A new definition of productive

I built three...THREE Lego creations today. Since the pieces were all scattered inside our huge bin of teeny tiny Lego pieces, I consider this quite an accomplishment! This is definitely a new perspective on productivity.

Busted!

Lily, you are soooo busted! I caught you stealing jelly beans!

Our final shots of N.O.

The Swamp and other sights

It started to warm up a bit later in the week, so we decided to take the kids on a swamp tour. It was really warm that morning so I dressed Lily in a cute little sundress. She seemed to "get" that in New Orleans, you wear beads. Lily put on a strand of beads every time she left the hotel room.

Sadly, when you get in a boat on the river and cruise along looking for 'gators at a good clip, it's not all that warm! But actually, Lily didn't really seem to mind the cold.

My camera battery went dead just as we pulled up to an alligator--doesn't it figure? Even the boys were saying..."Mommy, get a picture...take a picture." All I managed to get were a few generic swamp pictures.

Mud bugs...

Sammy picked some flowers for Lily and I somewhere along the way. She hung onto hers all day--literally--all day. I stuffed mine in the stroller and got busted later in the day for having lost them!

This picture was taken on a previous day, but I love the fact that Joey is jumping up to get into my viewfinder.

Storyland

Blaine Kern, the same guy behind Mardi Gras World, created a storybook park for children. It was quiet, fun and really, really cute. The kids said this was one of their favorite memories of New Orleans...right up there with Mardi Gras World.

And what little boy wouldn't LOVE an old, out-of-use fire truck dropped smack in the middle of the park just for little ones to climb all over?

I'm not sure why Lily loved this slide because she always came flying down FLAT on her back!

But Daddy sure did like the slides!

Since I knew that Bourbon Street had become even a bit seedier since Katrina (lots of strip joints), Rob and I made a conscious decision to stay away from it as much as possible. But on this particular night, we decided to head to a restaurant on one end of the strip (no pun intended). Upon leaving the restaurant, well-dressed, business-like adults across the street were tossing beads to passersby below. No surprise that Joey, with his 8 years of Fourth of July parade experience now, managed to scoop up about 30 strands of beads. He was in his element and I was too busy watching to take any photos!

Day three...A Belated Mardi Gras Celebration!

Since we don't have cable, the kids love going to a hotel where they can watch cartoons they hear about, but never get to see. Allowing the kids to watch cable in the morning gives Rob and I a few extra calm moments to pull ourselves and our day together.

Lily isn't really interested in t.v., but she found Dora quite fascinating!

After our quiet morning, we headed to the N.O. Aquarium and then walked to Mardi Gras World. Mardi Gras World was undoubtedly one of our favorite sights of N.O. We got to see floats from this years Mardi Gras parade (and a few from previous years too). The kids loved it--they made sure they were first in line around every corner!

While waiting for the street car for our return trip to the French Quarter, I snapped this shot of Sammy looking for some cuddle time with Daddy. Little did I know that Joey found a way to sneak into the photo! Sammy, by the way, is holding his new stuffed otter from the Aquarium. He affectionately calls him "Bowling Ball." No, I don't get it either.

Later that day, we had some fun in the pool back at the hotel...

The French Quarter

When we decided to take our spring break trip to New Orleans, lots of people wondered why we would take 3 little kids to a place that is so well known for it's adult activities! I did lots of research before making our hotel reservations, and finally decided that there were enough kid-centered activities to keep us busy for at least a few days!

We stayed in the French Quarter at the lovely, old, traditional Hotel Monteleone. This place has old world charm written all over it.

We immediately took a walking tour around the French Quarter to stretch our legs after so many hours sitting in the car. We ended up at the fountain at Jackson Square and eventually, the Cafe DuMonde for an afternoon break of cafe au lait and bengeits.

Fried dough is always a kid-centered activity--especially when you look like a snowman after eating it!

Road Trip 2009--New Orleans, here we come!

Let the good times (and the minivan) roll!

Thankful Thursday

I have been reading daily about baby Stellan at MckMama's blog: My Charming Kids

MckMama's 5 month old son Stellan has a dangerous heart condition and has been hospitalized for almost 2 weeks. And yet MckMama manages to write about the whole situation in such a way that you actually leave the blog feeling somewhat uplifted. MckMama is also an an amazing photographer as well.

While this family goes through such a difficult time in their lives, people from all over the world who have learned of the family through MckMama's blog are reaching out to them...sending hopeful thoughts, flowers, meals, and incredible photos of Stellan's name http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2008/08/eventually-these-photographs-will-be-in.html

So as I read about baby Stellan, his two brothers and one sister, his mom and dad and the daily struggle they face, I am thankful for my family's health and for the realization that people are basically good.