All Weekend Long

NOLA's 2013 Jazz Fest kicked off Friday and what was going to be a peaceful, kid free visit to the Fest on Saturday afternoon for Christian turned into a family affair. Luz had been begging to go all day - dreaming about mango freezes and strawberry lemonade, but James was initially content to spend a quiet afternoon at home with me.  At the last minute he worried that he would be missing out and changed his mind, so we all headed out there for a beautiful afternoon.  There are many NOLA favorites in my life, but sunset at Jazz Fest is very close to the top of that list and I got to experience a beautiful one on Saturday evening.  After spending the entire day outside - starting with a 7:30 a.m. run/bike/dog walk outing, followed by a few hours at the park for James' t-ball practice, and ending with JF - the kids crashed the second their heads hit their pillows.

Today was another long and fun-filled day.  We headed to the Northshore to pick strawberries with some friends.  The strawberry fields were covered in mud thanks to a  torrential downpour, but the kids were not deterred.  We ate our weight in strawberries as we picked and came home with 12 pints. I am curious to see how long it will last us.  The kids loved picking strawberries and playing on all of the toys in one of the most bizarre playgrounds I have ever seen. There were castaway swing sets and merry-go-rounds that have been outlawed for years - the land of the misfit play sets.  There were see-saws and a zip line and a gigantic dome-like, in-ground trampoline that is a total liability.  Of course the kids loved every minute of it...and I have to say, I enjoyed it too.

Luz, enjoying her ice cream snowball:

Staring at the clouds, listening to Andrew Bird:

Picking strawberries:

My girl, so grown up:

In the fields:

Strawberry mouth:

James, zip-lining:

Having fun, despite the potential liability: