the moment he came home and he acted as if he'd just stumbled upon the world's largest vat of ice cream, bouncing around the room with infectious joy. We couldn't help but get excited, too, "Hooray, Bob Underwear for our Big Boy Will! We're so proud of you!!" How silly was I to think that he would be able to resist the temptation of wearing them long enough for me to wash them? Unthinkable. But I held firm and insisted that they needed to be washed first.

As a side note, parents of preschoolers need to think -- and think hard -- on the things they insist to their children. Intense feeling about something may raise a level of interest in said child that is not anticipated. By insisting on clothes being washed before wearing, I impressed upon Will the importance of LAUNDRY. Which is why I keep opening the washer to find random dirty clothes (read: Will's underpants) and a huge scoop of Tide tossed in with the freshly washed clothes. While having a front loader does give him better access, visiting my parents this weekend proved that top loading machines are no matter to our laundry-helping kid. Will is so enthusiastic about his Underwear that he even will help load the dryer to move things along.
Another Underwear issue:

Me: "Will, your Underwear is on backwards."
Will: "No it's not."
Me: "The picture of Spiderman goes on your butt."
Will: "No, IT DOESN'T. It goes in front so I can see it!"

Good darn point. Who are the pictures there for, anyway? Who and what are those Underpants manufacturers thinking about when they put the pictures on the backside?? Attention: manufacturers of children's underpants! Pictures go on the front! Children's underpants are made for the children who wear them, not those who might be looking at their underpant-clad behinds, as noted my brilliant, Underpant-wearing child.

Mulch Pies and Coffee Beans

Our Coffee-welding angels...
Starbucks came to Abeona on Friday, giving us hope beyond our dreams. They flew in the day before and arrived bright and early, bearing gifts, surprises, and helping hands. Among the tangible gifts were mulch as a temporary fix to the backyard (which was getting muddier and muddier by the day), $2000 in donations that they had raised from their Seattle co-workers, coffee, hot chocolate and pastries for parents and teachers, and a huge assortment of coffee beans with a bean grinder! Perhaps even more uplifting was the interest, compassion, and enthusiasm they shared. They seemed to truly grasp the scope of Abeona, our challenges, triumphs, and special magic .
The morning was spent with the mulch -- Abeona folks and Starbucks partners wheeled in and emptied several dozen bags of mulch, making a huge "mountain" in the yard. Then the 2s and 3s were brought out... who can resist a mountain of mulch?? They knew what to do. (Photos of the morning here.)
Will had enough mulch in his Bob the Builder underwear to nicely cover the diffenbachia potted on our front porch.

Once they'd jumped and climbed their hearts out, teachers passed out kid-size shovels and rakes for the kids to get to work spreading it out in the yard. Few things are cooler than giving a bunch of preschoolers a serious job and watching them hop to it with the intensity of Olympians preparing for their event.
We are so thrilled that these people, from the other side of the country, took such an honest and sincere interest with us. On any given day, we feel isolated, misunderstood, and forgotten. The tragedy of New Orleans and our struggle to save this important city -- somehow, these have become passé, old-news, out-of-fashion. Being here is hard. Feeling forgotten is a big part of why.
One of the many positive aspects of Starbucks' visit was how it made us realize how far Abeona has come. With so much looming ahead and so many challenges yet to face, there have not been many opportunities to see our progress. More than ever, I am inspired and amazed by peers in this city and by the fantastic space we've created.

Nana's Sweater

Paul's Mom knitted this beautiful sweater for Kate -- how amazing is that?! I've been terrified of using it but decided to take advantage of the cooler temps, the beautiful afternoon, and the fact that it is one of the last Thursdays I'll have with Kate before she joins her brother at school 5 days a week.
After encouragement from Matt and others, I've started shooting in RAW format and am playing with photo processing software. If I were in Peru, I'd go to "the guy" for Photoshop... but since I'm not, it's free Adobe Lightroom for now. Not that I know what I'm doing with either of them.
Matt told us he'd bring his monitor calibration tools and adjust the monitor to true color, so I may start printing without processing edits. I'm very excited about this new side to photography and hope to soak all I can from Matt while he and awesome wife Laura visit during Mardi Gras!

Kate and the Cat Food

Even more fun than chasing the cats... playing with their food!!

Support Abeona -- Support the Children of New Orleans!

Paul and I sent a letter out to family and friends at the holidays talking about Abeona House. I'm copying parts of that letter here. We are eager for support towards a variety of Abeona initiatives. There are Reggio-related equipment and resources needed for our classrooms, teaching tools needed to follow Reggio documentation and community learning (things like a digital camera), and funds needed for our hardship assistance program (which subsidizes needy families and allows us to continue to serve a range of incomes on a sliding scale). Should you, your family, or an organization you are involved with be interested in making a donation, providing resources, or holding a fundraiser, please contact us or Abeona House for more information. Please be a part of our magical space!

The story of Abeona, as experienced by Paul and I:

When we returned post-Katrina to find that the quality childcare we had depended on was no longer available, we decided to join other parents to explore other options. These efforts lead to the founding of Abeona House in November 2005. It took us almost a year of work to open. Parent volunteers gave nearly 2,000 hours and contributed over $30,000 in no-interest loans to finance its start. In September 2006, Abeona opened with a full roster of 32 enrolled children (age 6 weeks to 5 yrs) and a waitlist of 60 and growing. Paul and I remain deeply involved with the school; Paul is the President of the Board of Trustees and I volunteer each week.

The Abeona House Child Discovery Center is a non-profit, parent-led organization that arose out of the need for high-quality childcare in post-Katrina New Orleans. Named after the Roman Goddess Abeona, who watches over children when they leave their mother’s care, it is the only center in the city that uses the Reggio-Emilia early education philosophy to guide its programming. Like Abeona House, the Reggio approach was borne out of community response to disaster. After World War II, citizens of the town of Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy, decided to use the remnants of destroyed buildings to create a school. Being dissatisfied with the current state-run early childhood programs, the philosophy grew out of a desire to create an environment where children could acquire skills of critical thinking and collaboration essential to rebuilding a society. At Abeona House, we honor this philosophy and strive to create a learning, nurturing environment that respects the individuality of each child, encourages parental involvement and appropriately rewards teachers and staff.

Abeona fills a critical niche in New Orleans as a supportive learning community that provides quality childcare at a sliding cost scale. Like Paul and I, many of the other Abeona families are “on the edge” – financially and emotionally – with our decision to stay in New Orleans. Participation in the creation of Abeona has given us grounding and a sense of community that we lost after the storm. The school’s holistic approach is a needed refuge from the harsh realities of life in our post-Katrina world. All of us experienced displacement; many are rebuilding destroyed homes. Most of us work in the social service sector – at local nonprofits, schools and hospitals, and several are struggling small business owners. Even members our teaching staff – an incredible group of dedicated professionals with talents and experience in special education, early childhood development, preschool art and music, and bilingual education – still live in trailers. Everyone involved with Abeona represents a family dedicated to children, education, and building a better community.

Paul and I write all this to express to you how important Abeona is and to implore for your help. Abeona House is at a critical juncture. The months of loss and costs of rebuilding have tapped our community resources. Survival means reaching out. As you participate in your workplaces, schools, churches, book clubs, parent groups, and volunteer positions, please keep Abeona in your hearts and minds. You can help us with a sponsorship, fundraiser, or by making a donation. Please help us create a foundation for quality, affordable early education in New Orleans.

Nightline

We got the official notice from ABC Nightline staff... tonight is the broadcast.

Stalling

The Little Man.
TLM got himself into a bit of trouble last night when he, protesting a trip the shower and using a request for a cookie as a stall tactic, peed on Paul and the kitchen floor. Whoa. We had the "we love you, but your behavior is completely unacceptable" talk and explained that he had lost the privileges of a bedtime story and goodnight song. Shower time commenced and bedtime followed. Whether because of a need to know everything was "okay" with us, or because of a need to continue to test the waters, Will had a tough time falling asleep.

For the next hour, we found him:
- Quietly typing away at Paul's computer
- Putting on shoes in his room
- Singing songs while hanging off the base of his bed
- Using the bathroom at least 3 times (productively, though... he actually had a bad bout of diarrhea)

He was obviously aware of his transgressions, instantly went back to bed without complaint when found, and clearly found humor in the odd assortment of activities he was choosing to surprise us with.

The last stalling technique was the most impressive. I was in the kitchen and heard his little feet nearing me from the hall. I turned to see a pants-free Will shuffling down the hall, eyes tightly shut, head tilted to the side resting on his blanket, mouth trying to suppress a mischievous smile. He was trying to fake sleepwalking... it was very hard to stop from breaking out in giggles. I had to bite my lip and force every muscle into a rigid set to position him back to bed and firmly assert that he was to not get out of bed again... and then rush out the front door to the porch where I could explode in laughter without fear of being heard.

Tonight's Nightline

ABC's Nightline news show visited Abeona House last week. They took video of the house, the kids, and interviewed our director, Emmy. (Paul walked in during the interview and was introduced, but says he wasn't filmed.) It was part of a short story they were researching involving the "increase in homicide" in New Orleans. We're all sort of ambivalent and nervous about it... will be sensationalized? Will they get it? Tune in... it airs tonight: locally, it's 10:35pm on channel 11 WGNO.

Game Day

Things got rough early on and the anxiety became too much.
(Not that Kate, contentedly tearing up the house, noticed.)
We set off for the park. The neighborhood was silent -- no cars, no kids at the playground. Neighbors came out to porches at times and gave us updates on the game.


THANKS, SAINTS FOR A GREAT SEASON -- YOU GAVE US PRIDE AND HOPE! WHO DAT!!!

Be a Saint

We have a running list of "reasons why living in New Orleans is like living in the developing world." It's quite a long list; the comparisons are uncanny. Today, we have one more to add to the list.

An athletic event can hold the hopes and dreams of an entire population, shutting down the normal functions of a even an entire city, to focus all energy on that game. Incredible challenges of daily life are completely forgotten and winning or losing becomes the ultimate symbol of the value and importance of an entire population.

This is what life in New Orleans feels like today. Today's game -- can there possibly be anyone in the United States, or even the world, who isn't invested in today's game?? -- holds the hopes and dreams of our city. The desperation to win, to go all the way, has somehow gotten wrapped up in our personal survival. Something tangible that we can point to show that we matter.
I've thought hard on why even I am caught up in it all. Paul and I fell in love with New Orleans in the days before Katrina. But it was after Katrina, watching our city fall apart while others minimized the loss, rationalized the tragedy, and responded in passe, tacky ways ("Tell them about all the free stuff Katrina evacuees are getting!") that were so arrogant and ignorant that it was hard to put into words how isolating and insulting it felt. ("It's not like you lost anything, your house didn't flood." ) The stifling depression that set in after Katrina was perhaps more toxic than the sediment left behind by the flood. Paul and I, after experiencing the comparatively posh life of expats in Peru, came close to the cut-and-run. Life here, especially right after the storm, was intense. But when it came right down to it, we couldn't leave. Our decision to stay was wrapped up in a web of emotion, experience, and pride too difficult to articulate. Perhaps one of the reasons we stay is for the shared understanding that everyone else here has gone through the same incantations. We can complain about the city, our taxes, our safety, the poor schools, the failing systems -- but do so in a safe space where we know that the discussion exists within the context of incredible love for a place unlike any other in the world.
Community pride is important and I don't mean to wax on, as us New Orleanians are known to do, boasting about the unique qualities that make our city such a gem. I imagine other folks in other communities feel pretty strongly about where they live, too. I don't want to get into a pissing contest over which where is better... but I will say that I've never heard anyone sing "I know what it means to miss Centreville."In the here and now, we are all in black and gold. On Friday, the kids has a Saints pep rally at Abeona. It was a serious affair. I spoke with Emmy at quarter to 8 Friday morning as we searched for black and gold facepaint and markers. Paul and I tore through our wardrobes for black and gold to wear (unless you're Liberace, or a Hilton girl, who has gold in their wardrobe??) Other parents ran around town for fleur-di-lis patches and yellow sweatshirts. At school, the kids were eager to learn the nomenclature. When he got home Friday afternoon, Will told us that when you yell "Who Dat!?" you scare away bears. This morning, our street is filled with cars and pedestrians walking up to Whole Foods for King Cake and football snacks. Black and gold banners fly from cars; everyone is wearing their Saints best. I've bitten off all my nails and my stomach is in knots. We hear the kids next door, running around with excitement as game time closes in. It's a big day in New Orleans.

All sorts of things come in 3s

In our house, everyday is an adventure. It is like we are tip-toeing across a mine-field, trying out different steps, listening for hints of a pending explosion, enjoying small celebrations when we are able to stand firmly with both feet planted.
We spend much of our days muddled over exactly what to feel: Do we hug him or throttle him? For help in this decision making, I've turned to child development literature. Unfortunately, I seem to be following much of this information already, so I am left with the realization that there is no silver bullet. What IS helpful, however, are things that help me understand my child's personality so that I can better predict his moods. The best book on this (suggested to me by a Child Development Psychologist as "the best parenting book out there") is "Raising Your Spirited Child." The book gives a lot of insight into determining how your child handles their energy, what drains them, what recharges them, and how to help your child recognize their own limits and needs. Whether or not "spirited" is a term that applies to all children is debatable; the book argues that a "spirited" child is one that is simply MORE. (There is no question that this applies to Will; my fear is that if Will is more, I am terrified of the challenges I face with Kate.) Another parent of a child who clearly fits the "spirited" category said that "normal" kids must be the ones that don't stick out. So that the labels that he gets now will grow into assets as an adult: tenacity, audaciousness, persistence, sensitivity, intensity. The book has been particularly helpful in its discussion of the extrovert versus the introvert. I realized through the reading that Will is probably not the extrovert I've assumed him to be; he has many more qualities of an introvert. He is shy in new situations, holds on to his personal space, needs periodic time alone, shares his thoughts and feelings with difficulty, and has a hard time transitioning from one activity to another. I had taken his energy, enthusiasm, and friendly disposition as signs of his being an extrovert (like me). In reality, though we share a similar intensity and persistence, I believe that Will is introverted like Paul. This information has changed how we schedule and interact as a family. After leaving school, Will would often want to go to the playground -- this worked well since it left the house quiet for me to make dinner. But afterwards, Will would struggle through dinner and shower time. Now we're making sure Will has down time after school, rather than going off to another stimulating environment. We're still trying to learn his cues, but I'm hoping that being more aware will help.Will seems to be potty trained. We have to give him reminders, especially when getting ready to leave the house. We've had several "emergencies" but so far he is doing really well with "holding it." Will is really sensitive to smells and we teach him to pull his shirt up over his nose before entering restrooms. He has also suddenly and without warning begun to pee standing up. This was a bit dramatic at first: how to do it without dribbling? The solution was that Paul taught him to lean up against the bowl, which is something I never would have done... I can't think about him doing this in other places! (Paul assures me that he picks Will up or puts down paper.) Will is extremely proud of his toileting. We started a sticker reward system but found that it was completely unnecessary. He literally just picked it up overnight and was simply ready to do it. It has probably been the easiest parenting and developmental milestone we've had yet.Will is still our thoughtful and sensitive guy. In the picture above, he's holding the "beautiful sun" he made for me. He's got some new quirks that are notable. For example, he has a very strange relationship with his socks. While he is adamant(!) about picking out socks to go with his outfit each day, he is equally committed to ripping them off at every opportunity. We find them all over the house, in his bed, and tucked in the furniture. He is also bothered by tags in his shirts. He insists on keeping the tags flipped up so that "he can breathe." We haven't asked how exactly the tag sticking up helps him breathe, maybe we're afraid of answer.

Kate: 8 months

Kate was less than 24 hours into her 8th month when her teacher, Miss Gladys, greeted me with this expression when I went to pick her up: "Miss Holly! Let me TELL you about YOUR DAUGHTER." This is generally a conversation that does not introduce a discussion of a child's glowing behavior.As I understand it, Kate has developed some interesting past-times at school that present challenges to her dear teachers. For example, she likes to climb on the cribs of her sleeping classmates and poke them awake. She also is determined to roll off the changing pad. One of the other teachers overheard Miss Gladys changing Kate:
"Kate, where are you going? You're going to hurt yourself rolling around like that."
"KATE. Now be still."
pause.
"Ohhhh my goodness, WHAT IS THAT FACE? I can't believe you are giving me that face!"
(in enters another teacher): "Gladys, can I help..? OH MY GOODNESS, Kate! What IS that face?!"
"I know! Have you ever SEEN a baby give you that kind of face?!!"I apologized for Kate and her face. I know it well. With it, she very clearly explains that she is Ready. To. Go. and how DARE any of us try to keep her in one place when it is obvious that she is WORKING HARD on something VERY IMPORTANT. Lucky for me, the teachers have seen Kate in her element and know that I am not to be blamed for having such an energetic, rough-and-tough, confident, and ready-for-the-world baby girl.

I am to be pitied; they know I am done for.

In the past week, Kate has not slept for more than 15 consecutive minutes. I know this because in the past week, I have not slept for more than 15 consecutive minutes. On a good day, it takes a Herculean effort to get her to sleep (luckily, I've had 3+ years of practice with Will). This past week, it's taken a Herculean effort plus drugs. Better living through chemicals -- thank you Motrin! While lubing up her sore chops with Ambisol this morning, I noticed the sharp, rough bumps of a tooth just starting to poke through. Her first tooth. It is the lower middle tooth on the left. I can only barely make it out, although she hasn't been keen on a full exam for me to get a really good look. The excitement is bittersweet; I miss the baby she leaves behind.One thing about the tooth: it explains the popularity of her 'where's my dentures?' face.
Kate loves to explore our kitchen. With Will, nothing was baby-proofed. No outlets covered. No cupboards locked. We did have a few baby gates to limit his exploration to rooms of the house without powertools and nails on the floor, but that was about it. Nothing has changed -- although it better start changing soon (note picture below). Kate doesn't quite seem cognitively ready for the level of curiosity and ability she possesses.
(Don't worry. No baby was hurt in the taking of this picture.)

35 degree change

Yesterday, we had the A/C on. It was working hard to keep the house somewhere between 72-73 degrees.

We turned the heat back on last night, knowing it was going to get chilly. It did! Having an hour or more this morning without power did not help us keep the house toasty warm. But we got everyone warmly dressed, the power came back, and the temp outside is 42 -- with a "feels like" temp of 35! Yowza! Here's our super little man, just a little while ago...And his sister, flying to the door to watch her brother off to school! (Only 2 more weeks until Kate starts full-time at Abeona, too!!)

Catching Up

So much has been going on that I've missed updates on the mundane, yet so interesting when looking in retrospect, moments of our home life.
THE BINKY...
... is gone. Back in November, Will's primary source of soothing developed a small tear at the tip. Paul encouraged the plastic to spread a bit more, changing the suction effect. Right away, Will lost interest in the wounded Bink. So, when he asked for a binky we could give it to him, making him "choose" that he didn't want to use it. For the sake of documenting what really happened, I should add that this was a seriously controversial affair. The start of the ear-infection, antibiotic, diarrhea, swollen-member mess were big complications. The miserable guy was left with a binky that didn't quite give the right relief while he was dealing with so much discomfort. Feeling in the middle of a battle, I encouraged cuddles and helped him to quickly transition to other means of comfort (a blue blanket.)

POTTY TRAINING...
... happened overnight. All that stuff about when they are ready, it will happen overnight? IT WAS EXACTLY RIGHT. While we have accidents every once in awhile, Will is basically potty trained. He has had a few days when he asked for pull-ups, not underwear (interestingly, these tend to fall on weekend days) and we've just let him be in control over that choice. In our experience, using success as a reward in itself was definitely the way to go. We sort of introduced a sticker chart leading to a special treat, but honestly, his excitement over succeeding by himself was all that was necessary. I don't think we'll be moving on to nighttime underwear for awhile, though. This still scares us quite a bit.

Last Saturday Night

Only two words necessary: WHO DAT!?

Crime Plight - Family Flight...

... was one of the signs we carried. Several parents pushed empty strollers that read "future of our city??" along with the signs. Other signs included: "No Children -- No City," "No Child is born a killer," "Children's Laughter is NOLA's Music," "NOLA's Children: Long Neglected and Unprotected," and pictures of Francis with "Friends of Francis" labels.

The March and Rally were initially organized by the Marigny/Bywater community and anticipated maybe a few hundred people. Over 1,000 met them at the base of Canal Street. When we began to walk up Canal and over to Poydras, the crowd began to explode. It is hard to explain exactly how it happened, but people seemed to be pouring in from everywhere... coming down out of office buildings, meeting up with the crowd from side-streets. I was in heaven taking pictures, standing on curbs or other elevated surfaces to snap pictures as the crowd went by -- and the way it kept growing was surprising, and energizing.

I had heard that several neighborhoods organizations were gathering to march to City Hall separately. So when our crowd (from Canal Street) got to City Hall, we were met by other groups coming from different parts of the city. Estimates put the numbers of people somewhere between 3,000-5,000 people. Considering that the city's current population is roughly 200,000 people, that is an incredibly high turnout -- and on a mid-week workday!

I've been to several Marches and Rallys, walked the picket line with the Union at Michigan, attended the March for Women's Lives in DC (which, I believe, holds the record as the country's largest march at 1.2 million people). In my experience, this was by far the most passionate and emotional event I've attended. The energy was palatable; it seemed to hold us all together in a mix of diversity that others tell me is unprecedented in this divisive city.

Speakers represented various neighborhoods and experiences. No political official was allowed to speak (even when some called for the Mayor, who stood quietly behind the speakers microphones) clarifying that this event was specifically about allowing the people of New Orleans to be heard. I was so thankful for this. We needed the event to specifically be about our anger, our vulnerability, and our ideas.

The statement that resonated in me and that stays with me came from Reverend John Raphael, (whose fantastic speech may be viewed through that link) who said,

"New Orleans maybe the city that care forgot. But today, we declare that New Orleans will never again be the city that forgot to care."

Today's WTF?! New Orleans Moment

Because the job of law enforcement is to protect citizens only when they march, in numbers into the thousands, to City Hall to demand it.

"What took so long? The community finally woke up. We had a tragedy or two. The community should have, in fact, probably spoke up sooner." - Police Superintendent Warren Riley on CNN

Moments and Highlights from Today's March and Rally

I'm too tired to say much of substance and am still processing the day. But it was incredibly powerful. Being there with such an amazing group of people was inspiring.

Times-Picayune has several articles that cover some of the media focus at the event. Thanks for all the messages regarding watching us on CNN. If you could drop a quick line to your local representatives, we would really appreciate it.

We TiVo'ed several evening news broadcasts to review later, but we know that you can see images of Paul, Kate, and even me -- as well as other Abeona-related people -- in these places (hat tip, Emmy!):

www.wdsu.com Photo #20 of Paul's decked out stroller with Kate in tow

www.abc26.com Photo #13 of Chrissie Roux (and Katrina's arm, and Renee's derrier); Photo #25 of Zoe's empty stroller, #34 of Paul and Holly in the periphery

www.nola.com Photo set #2, picture #5: Great pic of Paul & Kate (They are quite popular!)

Some favorites of mine from the day are below. Paul took a few, too, so there are actually some pictures of me! Paul loaded a viewing page to see all my favorites; below are some highlights.