The Beach.

It was a little windy, the surf was rough, under current strong, and jellyfish out in force (Paul, Will, and PapPap all got stung)... but the kids loved it!
We went to Gulf Shores -- paying the $5 to park and use the area of beach protected by the State Park, rather than the crowded public beach. Nice bathrooms, showers, a lifeguard stand (with vinegar spray bottles), and snack shack with shaded tables. Worth the drive from NOLA!

Weekend in the City

As with every weekend in recent and not-so-recent history, the focus of this weekend has been Getting the Kids Away from the House so that Paul Can Work. Luck for us, the business apartment rented by my Dad's company was available. So directly after school Friday afternoon, Paul dropped us off in the Central Business District and we've been here ever since.

Staying at the apartment is like being a tourist in our own city; exploring a new neighborhood. We've stayed here many times before and each time I like it more. Saturday morning, we walked around the corner to the Farmer's Market, where we listened to live music and the kids ate sample strawberries. Then we walked through the CBD, past Will's favorite hotel (the "W") and looped around the line of diners outside Mother's, which just felt like a photo op.


After admiring the fountain in front of Harrah's, we finally ended up at the Aquarium because it made sense. The kids played in the park at the riverfront while we waited for it to open, mostly admiring the tugs hard at work and marveling at how incredibly high the water is this year.

Inside, the kids were great. They worked me in classic style. Will shouted for my attention at every second, while Kate was happy to silently wander herself lost. It made more sense for me to follow the silent one, since she so easily would disappear in the crowd. So Will became That Kid who annoyed everyone shouting "MOM COME HERE RIGHT NOW, PUHLEEZE!!!" Every. Ten. Seconds. I managed to be Teflon Mom and not be annoyed. In other words, I tried hard to be a Normal Person and had much more fun as a result.
We had a great visit, made especially fun by the White Alligator, who was up for action. He floated, opening his mouth and showing his big teeth, right up by the glass.
No worries, Kate. We know you totally could take him.
I tried out some different exposures in the viewing room. Meaning that I got a few minutes of playtime myself. Score One for Mommy!

(That's Will and Kate on the left.)
Initially, I thought we'd take the streetcar somewhere for lunch. Maybe down to the French Market? But it ended up being noon when we left, the snack I brought along didn't satiate, and I had no sunscreen. So we walked through the shade of Riverwalk to the end and then turned up Julia Street back to the apartment. I kicked myself the whole time... all this cool stuff around on such a beautiful day and we're in Riverwalk??... but the kids loved the fountain and checking out the river boats, so I figured I was redeemed.
Will stopped all walking when he saw this: "MOMMY! LOOK AT THAT GO SAINTS SIGN!"
The Children's Museum was in full swing with a block party. I forgot to buy the early member tickets and didn't want to pay the hefty door fee, so we enjoyed Johnette Downing from the street. The plan was to do this again for The Imagination Movers, but we all ended up sleeping through their performance. Will was disappointed, so we put on the Calling All Movers! CD and had a dance party inside.
We woke up to church bells and enjoyed the procession of brides and bridesmaids into the church next door. After dinner, we ran out in our bare feet to dance on the sidewalk as they second-lined down to the Ogden.
Paul joined us for an hour for dinner, then headed back home to work a few hours before bed. He gave Kate a bath which was a nice break for me (read: I threatened to swallow the key and trap him forever.)
One day, we hope to stay here as a family -- scratch that, maybe just as a couple? -- and be tourists in our own city.


(Random note: These pictures... actually virtually all of the pictures I've taken in the past two weeks... were all taken with the 'new' used 10D (the $300 deal was worth every penny) and the 28-135 IS lens. I'm still getting used to both. The 10D is heavier and bulkier, but I like that it feels meaty in my hand. I don't think the weight would bother me too much if I was shooting an event, but it impacts storage and ease of access for when you're not holding it all the time. I love the controls and the sound of the camera, which are definitely built for a more advanced user compared to the design of the Rebels. I notice noise much more in this camera at high ISOs than with the 400D, but this is really the only performance issue that stands out, and I rarely shoot above 800. I am really having fun with the 'new' toys... and need to get some pro input because have no idea what makes sense to take to Peru!)

Bluebonnet Swamp

In order to let Paul crank up his efforts of getting the back ready for insulation this Thursday (and because our A/C was suppose to be installed) -- I took the kids to Baton Rouge for the day on Saturday. Although the A/C guy never showed up (thank goodness for the unseasonably cool weather... high 60s, low 70s?!) Paul enjoyed a full day of work in glorious weather and I had a great time with the kids.

We went to Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center. The map suggests it's just south of the downtown area. This was the first time I'd ever been to Baton Rouge, so all I can tell you is that it's smack in the center of suburbia -- the Mall of Louisiana is about a mile up the street (it's bigger than my entire college campus, and I went to a Big School) and about 2 miles from the Super Stores strip mall, a terrifying maze of parking and mega centers.

The Swamp Center is 101 acres of preserved land in the middle of all that madness. The Center offers a fun learning center with an impressive collection of snakes and turtles, including a monstrous Burmese Python that could pop up, swallow me whole, and lay back down without showing even the slightest lump down it's massive body.

We walked two of the three walking paths (roughly a half a mile and a quarter mile, respectively). The paths are a mixture of wooden paths over the swamp and marshlands and gravel paths through the woods.

We knew that this (above) was a sweet gum because there were collections of them in the children's "hands-on" section. Also in the collection were nutria pellets, raccoon skulls, various leaves and seeds, layers of shed snake skin, and feathers.

We saw a bunny, who sat close by in a bush until Kate realized what it was and shouted, "HI BUNNY!" When he hopped away, she followed that with "BYE BYE BUNNY!" Dragonflies were plentiful. I played with the 28-135IS on the 10D... (although I haven't used the IS yet, silly me).

This is sort of what the park looks like, with several ravine sections that make the walk more dramatic than expected. The kids LOVED it. Will was pretty hot on a hunt for alligators... but was happy with the many tadpoles we saw. This is one of the first times I can remember truly seeing tadpoles -- complete with tails and little legs growing from their round bodies -- swimming around. I feel like I have to have seen this as a kind, hanging around in Dorchester Creek digging for sharks teeth at every free moment*, but I can't remember.
This is close to the head of the paths, near the Center. The kids spent a lot of time checking out the bugs here.
Inside, there was a fun play area with a tent, books, and a ton of stuffed toys. The kids dove in and I read them (okay, Will... Kate was too busy) a few nature books about turtles. At one point, Will dove into the tent and bonked Kate in the face. He pulled back crying "OW!" and I realized from his cry that he'd collided with Kate (I was behind Will and didn't have the side view to be sure), so I held my breath waiting for Kate's wail... which didn't come.

Instead, she scrunched up her face, looked uncertain, wiggled her nose a few times, paused... and then carried on as if nothing had happened. Okay, I thought, it must not have been that bad.

Thirty minutes later, when we left, her nose was red. I thought maybe she had a sunburn? Or maybe rubbed her nose too much with the sunglasses she'd be playing with? The head-bonk was already out of my mind, since it had been such a non-event; it didn't even occur to me that this could be the source of the red. It was still red when she went to bed, color deepening, which is when I remembered the collision.

Then this morning, she woke up with a HUGE PURPLE WELT on her nose. Two, actually. And eyes slightly black and blue. She looks like she was in a bar fight. Or been burned on the face. We figure that the bonk must have bruised cartilage in her nose? Maybe? She is completely fine otherwise... no tenderness when we touch it, blows her nose fine, etc. We're not sure about what we should do, if anything, but are sure that our girl is One Tough Cutie Patootie.


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* In want of documenting this somewhere, my neighborhood friends, my brother, and I spent countless hours of our youth riding our bikes down to the Creek to dig for stuff in the water. It started when I got bored waiting around my brother's soccer games and practices... the YMCA and soccer fields were right by the Creek, which we had to cross over to ride home. So I could hang out there until everyone was done and then ride home with the family. You could just walk along the sides of the river and find little teeth in the dirt. My brother and I still have a tackle box filled to the brim with teeth and bones. It was fun and we spent a lot of time digging and searching and storytelling and imagining. One of the teeth was so impressive, that we took it to the Charleston Museum to ask about it. The museum was REALLY interested, asked where we got it from, and took notes. About a week later, a team of student scientists was there and had corded off our favorite spot... there was a big lump we liked to sit on to dig in the water at our feet. Turns out that big lump was a huge prehistoric turtle shell. The only one ever found intact (at least, at that time). Story ran in the paper and everything.

Fete

Last Saturday, we attended the annual fundraiser for EB... it was a huge French-themed party. We saw some friends and enjoyed the music, but got there too late in the afternoon to fully sample all the top restaurants that were serving food... the food went fast! We bid in the silent auction and got a semester of gymnastic/tumbling for Will at a close-by gym (he's thrilled). Below are some pictures of the event...

Zulu Connection was great; the kids loved the stilt walkers!

To my children, who have decided to let me live.

I am surprised and impressed that now, in my moment of weakness, neither of you seem willing to make the final blow and do me in. If you had done it after this week, no one would have blamed you. With your illness(es), days off from school, living back and forth from freezing house to city apartment, bags and bags of laundry dragged around searching for a washer, terrible meals on the fly, us working crazy hours, and finally, Mom coming down with a bad cold. You've been troopers this week, and I couldn't be prouder.

After hair cuts first thing in the morning, I took you both to the Zoo. Will: you were a champion helper. Running after Kate, making sure she didn't go too far from us, listening to my requests. I was sweaty, clammy, and miserable, but focused on getting through the day. I managed to take a few pictures of you and your monkey-kin...

Elmo in New Orleans

We found out that Elmo was in town over dinner with friends on Friday night, a few hours before my parents arrived to spend a weekend with us (read: see the kids). Based on that information, our weekend should be pretty obvious. We saw Elmo -- LIVE.
Kate spent 95% of the pre-show, show, intermission, second act, and walk to the car in my Dad's lap. She's eating a hot dog above as he whistles in her ear. (Aunt Emily: I wanted to point out Kate's tights just especially for you.)
Kate was pretty jazzed up. We heard the word "Elmo" a lot.
Eventually, the Little Red Menace came out. I was disappointed that the show has no actual real Sesame Street people. Gordon (who, like Oscar, we refer to as "Chrome Dome") was in town for Boo at the Zoo and we thought maybe he was with the show -- so that was a little of a bummer, die hard 'Street people that we are.
But the show was still quite good (better than The Wiggles, according to my parents) and the kids LOVED it.
Yup. Granna and PapPap bought the kids an Elmo balloon to share... at least for a little while before it untied from Granna's purse and flew to join a few others at the arena ceiling (which is much higher than it looks).

Here is everybody (the empty seat is mine.) We played musical chairs throughout so that we all could be near the kids. Will sat on my lap for major portions of the show.
In the end, Will told us he liked "Jenny" (the "person" in the show) and he liked Cookie Monster. He also said that we should make an Elmo pumpkin for Kate.

Double Shot Under the Big Top

Thanks to Emmy for the invite and to the thoughtfulness of a friend who comped us the tickets, we enjoyed Oshner's Double Shot Under the Big Top Children's Health Center fund raiser. Emmy brought Ana and I brought Will -- making it a special night out with Mommy for our big kids. We met up with other friends (Emmy's neighbor, Georgia, who is the owner of The Bead Shop, and her daughter Amaya, who is about the same age as Kate).

Ana and Will are great friends and watching them was a delight. For example, when Ana was scared to go alone down the big slide, Will climbed up and held her hand for the trip down.
Strong man and bathing beauty. This was set up over by the dunking booths, where Will was obsessed with wanting to "dunk someone." I told him that it was a real bummer we'd forgotten to bring Daddy, because he would have LOVED being dunked.
There were several jugglers and street performers. Both Will and Ana held the spinning plate.

Photography aside: I used the 24mm lens that my Mom washed (three times) in the washing machine when it returned from the Grand Canyon wrapped up in Dad's clothes. Amazingly, the lens works -- and it works well! It's a bit clunkier in auto-focus, but still faster than I would have thought. Manual works fine (with kids around, I often use auto because they move so much -- otherwise, I prefer manual). Although it seemed very sensitive to exposure and gave a lot of flare in different situations. This may also be a bit of user error because I'm experimenting more with exposure after playing around with this during sunset shots with Matt. Because I don't really have any time to set up shots in this type of setting, I didn't get any of Will with the plate properly exposed. Bummer, because one of them is really cool. But I did get some cute shots of Ana. (I pixelated this one a bit to get some more subject focus -- the result of me having trouble with auto focus.)
In addition to the inflatables and performers, there were 5 huge inflatables, a silent auction (we all put in for a variety of stuff but got outbid at the last second), jewelry making (the kids made key chains), t-shirt decorating (Will's is Very Will, in that most things are completely colored all in black), cookie decorating, and a TON of seriously great food from local restaurants. All free!

Radio Disney was there and had a dance-a-thon, hula-hoop contests, and group dancing. Ana and Will were mesmerized.
Then Ana started to pick up some of the moves.

After dancing, they decided they wanted to go back to the Big Slide (see it in the background, behind the stilt walker?) That was when Will made his move:
(He was very sweetly helping her down from the curb, as Emmy and I stood behind giggling.)

And off they go!