Quick note for important legislation in Louisiana

Latinola has a link to an editorial in the T-P regarding pending legislation in Louisiana regarding immigrants. (Have I mentioned how much I love the colors of Latinola´s website?)

I´ve taken the time to write local officials and hope others will, too. Here is some information...

Listed below are all the immigration bills, plus one resolution that have been filed:

Ø HB 1357 by Rep. Geymann (District 35, Lake Charles) creates the crime of harboring, concealing, or sheltering an alien. (passed House floor waiting to be heard by Senate Committee)

Ø HB 1358 by Rep. Geymann (District 35, Lake Charles) creates crime of unlawful transportation of an illegal alien. (passed House floor waiting to be heard by Senate Committee)

Ø HB 25 by Rep. Geymann (District 35, Lake Charles) requires police officers to verify citizenship of every person they arrest. (passed House floor waiting to be heard by Senate Committee)

Ø HB 1365 by Rep. Burns (District 89, Mandeville) requires that landlords verify legal status of aliens (passed Committee waiting to be heard on House Floor)

Jazz Fest Blues.

Are there no Andouille Calas with Green Onion Sauce at Jazz Fest this year?? We missed them on Friday and I cannot find anything about them in Off Beat for next weekend. I scoured Food Area One for a good half hour, loosing our window for the Cochon po' boys before the line got unbearable. In other words: it was a truly dedicated search.

Seriously, it is easier to wait and have them once a year at Jazz Fest then it is to get a babysitter and have dinner in Kenner. Plus, it makes it much harder to enjoy Rosemint Tea, Cochon de Lait po'boys, and Fried Eggplant with Crawfish Sauce without knowing that I can have Calas before and after.

Jazz Fest crack problem

Yes, I realize that I will burn for all eternity. The devil made me do it.

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.


---
* 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.

La Divina -- Channel 26

Here is the commercial airing on Channel 26 with the photography I did for our friends at La Divina... complete with pictures of the kids enjoying seriously delicious panini and gelato!

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!

La Divina

Pictures from La Divina Gelateria. For their coming commerical!





La Divina is the only place in the State that makes all their products completely from scratch -- from milk solids. Some of the flavors below include: Abita Turbo Dog, Cinnamon, Aztec Chocolate, Hazelnut, Strawberry Creole Cream Cheese, and Sweet Cream.

Mmm, mmm, good!

Last weekend was characteristically busy. Earlier in the week, I took some pictures for our friends at La Divina, to be used in a commercial they are making to air on Channel 26. Friday night, we joined up to take pictures of the kids enjoying panini and gelato.

I ate the one below. It was fantastic.





This is what happens when you ask Kate to smile. The response must be genetic: it is exactly the same expression I gave at her age when asked to smile.

Painting 'Keep Peace Stop Violence'

From The Guardian Weekly:

"The slums of Nairobi have been the backdrop to some of the worst violence since Kenya’s disputed elections in December 2007. In Kibera, a settlement on the edge of the city, approximately 700,000 people live in extreme poverty. Much of the area has been destroyed, but there are bright spots amid the ash and rubble. Every few meters there are white, hand-painted signs calling for peace and brotherhood. Luhya artist Solomon Muyundo (aka Solo Saba or Solo 7) has been painting peace messages in public places every day since the fighting broke out.

This reminded me so strongly of the beauty within the NOLA Rising messages; the joy those little signs bring to me when I see them. This artist is trying to calm his troubled nation, to stop those in the throws of chaos from harming each other. Here is the artist, in his own words:

"
I’ve been going out and painting messages of peace in Kibera, trying to calm the violence that erupted after the election. I write things like "Peace wanted alive" and "Keep peace and justice" in white paint.

Some people have started urging me to paint in their areas too, in places that I haven’t reached. They are encouraging me to do more, and I’m really happy that they like what I’m doing. I want so much to restore peace in our country.
...

I think the messages contribute to a more positive attitude in the community. Wherever there is a message of peace, someone feels secure. People are resuming their normal activities with less fear.
...

When people were trying to loot the marketplace I ran around the stalls with charcoal, writing "ODM" on as many things as I could. The looters never took any of the goods that I wrote on. That made me think that perhaps signs could speak louder than I could.
...

People want a way in which to protest peacefully. Perhaps we should be printing T-shirts with peace messages and giving them out for free. That way people can advocate peace wherever they are.

I haven't heard of any other artists in the country promoting peace in this way. But if Kenyans can think of a way to assist the community in this manner, I encourage them to do it, without worrying about who will pay them. They should display peace wherever they are, in all the places I can't reach. As artists, we are talented, and we have a role to play in the community.

"

I wonder how the 'Grey Ghost' would respond to that?

Bientôt nous parlerons tout français.

More official news... Will and Kate were both accepted to Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orleans for the 2008-2009 school year! We took the news with bittersweet excitement... it's time for Will to move on from preschool and we applied for both to have the option of keeping the kids in the same school (sibling discount!) It was a bit of a surprise to us that both kids got in, we're misty-eyed about our kids moving on from Abeona, but we're thrilled!

Ecole Bilingue is a French immersion school. It's taught by French Nationals and approved by the French Government. We love the teachers and the staff. In terms of price, it's not cheap but with everything added it will be about the same as we're paying now. The school feels great -- like a big family -- the same loving environment we've come to know at Abeona. The school is very diverse... staff, teachers, students, and families, representing a range of nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and ethnicities. The music and art programs are wonderful; we adore the music teacher! We feel very very lucky to have found a good place to continue our children's education!

Yesterday, we attended a parent meeting where Will was evaluated by two of the teachers. He did great. The "test" was a series of developmental exercises, the same that Abeona went through with us for our parent/teacher conferences a few weeks back. Things like jumping on one foot, walking in a line, crawling, writing his name, counting, etc. Will answered some questions in English and Spanish (upon request). They were surprised that he still uses both hands interchangeably. I assumed that it was normal for kids to not have a dominate hand yet, but apparently this is not so. The teachers were very surprised and said that they had never seen a child use both hands so freely at this age? He writes, eats, and draws with both hands, sometimes trading the utensil or pen back and forth in one sitting. They had him repeat some words (colors) in French... like his parents, his accent will take some work.

Here's the issue: in the French system, children's grade levels are determined according to the school calendar year. So, Will is eligible for Kindergarten, which is the class they accepted him into. He wouldn't be the youngest in the class, but he wouldn't be the oldest either. The age isn't really an issue for us, it's the language. About 2/3-3/4 of the students will have had a year of French in pre-K. Usually, students are recommended to have 2 years of French immersion before 1st grade (a year to listen, a year to speak). His teachers felt that he would be fine; many students start French at Kindergarten and are completely caught up by the end of the year. He wouldn't be the only one starting with no French. He will do the summer program at EB, so he'll have a little French before the school year starts, so that is something. I'm not sure exactly what to do (the school is willing to put him in either Kindergarten or pre-K, whatever we want). I terms of play and school day structure, the preK and Kindergarten are very similar -- only the Kindergarten does not take a nap. Both have morning and afternoon outside recess and structured playtime. I'm just unsure of what is best for Will.

The other issue is that Kate must be potty trained -- no pull-ups or trainers -- by the start of the school year. If she's not potty trained, we have to pay for her slot until she's ready. Talk about incentive for success! This goes against my tendency to 'wait until they're ready' and puts pressure on us finding success with potty-ing this summer.

Paul and I are going to start taking classes at the Alliance Francaise -- I wish NOLA had a Spanish language center like this!! We're also wondering if we can find someone there who could teach French from Spanish... so we can practice our Spanish at the same time.

Not quite confederate money

Our neighbor Weezie was interested in the original nails -- handmade -- from the original house construction. So Paul has been careful to preserve a few. Apparently, they can break easily so keeping them intact takes a little bit of care. Here are what some look like:
That 50 coin? We have no idea what it is. We're hoping someone might know? It was inside the original wall. It's not quite wood, but it's not plastic either. I'm hoping that it's identity is more interesting than that of a poker chip. (We're still waiting to find the vault of confederate money.) It has sort of a purple color to it and the lettering it sort of golden. Anyone have any ideas?

E-L-M-O. And The Dog.

On Saturday afternoon, we made Paul clean himself of debris from the back and walk around the block to Octavia Books, a local bookstore that also was one of Will's first words. (He loved walking in the bookstore during our walks around the block and would request "Octavia Books!" as a way to tell us he wanted to go for a walk.)
Here is Kate. Storytime had ended and we were waiting for The Big Event.
MEETING ELMO. WOW.

Elmo "signed" a book (a bookstore clerk stamped it with Elmo's signature) and I took some pictures.

Then, the day continued. Paul and Will went to the back to work on the house and Kate and I walked hand-in-hand to Whole Foods. We had just walked into the parking area when Kate saw The Dog. I had to tighten my grip on her as she tried to run with all her might towards the animal, who had noticed Kate and was equally struggling to reach her. The dog was probably a year or younger, of medium size, golden like a retriever with a fluffy tail and with big floppy ears. Very Cute. The dog and Kate finally met at the door, where they kissed and hugged and squealed with delight. I said to the woman holding the dog's leash, "What a cute dog." She hopefully replied, "Oh, the dog is up for adoption. He needs a home." I looked down at Kate loving on that puppy. Uh-oh.

"We have a cat," I quickly replied and scooped her up. We said goodbye and went into the store. Kate was great in the store, but I was worried about having to walk past the dog again. Then, I saw the dog's keeper in produce -- so I assumed that the dog had already found a home.

WRONG. We left the store and found the dog and woman again; she'd put the dog in the car for a second to get him a some watermelon. The Kate-dog love fest began again, with even more intensity. Seeing the dog was even more exciting to her than seeing Elmo, if you can imagine such a thing. I was getting desperate.

"My oldest got bit by a dog when he was little and is deathly afraid," I lied, knowing full well that Will has been begging for a dog for weeks.

This time, when I scooped up Kate, she began to cry. "Doooooooggggggg, Nooooooo, DOOOOOOGGGGGG!" She wailed, reaching with all her might over my shoulder.

And then, the dog started to whimper. Over her cries, the garage filled with his whimpers... followed by (and I am not making this up) his HOWLING. So there I am, holding a snack of groceries and a squirming, crying Kate who is reaching behind me calling out to this dog who is whimpering and howling to her.

I am pretty sure this puts me in striking distance of "The World's Worst Mommy" award. But we are not getting a dog!!!