Nawlins Trip #2

This second trip to New Orleans was also filled with dear friends and family. I am so grateful for this as being with people that you love just lifts you up and renews a spirit. It was so wonderful to spend time with my mother's sister, Junie and her husband Bill as well as the Forets! Shane, Jonathan, Emma, Raley and Baby Boy-on-the-way, all drove in from Lake Charles, LA to be with us! Many of you know that Shane and I went through all five years of residency together and it was just fabulous to hug her neck, be with her and let our girls play. She really was (and is!) my "army wife" that has shared so much with me...I am so grateful for her and her family!

 The four of us at Aunt Junie's house, after an amazing supper of her gumbo and Louisiana style BBQ Shrimp. Deeee-lish!

 Big hug from Junie.

 Aunt Junie, "Flat Walker", me and Shane in front of the zoo.

 

 Sweet embrace!

 The girls riding the carousel in the zoo. Check out how little Sawyer looks!?

 Saint James Cheese lunch...That gruyere and caramlized onion sandwich that I had lives on in my dreams!

 Sawyer, Emma and Sullivan snuggle in our bed watching a show.

 Sullivan (4), Emma (3), Raley (2) and Sawyer (2) posing at Sunday lunch.

Thanks to Jonathan's sister, Amanda, we were plugged into all these new and hip places to eat (Saint Jame's Cheese, Satsuma...) and thanks to my sweet Aunt Junie, we were able to enter the impressive New Orlean's Zoo as well. A great weekend! Thank you, Forets, for driving all that way and sharing the weekend with us!

Quotes of the week

Some things that they say just have to be recorded! Here are some recent utterances:

From Sawyer:
-Sissy pushin' ME.
-Sawyer, me. Do it.
-My pee pee. (She doesn't want to let go of her used diaper!? Wants to hold it a while and won't let me change her...)
-My silla!  (My chair!) {This was hilarious as a lady had taken the seat that Sawyer was sitting in while we waited for Sullivan to finish her ballet class...As the lady didn't understand her, she didn't move and Sawyer got progressively frustrated.}
-Shhh! (Finger to her lips, wanting her sister to be quiet.)

From Sullivan:
-Mommy, when I turn five you will be a grandmother.
-Look at that blue hair on that girl! (Shouting this on the streets of New Orleans!?)
-That's a really soft tummy!
-I don't want that jacket! It makes me discomfortable!
-(While waiting for a potty break in the car...)My pee pee is almost coming out! But, I will tell my pee pee, "Stay in pee pee! Stay in!"

Halloween Party

We were so excited to attend a classmate's Halloween party this afternoon. Sullivan was just about to burst with excitement! BounceHouse+cookies+cheesepuffs+cupcakes+KoolAid= Paradise for my two little girls.

 This KoolAid is awesome...

 Sullivan "truckin' " with her buddy, Judson.

 Posing on the porch with some skeletons.

 Heed, Sullivan and Judson.

 Caught the girls in a sweet moment talking together...

 Sawyer was a little worn out after trying to keep up with all of the big kids.

Nawlins

 Me and Courtney with our kiddos, note newborn baby Margaret!

 This is first picture of the four of us in almost a year!?

 Playing at Audubon Park.

 The simple thrill of the St. Charles Streetcar! 8$ totally well spent.

Check out the smile on Sawyer below...you can't buy that kind of joy!

 

Part of Lee's fellowship includes two jaunts of work in New Orleans. He is now on this first rotation there and so we three drove down to share the weekend with him. Although we were nestled in this "frat-tastic" shot-gun duplex home and didn't do all that much, we had a great time just being together. The girls were so excited and easy to be with that it truly (and shockingly!) felt like a mini-vacation. I was able to also see dear friends, Courtney and Judith Ann, so it was indeed quite a special weekend.

Get in the picture

Many of you are familiar with this article, calling moms to jump in and snap a pic with their children. So here we are! In all our "end of day glory", we three snuggle up for "show time" each evening like this.

Ace of Trace

Sullivan came home the other day from school flaunting this stunner. I get so much pleasure from creating art, but it doesn't compare to what I get when I see my children enjoying it! And the neatest thing about this trace...she is really proud of herself.

Not so Itsy Bitsy Spider

 

Halloween is extra special when the neighbor's have a huge, decorative spider gracing their fence and your favorite song is "Itsy Bitsy".

You know that you are in the deep south when....

1. The plumber and the electrician come by, fix a small problem and don't charge you. 
2. The preschool doesn't bill you. They trust that you will pay when you can and they know everyone by a first name basis.
3. Men open doors or carry bags of groceries for you unprompted.
4.  Football is discussed by the preacher or priest during church. (And among members during the sign of the peace!)
5.  Mamas stay with unknown children at the ballet school until their "running late" mothers come to get them.
6. You become friends with the waiter/cashier at any place of business.

Just a few more reasons why I adore the south....

Sullivan's prayer

I am working with Sullivan to teach her to be quiet and reverant during mass. After I prompted her to talk to Jesus just after communion, this is what she said out loud:

Dear Jesus,
I miss you!
Come and see us soon!
You can come to all of my birthday parties.
We want to see your dress.
We love you forever and ever.
Amen.

And then later, noticing an ancient crucifix near us on the wall, she asked if she could touch Jesus and take care of his "boo boos" on his hands and feet. She also asked if He had walked into the church and climbed up there. Lee lifted her up so she could touch the bottom of the crucifix before we left.

K4 Open House

Sullivan's school hosted an Open House for parents this past Wednesday. We had a light lunch and toured the school to see what the children have been doing over the fall. Sawyer was busy in her classroom, so I could totally focus on Sullivan and discovering her "school world". She proudly and excitedly showed me her playground, music room, artwork on the wall and the special toys and games that she loves in her classroom. I saw her seedlings in the windowsill that she had recently planted, her leggos, her dress up corner and kitchen and watched her play with the many boys in her class. (Out of the ten children, only three are girls.) I am really pleased with the school and Sullivan seems to agree as she asks to go even on the weekends!?

It was a special morning and I am so glad that I had my camera tow!

 Demonstrating her new "pumping" skills on the playground.

 Look how adorable this roll of toilet paper is!? It is now adorning our mantle at home.

 Sullivan's wall space for her artwork. She has a self portrait top left and found pictures in magazines for each of us to complete her family tree (top right), doing so with shocking resemblance.  The "Me" poster in orange was particularly touching as she dictated that her favorite places were her Honey and Gigi's houses and that she wishes to be a real doctor and wants to grow up and be a Mommy. I almost teared up right then and there!

 Us in the hallway.

 Ms. Beth, her teacher.

Posing with her friend Helen.

Flashdance

Diamonds may be a big girl's best friend, but tutus and tap shoes are working quite well for now.








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By the pond

We had a bit of time with our Daddy last Sunday afternoon and visited a nearby pond. It was finally chilly! The girls were enthralled by the fish and ducks.









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Pumpkins!

I took the girls to a local church to pick out a few pumpkins this week...We are feeling fall-ish even if our weather here is still balmy and coastal. Happy fall, y'all!












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My sissy

The girls really love one another
( most of the time). Here is their sweetness in action.



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