NOLA BABY

2012-01-26T22:13:00.002-06:00

We are looking forward to a quiet weekend - there is plenty of cleaning and organizing to do around here to get this place in gear for Mardi Gras. I am also hoping that the incredible thunderstorm this morning was the last of the rain around here for a while. I am starting to get slightly edgy about getting the house painted.

And just to make you smile...a picture of Jamesy holding a gigantic, stale loaf of french bread for the Audubon Park ducks and sweet Luz on the moonwalk during a recent trip to the French Quarter:

House Stuff

2012-01-24T22:05:00.000-06:00

In addition to the new Ikea furniture, there are a few other home improvements going on around here. We are (it seems) midway through a massive house face lift. What started out as a paint job has become a tiny bit more involved...

I guess as with many home improvement projects, as the work progresses, new problems are revealed. The good news is, we will have a new front porch. The bad news is that the project is rapidly becoming more expensive than we ever anticipated. I have miniature panic attacks when I get a call from Christian during the day right now. I find myself holding my breath, bracing for news of some expensive new problem.

The weather has not been ideal for painting so the pace has been rather slow. I had hoped the work would be complete before Mardi Gras, but at this rate I do not think it will be possible.

New and Exciting

2012-01-22T22:14:00.000-06:00

Nana and Papa-T came in town this weekend and delivered a carload of awesomeness...

the result of a romantic night out at Ikea last time we were in Atlanta. We have new bookshelves, a new bed for Jamesy, and a chest of drawers (or 'chester' drawers as Luz likes to call them). Needless to say, there is a great deal of building going on around here, not by me though. So many home improvement projects going on at once overwhelms me. Strangely, instead of obsessing about timelines and freaking out about mess, I am operating around the stacks of paperwork and out-of-place furniture and overlooking the sanded and miserable-looking facade of the house. I am sure I will reach a breaking point eventually, but for now I think we are all sort of enjoying that I am not completely losing it amid the disorder.

...and speaking of losing things, check out Luz's new smile. Doesn't she look so grown up?

2012-01-17T21:14:00.000-06:00

I am in the middle of this book:

by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman and would like to sit down and read it cover to cover if I had time. It is fascinating and entertaining and troubling all at once. The premise, and you can see it for yourself on the website, www.nurtureshock.com, is essentially that many modern parenting strategies/formulas are completely backfiring because some of the "twists in science have been overlooked." I am half way through it and apparently have operated under some misconceptions about how to parent and support my children since their birth. I am not going to completely change my style at this point, but it is certainly food for thought. I highly recommend it if you are at all interested in the psychology behind parenting/child rearing. I cannot get enough of the stuff because who wouldn't want to try to get everything right?

Some Good Things

2012-01-15T22:12:00.001-06:00

Yeah, the Saints lost...and we all walked around feeling punched in the gut for a while there, particularly on the heels of the ugly LSU loss...but so it goes in the world of stuff. In the wake of all the sadness, though, we woke up to an incredibly beautiful day, most of which we spent outside (feeding the ducks at Audubon Park, a nice long walk, soccer practice at the fly, cafe du monde and a French Quarter stroll). And there is other good stuff - I have the day off tomorrow, my first official MLK holiday in 10 years. (Unofficially, however, I have plenty of work to do and need to find about 3 quiet hours to get some work done.) We had a Haydel's king cake tonight after dinner with a lovely Chilean lady who is in town for a few weeks as part of an exchange program with the Sacred Heart school in Chile. Haydel's still reigns as my favorite king cake in the city (it helps that they give you a cool porcelain figurine, a go cup, Mardi Gras beads and a choice of "Saints colors" or "traditional"). Which brings me to another good thing....Mardi Gras is just a few short weeks away...and you can feel it all across the city. It helps take the blues away.

King Cake Season

2012-01-10T21:25:00.002-06:00

Have you had one of these yet?

We are just 4 days in and I have already had two pieces of king cake. It is a good thing that Mardi Gras is only a little over a month away. So far I have had a Rouses cinnamon/traditional king cake (I never eat filled king cakes, ever - I do have limitations) and a king cake from the Cake Palace which is somewhere in Kenner but they also make their king cakes available at the P.J.s near our house. Again, I had a cinnamon/traditional. Of the two, my favorite was the Cake Palace king cake, better all around on all areas where I give marks (cake consistency, icing, amount of cinnamon, portability, type of baby inside). The Rouses was okay but it was VERY dry.

By the end of the season last year I realized that I am no longer a McKenzie's purist. I still appreciate the simplicity of the brioche-style cake, but I absolutely love the cinnamon and (gasp) the copious amounts of white icing that appears on most cakes underneath the obligatory purple, green and gold granules. My favorites last year were Diane Randazzo's and Haydel's. If the lines ever go down or someone brings me one I will try them both again, until then, I will likely sample everything else in between.

Jamesy Is Three!

2012-01-08T21:59:00.001-06:00

We celebrated James' 3rd birthday with pony rides at the park down the street. We lucked out with incredibly mild weather, well-behaved ponies, and enthusiastic kids. It was a simple and lovely birthday celebration but it will always be a memory that stands out because of the incredible serendipity... a perfectly timed visit by the Roman Candy Man right before we sang happy birthday and cut James' birthday king cake, a sea of Saints jerseys on tiny bodies that took over the otherwise quiet playground and the end of a fabulous day capped off with followed by an incredible Saints victory and, unbelievably, there is still more celebrating and fun to come.

James' very special birthday is celebrated at a very special time in a very special city.

Photo Overload

2012-01-05T22:10:00.003-06:00

I finally moved 300 photographs from my memory card to the hard drive. It took almost an hour as the communication between the computer and my Rebel is deteriorating (and I have no idea why at this point). At any rate, there are photographs dating back to early December that I need to sift through and, eventually, share. Until then, here is a cute one of Luz and James with their cousin, Liam at Stone Mt. for the Snow Moutain Extravaganza (if you live in the ATL area, have kids and have not checked this place out, GO). I did not take as many pictures as I would have liked to while we were in Atlanta because my camera battery died. To make matters worse, it died before I was able to capture a picture of the cousins together - Pete is sneaky.

On another note, I cannot BELIEVE that James is going to be 3 on Monday. Once you are 3 you are officially more a kid than you are a toddler. To say my heart is aching is inadequate.

Hey There 2012

2012-01-02T22:22:00.002-06:00

We are back in NOLA after a lovely week in Atlanta filled with, in no particular order, the following awesomeness:

1. tons of times with family and friends we do not see often enough;
2. late bedtimes and mornings spent in pjs, lounging around;
3. some incredible (but hilly) runs in a beautiful public park;
4. great meals;
5. a night in one of the most luxurious hotels I have ever been in;
6. a trip to Ikea and H&M;
7. my first-ever trip to Stone Mountain, GA;
8. a late afternoon arrival in NOLA to our house mid-way through a massive, much-needed paint job.

There are tons of exciting things going on over the next few weeks and, although I am not totally psyched about getting back in to the routine and I am going to be in a bit of a post-holiday funk (especially when my sweet sissy heads back to NYC on Wednesday), I am looking forward to James' 3rd birthday, the start of the Mardi Gras season, a freshly painted house, friends in and out of town for various football games and events over the next few weeks and whatever other blessings 2012 has in store.

2011-12-25T23:30:00.001-06:00

Christmas Card Out-takes Attempt #3

2011-12-23T22:59:00.000-06:00

As it is now Christmas Eve Eve (why does it have a way of sneaking up on me ever year even though I have seen Christmas stuff in the aisles of every store since Halloween?) I am sharing all of the attempts. We have an exciting and busy couple of days ahead of us and then a trip to Atlanta so I think posting will be sporadic, if at all.

This particular collection of pictures is not too bad, in fact, a few of these could have worked, but they just were not quite right.

Grumpy and distracted:

Look at the camera, please:

Holy crazy smile:

Not that the one that I went with was heads and shoulders above these or anything, but jeez. I might have to plan better next year and get a professional photographer involved.

Thanksgiving Weekend 2011 - 3

2011-12-22T22:26:00.001-06:00

After a long weekend in Thibodaux we returned to NOLA just in time to spend an evening with our favorite, dynamic duo - the B'ham twins, and the newest addition to the Eustis side of the family, beautiful baby Miller. James had a great time running around the house with the twins, leaving detritus in their wake. It was something to see. I think the twins actually taught him a thing or two about mischief-making...isn't it supposed to be the other way around? Meanwhile, Luz enjoyed every minute of being the 'oldest' cousin and some quality bonding time with precious Miller.

It was almost impossible to get them all together for a picture. I had to make do:

Christmas Card Out-takes Attempt #2

2011-12-20T22:57:00.000-06:00

Luz and James were recently in my cousin's wedding and I was scheming the moment I saw Jamesy's adorable wedding outfit. I knew that I would have them both in nice clothes and that if I toted my camera around I would get at least one picture that would work for the Christmas card. Yeah...wishful thinking:

He is three (almost). He is a boy. He does not have time for my ridiculous dreams. And meanwhile, very much as usual, she is patient, helpful and ever so eager to please.

Thanksgiving Weekend 2011 - Part 2

2011-12-18T21:36:00.001-06:00

Wow....one blog post a week is just not cutting it. I do not know where the week went, but it flew by and I just did not have a free minute to myself (or if I did I must have been busy getting ready for Christmas and enjoying the holiday). I love this time of year and while the days pass by at a glacial rate for the kids, the time absolutely flies for me. I cannot believe I only have7 more days of silver bells, Christmas carols, and endless general holiday awesomeness. I will definitely have some post-holiday depression on January 2nd. Until then, I am enjoying every minute of it and appreciating the incredible amount of enthusiasm over here. The city is filled with incredible holiday festivities, and I have tried to take advantage of as many as possible. I even took the kids to a place called Santa's Secret Workshop yesterday. During Halloween the place operates as a haunted house, which should give you a hint or two about the operation. The kids loved every minute of it and even tolerated a decent wait.

I have some nice pictures from the weekend but I am still catching up on Thanksgiving, so please bear with me. Here are a few more from our weekend in the country:

Headed out for a swamp tour in Papa's Jeep:

Pete, enjoying some quiettime in the hammock:

Nana &Papa with the grandkids:

Nana with her cuddlebug:

Luz and GG, walking and talking:

Harvesting citrus:

James after eating a bitter grapefruit, belly filled with citrus:

Satsuma trees. We LOVE these. There are some people in my family who overdose on these delicious treats and actually start to turn orange. I think James will be the same way!

Thanksgiving Weekend 2011 - Part 1

2011-12-11T21:02:00.001-06:00

I mentioned a few posts ago how incredibly special our Thanksgiving was this year. The kids will never forget their weekend in Thibodaux with their cousins! There is nothing in the world like running around in the country with your best friends - there is room to roam, shout, climb, play, make a mess, and explore- and Luz and James enjoyed every minute of it (so did I). It was a total blessing that the Thanksgiving holiday worked out the way it did and that is why I will always cherish the memories.

I am finally taking the time to put some of my favorite photographs from the week/weekend on the blog. It was hard to narrow it down as there were so many lovely moments, not all of which were captured properly (user error, as usual), but the highlights and the special parts that I would like to remember are below. I had to break it into two posts because it is simply too many pictures to include in one post. I hope to get to Part 2 later this week if time allows.

Late evening walk in the cane fields with GG on our first day...waiting with HUGE anticipation for the arrival of the Atlanta crew:

Celebrating sweet Liam's 6th Birthday, we could not watit to surprise him with a cake:

Early morning, surveying the scene, hoping that his cousins are awake and ready to play:

Pete and James watching the cane harvest (lots of big machinery out there):

Liam, catching up to join the fun...I cannot remember why he was carrying a broom (I think he and Lucy were sprucing up the doll house):

Turkey in the fryer, off-the-wall (and delicious) microbrew in hand:

The 2011 Indian get-up...I hope this tradition never gets old:

Delicious Thanksgiving meal...the weather was so nice that we were able to set up some tables outside. Note the gigantic turkey leg in Lucy's hand and her expression. In typical fashion, Christian made a comment about how he thought it was awesome she was eating a turkey leg, Lucy hated the attention that caused and became sort of pouty for the duration of lunch:

A little post-meal playing:

Pre-turkey coma:

Ready for the hayride, courtesy of Uncle George:

James, cuddled up with Aunt Sue & Liam (note onset of turkey coma in the background of the 2nd photo):

Laim, learning all about sugar cane harvesting:

My South Louisiana boy, double-fisting...satsuma and sugar cane, the perfect Thanksgiving dessert:

My beautiful sis-in-law, enjoying the hayride (I mean really, who looks that good on a hayride!):

Marty, Sue, Pete & Liam:

Sun setting:

Checking the ditch for snakes:

Sorting some rocks he found along the way:

Nana and Pap-T enjoyed the ride too:

Christmas Card Out-takes Attempt #1

2011-12-07T21:21:00.001-06:00

Wow...I know you are all probably groaning every time I mention that things have been incredibly busy, but they REALLY have been lately. Truly. I think it is a combination of the new job, the holidays and challenging bedtime routine with Jamesy (which has improved thanks to my tough love approach). Whatever it is, it has seriously cut in to my blogging time lately.

I intended to spend about an hour on the computer tonight Christmas shopping (please do not tell me you have finished yours - it gives me miniature panic attacks) and dumping a bunch of sweet pictures from Thanksgiving in a post BUT I am going out of town tomorrow night (and missing Luz's Christmas concert in the process) so I had to spend the last few hours getting everything organized (sort of) for the gang. I will spare you the boring details of what that involves; suffice it to say, I just want to curl up on the sofa next to Christian and catch up on some neglected DVR'd shows.

So, I am taking the easy way out tonight and posting the first of many attempts at the Christmas card photo. This set from a few weeks ago was not terrible, until I realized just how long James' hair was...totally unacceptable:

These are the best of the worst, so stay tuned!

Wedding Day

2011-12-04T22:20:00.001-06:00

After what felt like decades, Luis and Casey finally got married last Saturday and Luz and James had the privilege of being a special part of the ceremony as the flower girl and ring bearer. It was possibly the most beautiful wedding I have ever attended - every detail was so thoughtful and touching - everything from Casey's incredible gown to the unexpected French Quarter musician playing for the wedding party and guests during a photo session in Lafayette Square - that it came together to create a most memorable event. Even more incredible for me, though, was seeing it all through the eyes of a 6 year old and an almost 3 year old...they were absolutely enamored and did not want to leave Luis and Casey's sides. I remembered then what I thought about brides when I was a little girl, about how they were princesses and about how a wedding was possibly the most magical thing imaginable...for a while there I felt like I was also a part of this fairy tale, and I suspect I was not the only guest feeling that way.

I was a little lazy with the camera on Saturday - too busy taking it all in and visiting with family and friends. I managed a few sweet ones in the park when James and Luz crashed the pictures. Here is one of my favorites:

Kite Flying

2011-11-30T22:13:00.001-06:00

Last Saturday the weather was perfect for kite flying. The wind was strong and the sun was behind the clouds (which made it easy to stare into the sky). Luz had been begging to fly this incredible bird kite for over a year and the timing was never right at the same time as the weather. Saturday was her lucky day.

The kids loved it and were amazed. They had flown kites before but not one as spectacular as this one.

I think Christian might have enjoyed it the most. While Luz and James walked over to Richmond's to see if he wanted to join us for lunch, Christian decided to see how high he could get the kite. When the kids returned and could barely see the speck of a kite in the sky they were devastated, crushed imagining that their kite was gone forever...

And thrilled when they figured out it was not.

Giving Thanks

2011-11-27T21:43:00.001-06:00

I held my breath and kept my fingers crossed for a few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. The kids were on the verge of exploding with excitement anticipating Thanksgiving in Thibodaux with Liam and Pete followed by a visit from their cousins, Richmond, Steven and Miller in NOLA. It sounded too good to be true and in the back of my head I figured there were so many moving parts and x factors and so very little about life that we can control, so I tried to play it cool. But it worked, all of the x factors and moving parts came together perfectly for a most memorable Thanksgiving holiday. I know it was one that we will never forget, especially Luz and James and for that I have many thanks to give.

One small snafu...James came home on Tuesday with his first black eye, so at that point I sort of figured my idea for a fabulous family picture and a possible Christmas card photo was out of the question:

With Miller, Richmond & Steven:

There are very few things in life as special to me as my cousins. I know that Luz and James already realize how lucky it is to have cousins and they treasure every minute they are together.

I have tons of pictures from the last few days and I promise to post more soon. The weather was perfect so we spent a ton of time outside (we even ate Thanksgiving dinner outside) - satsuma picking, turkey frying, hayrides, nature walks, lounging in the hammock, golf cart rides, bonfires, 4 wheelin' in Papa's Jeep, etc!

M'lady

2011-11-20T22:25:00.001-06:00

At Christian's suggestion and only after making a fair amount of fun of him, we loaded up the kids and headed to the Louisiana Renaissance Festival yesterday. I am still trying to scratch my eyeballs to erase some of the images that were burned on my retinas. Suffice it to say, there were way too many women in corsets a few sizes too small prancing (well, lumbering actually) about the place and it was just a tad disturbing.

This was not my first Renaissance Fest experience. I went to one (again, with Christian - are you sensing a common thread here?) over 10 years ago and remember very little about it, save the giant turkey legs and vague recollections of birds of prey, mead, and cinnamon roasted nuts. The Louisiana Renaissance Fest is situated on about 12 or so acres of land, so there is plenty of room to roam around and, even with a good sized crowd, it is comfortable. There are about 5 different stages set up featuring old-timey plays, puppet shows, magic (there was lots of magic going on - I guess because people did magic all the time back then?), roving bands of lute players, drum circles (I still have not figured out why there was a drum circle), jugglers, glass blowing demonstrations, living history demonstrations, rudimentary rides, jousting matches, birds of prey demonstrations, ponies, goats, face painting, hair braiding, and a ton of children's games along the lines of throwing darts, knocking down bowling pins, etc...There were endless food and drink options, none of which were memorable - Luz and James were thrilled to eat chicken tenders and fries followed by cotton candy. The highlight for me was a soft pretzel and cinnamon cashews.

I have to say, I was a naysayer going into it, but I had a decent time. Sure, I got really grossed out by all of the carnie types running the show, the matted hair and dirty fingernails from the people working the food stations was nauseating, and I did not love ducking every few minutes when low-flying hawks and falcons seemed to be close enough to relieve themselves on my head, but Luz and James had a great time, which made it totally worthwhile.

Lady Lucy the Lovely:

Lord James the Joker:

Thinking About Missing Out

2011-11-15T22:23:00.001-06:00

So, Luz did loose her tooth while I was in Houston for work last week. I was gone one night, just one, and it happened to be THE night. The build-up was exceptional; the excitement, palpable. The tooth had been wiggled, twisted, coaxed, studied, and discussed for weeks. When I left on Tuesday morning the tooth still appeared firmly planted, at least enough to last another few days. I missed out on the first tooth loss and I sort of understand that losing teeth eventually becomes less exciting, so I really wanted to be a part of this experience, just like I wanted to be a part of so many other milestones and was not. Maybe it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. I always complain about missing out on so much of the wonderful stuff of parenthood because of work, lamenting that it is someone else who fed my kid his/her first spoonful of something sweet or watched chubby, wobbly legs find their footing....ah, so it goes, and I realize it is a tired refrain and that I am not unique.

What I did get was this though:

...a precious gap-toothed smile and a joyous 6 year-old bubbling over with excitement as she described how it happened and what the tooth fairy did and how everything about her day (and night) was almost indescribably incredible. If I had lived it right by her side I would not have had the pleasure of such a heart warming play-by-play of 'The Day I Lost My Second Tooth', by Lucy Vaicius, and for that I am thankful.

Our Weekend

2011-11-13T21:09:00.001-06:00

It was another beautiful and busy NOLA weekend and it went by way too fast. We celebrated a friend's birthday on Friday night at Superior Grill, which was tons of fun, but left my purse smelling like a gigantic burrito...two days later and it still STINKS. Do any of you have suggestions for how to get rid of that total taco tattoo that you get in certain Mexican restaurants? Superior, although delicious, tends to be particularly offensive in that respect.

After James' R.E.A.D. class Christian and I took the kids to the Blues Festival down the street. The kids had a fabulous time playing in the many inflatables that were set up and listening to the various bands. Christian and I enjoyed all of the different food. I had the most delicious french fries ever (yeah, although I really do not eat fried food as a rule because it makes me feel lousy, I make the very occasional exception for super-awesome fries, shrimp po-boys about 2 times a year, and a fried oyster here and there). The fries were garlic, parmesan flavor and came with 2 different sauces. I could have eaten the entire container (they are served in nifty 'Chinese takeout' style containers). The kids had crepes from Crepes A La Carte (one bacon and cheddar, one banana and nutella); they were delicious. And Christian finally had a beef skewer from the Brazilian bbq truck. We went back later that night for more music and food. I had a 1/2 grill cheese from The Big Cheesy and it was delish (but I haven't really met a grilled cheese I didn't like), we shared a variety of empanadas from the Empanada Inifada truck (beans and platanos, chicken and beef). I will never find one in the states as good as the ones I ate in Bs As, but these were tasty. We also sampled a side dish of mac and cheese (this was Jamesy's dinner but he didn't mind sharing a few bites) and the Yakamen soup made and served by the lady featured on Bourdain's last Louisiana episode...wow, it was super-salty but delicious and perfect for a cold night (and probably a hangover too). In addition to the food and music there were local vendors set up, nothing too elaborate, just a nice street festival for a good cause. The money earned supports Cops 2, a program that provides extra money for the 2nd District NOLA police.

At some point during the day on Saturday Christian watched the UGA game and James and I took Luz to her friend Maggie's house in River Ridge for her first sleep over! She did not miss us in the least (well, briefly this morning while she was at mass with her friend) and loved every minute of it. I am happy that it went well and that I did not have to pick up a teary 6 year-old at midnight, but I think this is just another sign that she is really growing up. James enjoyed a quiet night with 100% of our attention. We watched Cars 2 and he loved every minute of it. He lined all of his "Cars" cars up on the coffee table to "watch with us". I wish I had taken a picture.

Today was spent cleaning and organizing, running errands and (sort of) watching the Saints game. Here is a pic of Jamesy in his jersey...it is almost too small...I hope it makes it through this season. He is outgrowing everything these days, pants I bought 2 months ago are too short...he is growing and growing and growing and not at all a baby anymore:

Here I Go

2011-11-07T22:13:00.001-06:00

My new position is supposed to offer a better work/life balance, and there have been some good improvements in just three weeks. One of my biggest complaints in private practice was the amount of traveling I had to do in a month. I felt like I was always missing out on something. Well, I suppose some travel is going to be inevitable in my profession, so here I go, off to Houston for a night. Fortunately, it is a quick trip and not something that will happen with any regularity. Unfortunately, Luz is about to loose her second tooth. I missed the first one (I was at work) and I am 99.9% sure I will miss this one too. Oh, and I have to travel one more time in 2011, this time to Florida for two days, one of which is the day of Luz's Christmas concert. I am sure I can purchase a recording of the concert, but it just is not the same.

Deep breaths, these inconveniences are just that, inconvenient, but I look at these guys and I remember about how fast life is passing me by and the little inconveniences become something gigantic:

Hooray For Milestones

2011-11-06T21:33:00.001-06:00

About two years ago Luz stopped sucking her thumb in public places and about a year ago she stopped sucking it unless she was sleeping. I am sure she will not be happy later in life when she finds out I am sharing this information with everyone, but I am only doing it in an attempt to help other moms who might be out of ideas for coercing a stubborn child to let go of his/her biggest comfort.

Luz sucked her thumb in utero...we have the ultrasound photos to prove it. I was thrilled. She could soothe herself and I would never need to mess with a pacifier (incidentally, James was never wild about pacifiers either - in fact - he had NOTHING to soothe himself with, which posed a challenge now and again). When Luz was a toddler and was still sucking her thumb it did not bother me because she looked cute doing it and it made her so peaceful. I will never forget the smile on her face when I would put her in her crib and she would curl up with her lovey (Bun-bun) and start sucking her thumb.

And it is precisely because of this love that I did not really pressure her to stop...until she turned into a little kid. I started to worry about it and I wanted to be sure that I was addressing it in the 'right' way. Everyone, even the professionals, said not to worry about it, that in time she would stop doing it and that to pressure her before she was ready to stop would be a disservice for a variety of different reasons. I was promised that she would ultimately succumb to peer pressure and stop on her own. But she didn't. And then she turned 4 and the thumb was still around. And then she turned 5 and the thumb would appear at night and that was when I started with the obsessive plans. I tried bandaids over the thumb which worked for about a month. I tried alcohol and other offensive substances on her thumb and that did not work (she would wipe it off or suck through it). I created elaborate sticker charts. In September 2010 I told Luz that she could have whatever toy she wanted in the entire world if she stopped sucking her thumb. She was enthusiastic and eager to please and many nights she would not suck her thumb at all...but not every night.

I finally gave up and took comfort in stories I heard from perfectly normal, healthy, well-adjusted adults who sucked their thumbs for many years. Some even had the misshapen thumbs to prove it. And then, one night in August 2011 a friend told me about how much she loved sucking her thumb and how her mother tried everything to get her to stop and she didn't...until...one night when her mother showed her pictures of 'buck' teeth. I raced home that night and googled 'buck' teeth on the internet and the search resulted in some nasty, offensive photographs of people with severe 'buck' teeth. I showed them to Lucy and she has not sucked her thumb since that night. So, on Saturday, over a year after I made the promise, we headed to the Disney store so Luz could pick out a doll she has had her eye on. I give you, 6, 7 or 8 year-old Mulan from the Disney Animator collection; a decent consolation prize for giving up the thumb. James was excited about the new addition too (although he looks rather serious in this picture).

More Halloween

2011-11-03T21:56:00.000-05:00

I have had a tough time getting pictures downloaded to post lately. My camera battery died the one night I set aside some time to do it, and from that point on I just got sidetracked. It is also starting to get cold, which means late at night the last thing I want to do is sit in the somewhat chilly and totally uncomfortable study to wait for the photos to download and then troubleshoot when and if necessary. I finally charged the battery, found the power cord to my laptop, set up shop in the warm, cozy den, and loaded about 100 pictures. I will spare you a ridiculous post filled with nothing but pictures of Luz and James that make me smile and will, instead, just post a few at a time. What follows are a few from Halloween night.We trick-or-treated on State Street with friends and family again this year and, thanks to Aunt Margot, had a home base complete with snacks, drinks, and all of the comforts of home. I allowed unfettered access to the candy for the night with only one caveat - a grown up had to examine and approve every piece of candy before consumption. It worked well for the most part. Luz was actually remarkably restrained, James, not so much. They both enjoyed trick-or-treating, but as it got darker James started to get increasingly more freaked out by the crowds, costumes, and decorations. He quit before Lucy did and spent the remainder of the night handing out candy. The highlight of Halloween this year - a holiday on All Saints Day - I think it would have been impossible to get the kids up, dressed and ready for school after that night.

Luz & James w/ their friends, Emma & Luke, before heading out to trick-or-treatJames made a last-minute costume change and opted for Batman instead of the pirate (which totally irritated me because it was the 2011 Halloween theme, but he is only 2 and apparently does not understand why themes are important to me)

Luz w/ Katie (who is dressed as a sort of cat - adorable and festive)

Luz w/ her parrot - Katie found this perfect addition to the pirate costume. At one point we crossed paths with a guy dressed up as a pirate (the Johnny Depp Pirates of the Caribbean pirate) and he started harassing Luz, saying she took his pirate and it was pretty authentic and she started to totally freak out until I got involved and straightened things out which required looking at the dude with a 'hey, pal, you are taking this one a little over the top, easy' kind a of look...funny stuff.

My Favorite Time Of Year

2011-11-01T20:39:00.000-05:00

I love the period of time in a calendar year that begins just a few weeks before Halloween and ends on January 1. I love everything about the holidays and appreciate each one in different ways. I think it is something about the cooler temperatures, the endless excuses to celebrate with family and friends, the seasonal tv specials, and always having something to look forward to. Next up, Thanksgiving in Thibodaux with family followed by Luis and Casey's wedding one week later! Until then, I will be thinking about nothing but sugar cane, bonfires, and satsumas...it is, after all, that time of year.

Halloween In C-Major?

2011-10-31T22:29:00.000-05:00

To celebrate her favorite holiday of the year Luz composed a little number for the piano. I do not remember much about the piano and have not ever really understood anything about reading notes and composing music but Luz seems to enjoy it. This one is short and dark and dramatic and perfect for Halloween night...it also kind of makes me laugh. She loves to play it though...anytime, anywhere for anyone willing to take a listen.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T22:20:00.003-05:00

My little pirates have seized every opportunity to get into costume. And even though they have already collected more than enough candy for any little kid over the past few days, they are eagerly awaiting tomorrow night...and I am sure they are dreaming about x-large pixie sticks and twix bars...

We had a great weekend - Boo at the Zoo, the Jazz 1/2 Marathon, the French Quarter for beignets and the search for the perfect pumpkin, a quiet afternoon with an old friend and his precious family, and a gorgeous Sunday spent mostly outside, carving pumpkins and enjoying the gorgeous weather. Oh, and my first week at my new job...so far so good...I promised I would give myself a few months before I made a decision about whether it is right for me, but it feels right after just one week.

Paint The Gym Pink

2011-10-25T21:12:00.001-05:00

Tonight the ASH Volleyball team hosted the annual Paint the Gym Pink night and managed to pack the gym. I made it in time for the varsity game but James was ready to go home (understandably) after a long day, so I did not get to see any of the excitement. Fortunately, Luz brought some of the excitement home with her:

It took about three really intense washings to get this stuff out...good times.

Boo

2011-10-23T22:14:00.003-05:00

We are in full-on Halloween mode around the Vaicius house. Luz has already eaten more Halloween candy this season than I did in all of the Halloweens of my youth combined...seriously. She continues to be obsessed with ghosts and is fascinated by a book about Alabama ghosts that her Aunt Kate sent (13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey...very creepy).

It was a busy but lovely weekend around here. I celebrated my 20th, yes 20th high school reunion, we watched a ton of volleyball (my first time making it to one of Christian's games all year), spent some time with Mary Cox and Katie, enjoyed some of the most incredible NOLA weather ever, and rested up for the start of my NEW JOB tomorrow morning. Yikes.

I am capping off the weekend watching an easy Saints victory and checking out some of the many pics I took over the weekend at the reunion festivities. My favorite, by far, is this one:

Pumpkinhead

2011-10-19T21:01:00.000-05:00

In a move that caught me so off-guard I had to pick my bottom jaw up off of the ground, Luz and James shrieked with excitement and begged for a chance to sit on Pumpkinhead's lap for a picture while we were at the mall after their dentist appointment this afternoon. There was just so much that was wrong with the request - James has screamed every year we have put him on Santa's lap, he hated the guy dressed up as the Easter bunny standing outside of church, he barely cracked a smile at the characters in Disney World, he only somewhat tolerates Gumbo and only from a distance and, with much urging, he lightly hugged Clifford last weekend. But it was not just the past behavior, this Pumpkinhead character is frightening and Luz and James have been a bit jumpy with the start of the Halloween season and all this talk of ghosts and goblins.

No matter, it required no pumping up, no steeling of wills, no waiting in lines (there are not too many kids at Lakeside Mall on Wednesday at 1:15, and even fewer who care to sit on Pumpkinhead's lap), no coaxing for smiles....they just saw something they agreed looked like total awesomeness and went for it. It was worth the $24.99 for the memories and the hope that, just maybe, the reaction to Santa might be a bit more enthusiastic this year:

New Orleans Public Library Book Fair

2011-10-18T22:05:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday the main branch of the NOLA public libraries, hosted a wonderful, totally free, book fair for kids. It was the 2nd annual event - somehow we missed it last year - and it was excellent. The fair was well-organized and provided tons of entertainment for the kids. The best part about the event was that no child left empty-handed. There were multiple tables filled with brand-new books, courtesy of Scholastic (mostly), Highlights magazines, used books looking for a good home and other odds and ends. Each child was given a free tote bag and within an hour the bags were full.

I do not know if every kid likes books as much as Luz and James do, but they could not wait to get home and check out their haul. Luz picked out a few "chapter" books, including a new Junie B. Jones, and James opted for a book about pirates and a sweet bedtime story book.

There were free Lucky Dogs, drinks, red beans & rice, cookies, pony rides (well, the pony rides were actually $3 each, but I did not mind a little splurge under the circumstances), crafts, a petting zoo (yes, Luz and James each touched an armadillo and a snake - gross), Clifford the Big Red Dog (I pity whoever had to wear that get up), face painting, balloon creatures, an exhibit curated by The Ruby Bridges Foundation (who Luz learned about last year and is very fascinated by), and a stage with music and readings by local authors. My favorite, by far, was listening to/watching Alex Beard read from his book, Jungle Grapevine, with his son. I love his art and his story-telling...very engaging. If you do not know about him, check out his website, www.alexbeardstudio.com, or buy one of his awesome books:

All in all, the festival is a great event and I hope it is one that they do ever year. I will attend as long as Luz and James are interested and I gather that will be for at least a few more years. Here are a few pics from the event. I am still adjusting to the Tamron...getting there:

LLV Favorites

2011-10-16T22:31:00.002-05:00

These days Luz loves:

1. School - almost every minute of every day...I am shocked, my memory of First Grade is that it was hard and boring
2. Scooby Doo - any episode, classic or contemporary, Scrappy or no Scrappy
3. American Girl Dolls - all of the dolls and all of the accoutrement with very little appreciation for the price
4. Her cousins - why are they all in other cities...
5. Going to the park, any park, with friends
6. Wednesday afternoons with mom-mom
7. Trips to Atlanta to visit Nana and Papa-T and spend time with her cousins
8. Halloween - not just because of the candy, she has always liked creepy things, and this year the hot topic is ghosts/spirits
9. Swimming
10. Reading, especially Junie B. Jones books (and, yeah, she can pretty much do it herself)
11. Being a big sister to James - which involves endless amounts of patience and good humor
12. Playing 'school'
13. Math homework, I am not kidding, just wait until she learns my dark secret about hating math
14. Movies
15. Theater, all kinds, but most recently and most especially, The Addams Family
16. Top 40 Music...yeah, I know....
17. Her bun bun, still...but the need for a lovey is dwindling...lately I find him on the floor and across the room and even in the hallway when it used to be that she could not sleep without him
18. Clothes that look like they would be worn by a teenager, I guess there are no more smocked dresses in her future...
19. The IPhone, IPad and Droid and all of the games available on those devices
20. Dogs...when are we getting a new one...I have no idea...

JCV Favorites

2011-10-12T21:11:00.004-05:00

These days James loves:
1. The Ipad (Plants v. Zombies, Angry Birds, Animal Train Safari, Driving, etc). He also loves looking at photos on the Ipad;
2. Christian's IPhone (all games mentioned above and Star Wars Lightsaber Ap);
3. My Droid, although not nearly as much;
4. OJ...ALL DAY LONG;
5. Music, all sorts, especially whatever Luz is into;
6. Movies (Yogi Bear, Tangled, Toy Story 3);
7. TV (Dora, Team UmiZoomi, Jake, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins);
8. Books (Scuppers the Sailor Dog, Goodnight Moon, Big Red Barn...still);
9. Trains (Chuggington & Thomas but any old train will do);
10. Cars (especially THE CARS but any old cars will do);
11. All trucks, boats, planes, etc...especially live ones;
12. Pasta (any kind - plain more so than traditional mac and cheese these days);
13. Hugs (this guy loves to cuddle and I know that will end soon);
14. Copying Luz...every day, all day;
15. Running and jumping, especially long distances and off of furniture;
16. Fake talking to Nana on the phone...this goes on all day long;
17. Playing at the park, any park, especially when other kids are there to play with him;
18. Ice Cream and Pinkberry but I think it is just an excuse to eat the 5 or so gummy bears on top;
19. Going to mom-mom's house and I think he pretty much knows the way and would walk there if allowed;
20. WINNIE - we have 3 - a big one, a classic one and a traditional little Pooh (his true lovey...how sweet)!

Meet The Tamron AF18-200 F/3.5-6.3

2011-10-10T22:14:00.000-05:00

One of many birthday wishes came true, Christian and the kids totally surprised me with a new camera lens, a totally versatile Tamron lens that does a good job of capturing pictures at a variety of distances and under different circumstances. It is a perfect lens for me and means I will not have to do much swapping out to accommodate different settings. Plus, my Cannon kit lens is totally uncooperative these days so I needed something to fill the gap.

The lens is light-weight but sturdy and only slightly more complicated to use than I anticipated. I am having fun learning all about the many wonderful things it can do and am only barely able to capture a decent picture right now. I have to learn a little more about focusing, lighting and distance before I can really be comfortable with this guy...until then, bear with me and enjoy the practice.

The first one was my 3rd shot ever with the Tamron (I had to delete shots 1 and 2, understandably):

These are a few from Sunday when we celebrated Mom-Mom's birthday at the Yacht Club with GG, Papa George and Elaine. The kids loved watching the sailboats...very cheap thrills. It helped that it was an absolutely gorgeous day to be outside:

What To Do On A Fall NOLA Day - Part III

2011-10-09T22:10:00.001-05:00

Last Sunday, before taking Nana and Papa-T to the Lakefront Airport, we had brunch at Cafe on the Square. The Cafe is in the St. Charles Avenue Hotel on the corner of Poydras and St. Charles. It has big picture windows so that diners can watch streetcars and check out Lafayette Square. The view of St. Charles is perfect and the Lafayette Square view is even more lovely unless/until the homeless fellows show up for mid-morning naps after breakfast at Ozanam Inn.

I had been to the Cafe for lunch on a few occasions and enjoyed it, and we frequently order catered breakfast from the Cafe for work events, but I had never been there for weekend brunch. Admittedly, it was not our first choice, but on a cool NOLA morning every brunch place is packed, so we were thrilled to find a place where we could be seated immediately with a party of 6. The waitress was super-accommodating and immediately brought crayons for the kids (the tables are covered in white paper and the kids were encouraged to channel their inner Picasso), the ambiance was nice, the menu has a great mix of savory and sweet which is important for someone like me who gravitates to sweet stuff for breakfast, and the food was excellent. I highly recommend Cafe on the Square for brunch - don't let the fact that it is in a hotel deter you - it is worth the trip!

After brunch Christian and the kids took Nana and Papa-T to the airport and the kids spent most of the time climbing around on Papa-T's plane, daydreaming about stowing-away in the back of the plane and hiding out with their cousins in Atlanta...maybe next time.

What To Do On A Fall NOLA Day - Part II

2011-10-05T21:44:00.000-05:00

After a lovely and not-too-crowded morning at the City Park Carousel Gardens, Christian and Papa-T spent the afternoon flying from NOLA to Thibodaux and around both cities. It took them less than 20 minutes to get to Thibodaux by plane - amazing! Christian got some really cool shots of the farm and cane fields while they circled. He also snapped a picture of our neighborhood. I will eventually post them (once I can figure out what I am looking at and can properly orient everyone).

While the guys flew, Nana and I took the kids to the Freret Street Market. I had not been in a long time and there were a few things I wanted to check out. I knew they would have a few adoptable dogs out there (not too many since the big SPCA event was going on simultaneously in City Park) and there were a few cute ones. I also figured there would be good music and food. The highlights for the kids were the crepes and the lemonade. Poor Nana barely got a bite of her cheddar bacon crepe. The highlights for me were the crafts - especially Miss. Malaprop - she has some great rings, hair accessories and earrings - and this delicious herbal tea and infused water stand. I cannot remember the vendor and Christian was incredulous when I told him I spent $3 on her water BUT it was delicious, truly.

There is so much great stuff to say about Freret Street. It has clearly become a destination and that is thanks, at least in part, to the allure of the Freret Street Market. I think the market takes place once a month and I recommend checking it out if you have a free afternoon. We enjoyed every minute of our trip.

After an evening bbq we headed down Magazine Street to Pinkberry and were entertained throughout the walk by all of the Art for Arts Sake festivities. Granted, because we had the kids with us and only a limited amount of time (the sun had already set and bedtime was fast approaching), we did not go in any of the stores or galleries (other than Pinkberry) but there was plenty of people watching to do and some great store fronts - even a karaoke machine manned by someone with a love for cheesy 80's music. AfAS is a fabulous event that has grown exponentially over the years. There is a free shuttle on Magazine Street so you can drink without worrying about driving and walk knowing that a ride is there for you if you need it. As long as I am in town I will check out this event every year. The kids loved it too...but slowly started to get worn out on the walk home:

What To Do On A Fall NOLA Day - Part I

2011-10-03T21:22:00.003-05:00

Last weekend was filled with tons of incredible fun and free (or almost free) activities. The perfect weather was a motivating factor - we all wanted to be outside - but it was also nice to have so many different activities to choose from.

On Friday night we had drinks and dinner at Midway pizza, a fabulous new pizza place that opened on Freret Street. I know, we have many pizza places in Uptown NOLA, but they are all distinctly different and there is nothing bad about having too many pizza places. Incidentally, my least favorite pizza place is the one that is closest to our house - NY Pizza - go figure. Luz and Christian love and will always vote for Theo's, but I think the vote is somewhat skewed. Luz likes it because of the Miss Pac Man machine. For any ordinary family pizza night, Slice is my pick. Reginelli's is my favorite daytime pizza place and I like it best for takeout, but I cannot tolerate the crowds at night. My two favorite "night out without the kids" pizza places are Dommenica (hands down, the BEST) and Ancora (might actually end up beating Dommenica because of the convenience factor -yes, it too is on Freret). Back to Midway though, I think it is a great, family-friendly pizza restaurant. The pizza is good, the salads are good, the alcohol selection is perfect, and the vibe of the place is top-notch. I love that there were couples out on dates, friends meeting up for drinks after work, and families all packed in side-by-side. The noise level might be a bit tough for the older crowd but it is perfect for families who would like to disguise a toddler meltdown mid-meal. I highly recommend that you check it out of if you are looking for another reliable pizza destination in NOLA. If it is a weekend night and you do not want to hang around for hours, arrive early as there was quite a wait by the time we left around 8:00.

We woke up on Saturday morning and decided to take advantage of the already long ago paid for season passes to the City Park Carousel Gardens for a morning of rides. I am so glad that we purchased the passes at the beginning of the summer because they have more than paid for themselves. I will do it every year as long as the kids still enjoy the rides. Luz is now a champ and will go on all of the rides (with the exception of the music express as she is not tall enough and she watched it debilitate Christian for the better part of a day). She even convinced me to take her on the scrambler and conned Nana into a ride on the never-ending ferris wheel. It was crowded but manageable...there were not any particularly long lines for any of the rides, except the train and it would have broken James' heart if we skipped his favorite one! So, if you are in NOLA and looking for a great way to help the kids burn off some energy, consider a trip to the Carousel Gardens. The cost of rides and admission is not outrageous and if you plan to go multiple times, a family pass is a great option. Did I mention they sell beer there (Abita and Miller Lite)? You can also pack a picnic lunch (which I did on Saturday) to save on the overall cost of a day at the Carousel Gardens. There is ample seating throughout the park.

NOLA Weekend

2011-10-02T19:14:00.000-05:00

All it takes is a 70 degree, sunny NOLA weekend to remind me why living here is a good thing and that, even though there is so much about the city that is tough to take, I cannot imagine being anywhere else.

Our weekend was even better than just beautiful weather and excellent excuses to be outside because Nana and Papa-T flew down to visit us for a quick 48 hours. We managed to pack in a ton of activity in two short days, but we also had plenty of r and r and a healthy dose of fresh air.

The gang...on our way inside the City Park Carousel Gardens:

Carousel...An Update

2011-09-29T21:18:00.002-05:00

Remember, back a few months ago when Luz still hated the carousel, but caved under the peer-pressure from James, and got up and rode white-knuckle style, looking a little something like this:

which, incidentally, was a vast improvement over every previous attempt which ended in kicking and screaming and buckets of tears - like at her 3rd birthday party:

Well...we have made even more progress. We spent a quiet, hot morning at the Audubon Zoo recently and rode the carousel, mostly at James' insistence. And, overall, things started much as I had anticipated they would:

but ended quite nicely. See she actually enjoyed it:

When I was little my parents always called the carousel the 'flying horses' and, frankly, the name and then the images of the teethy horses, manes blown backwards, nostrils flared, always freaked me out a little. So, I get it. But at 6 you should be able to tackle the carousel with a smile...and she did, finally.

Life

2011-09-27T21:21:00.001-05:00

While I was busy living it up in Annapolis for my cousin's wedding, pretending to be someone without a care in the world, I got a text from my friend, Elizabeth, that quickly took me back to reality.She had kindly agreed to cover for me and carpool Lucy to a skating birthday party (a tall task in light of the fact that Lucy had never skated before...ever).

Her text was as follows:"Congratulations, Lucy got to to take home Suzi Q, the class pet, this weekend. By the way, there is a lice epidemic at school right now so you might want to make sure Christian runs that thing in the dryer before the kids get too close to it."

I guess Christian did not understand the urgency of my request, or maybe it is just that he is a guy and does not have a huge appreciation for hygiene, or maybe he has never had lice. At any rate, late that night when I finally had a chance to talk to him he told me that he didn't bother putting the stuffed animal in the dryer because he figured it was "too late at that point anyway." Grrr.I was on pins and needles all weekend thinking about a lice infestation and my inability to handle one. And when I got home on Sunday I immediately checked heads, holding my breath the entire time, not exhaling until I was sure there was no trace of lice. Here is Luz with sweet, clean, lice-free Suzi-Q:

Happy Birthday to Me

2011-09-25T22:30:00.002-05:00

I turned 38 years old today. 38. In two years I will be 40, at which point (as Luz so kindly reminded me this evening) I will then be 'over the hill'...yikes.So, yeah, I am feeling (and looking) a little old. But it was a perfect birthday weekend - a family wedding in Annapolis with plenty of time to visit with family members I do not see often enough, a lovely day with Christian and the kids visiting with friends and opening presents, and a delicious dinner with my family to end the weekend and celebrate in style. I totally relaxed this weekend - Christian and the kids stayed in NOLA and, although I missed them terribly (we all did), it was nice to have my hands and mind free - no chasing kids around and making sure they stayed out of trouble. Without my muses though I barely took any pictures. Fortunately, plenty of other people did...Here is one that Mary posted - me, with some of the cousins, at the wedding reception:

I am the old person somewhere near the middle, you cannot miss me.

Chuggington

2011-09-19T21:40:00.003-05:00

James has been filling up the sticker charts I created as an incentive to help him potty train like it is his job.The reward - a trip to Magic Box to select a new train. He is an equal opportunity train collector - Brio, Thomas, no-name brand dime store set - he loves them all.Recently, however, he has become completely obsessed with Chuggington. The trains run on a wooden track that is compatible with the miles of Brio track at mom's house that are left over from when James' Uncle Josh was equally as crazy-obsessed with all things train.I see a train table in James' future, right?

What's New

2011-09-18T21:32:00.009-05:00

I finally updated the blog design a bit. I have so many different ideas about what I would like to do with the blog, but there is just so little free time these days that it cannot be a priority. Consequently, I simplified things a little and decided I would start to feature some of my favorite old pictures in the blog header and rotate them in and out periodically because there are so many that I love.

And, speaking of pictures, I am in desperate need of a new lens. I never replaced the 'kit' lens after my first generation Rebel finally bit the dust (or was dropped one too many times) and I just cannot get the old lens to cooperate these days. It was sluggish for a while and now it is practically non-responsive and impossible to use. So, I am keeping my eyes on this little guy, which I hear is a versatile 'go-to' lens and is totally compatible with the Rebel.

It is a little more lens than I need (and probably a little more than I would know what to do with), but I have a birthday coming up soon, which means I just might be in luck.

Oh, while I am dreaming...it would be very cool to get a pair of these:

Newtons are supposedly THE latest in running shoe trends...maybe they will make me faster (yeah, right).

One more thing...I love these charms. I got a necklace with a "J" charm when I was a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding and I wear it almost every day. Now I just need an "L" to add to the mix and have Lucy represent!

But seriously...do you want to know what I REALLY want for my birthday? It is all very simple and the older I get the more I feel like I sound like my mom and dad when we asked what they wanted. What I REALLY want are the following things:

1. sweet, well-behaved children (which I have, mostly);
2. more time in the day to spend with sweet, well-behaved children;
3. more quality time with Christian (which I had today - we went to the Saints game together, without kids, and it was a perfect afternoon);
4. one morning to sleep late in a dark, quiet, cold room;
5. less work-induced anxiety (which I might have since I just settled the last case I have that was set to go to trial in 2011);
6. the ability (mentally and physically) to run longer and faster;
7. world peace; AND
8. a new sports bra

But, truthfully, I am very happy and feel blessed to have celebrated another year with people I love...because the BEST birthday present in the world is seeing things like this...and it happens all the time:

Luz & James outside of the Audubon Zoo, Luz's pick for an activity on a quiet NOLA morning after a little celebration at the Magic Box toy store to pick up James' reward for totally owning the potty this week - even while I was out of town for three days.

Summer Afternoon....Poolside

2011-09-13T21:43:00.006-05:00

While we were in Thibodaux over the weekend we spent many hours by the pool. It was the first time in a long time that the water felt refreshing, even a little on the cold side.

The kids swam, lounged in the sunshine, blew bubbles, napped, enjoyed picnics and even occupied themselves long enough for me to read an entire Lucky magazine...the whole thing! It was a lovely couple of days.

Here they are next to the gigantic, inflatable whale that Uncle Richmond got them during his trip to the San Juan Islands over the summer. This guy was a big hit until he split at the seam (probably when I jumped on him):

A few more pics - the one of me is courtesy of Luz - she is getting pretty good with the camera:

Haircut...for Real

2011-09-11T21:28:00.006-05:00

On Saturday James got a much-needed haircut and went from this:

to this:

and almost in an instant it seemed as if his personality changed too...and I know it was just me, thinking that he looked suddenly like a 'big' boy, but the personality fit...there were no naps over the weekend and all sorts of games involving running and jumping and screaming and so much talk...endless streams of questions and comments...and by the end of the weekend the haircut grew on me and it seemed a little less like the story of Samson and I could still see that sweet little baby inside when he told Winnie all about the sun setting over the sugarcane fields.

Who Dat Season

2011-09-08T21:51:00.004-05:00

After a long day of driving that followed a somewhat contentious hearing and a sub-par night of sleep on one of the hardest hotel beds ever, I wanted nothing more than a large glass of wine and a peaceful night. I do not know exactly how it happened but for some reason James and Lucy were in rare form tonight. They were bouncing footballs off of furniture and each other, chasing each other around the house and running and jumping. Not that we sit in silence and knit and read most nights...but this was exceptional. I suppose they were excited about the possibility of staying up late to watch the first Saints game, or maybe it was the sugary Gatorade I let them drink with dinner. Or maybe they just missed me and were thrilled that I was home...I will believe that was the reason.

Here they are, in Saints gear, ready for the game:

Surviving Lee

2011-09-05T19:57:00.007-05:00

After FINALLY beating back a virus that circulated the house for about a week we were looking forward to three days in the fresh country air, swimming, playing on the John Deeres and generally chilling out. The unpredictable storm in the Gulf over the weekend caused us to change our plans and we settled for three quiet days around the house instead. But there is not anything quiet about a 2.5 year old and there is not much that is quiet about a 6 year old who was sick in bed for three days and finally feels better. Needless to say, we all (well, almost all of us) experienced cabin fever just a few hours into our Tropical Storm Lee lock down.

Fortunately, what I initially dreaded ended up being a lovely, restful three days. I think it was a break that we all needed and there were some fabulous moments over the course of those days - lots of time to snuggle on the couch watching movies, a few mid-day runs in the cool rain through neighborhoods that are not on my usual route, walks in the rain and splashing in the puddles with the kids, blowing off steam at ASH's new gym (and a run on the new indoor track - it is incredible!), and sleep...plenty of it. I guess it is all just to say that sometimes there truly is a silver lining...and I appreciated all of this one.

James, before going stir-crazy:

James and C, ready for the UGA game:

James, playing Plants v. Zomies on the Ipad:

A trip to Audubon Park to ride bikes this evening after the sun sort of came out:

Luz, after asking C to take her training wheels off and then changing her mind...potty training and two wheel riding in one weekend is a little too ambitious considering our collective lack of patience around here:

Par For The Course

2011-08-28T21:28:00.003-05:00

In keeping VERY true to form, Luz and James decided to trade around a nasty fever virus that sort of came and went over the course of three days and coincided with the first full week of the school year. It is always a chore to figure out how to juggle work schedules and sick kids and these guys have the uncanny ability to get sick at the very end of the school day, just in time for the school administrator to detect the illness and remind us that each kid must be fever free for 24 hours before returning.

This particular virus was just a fever virus but it was a tricky one. There were periods of absolute misery and discomfort mixed with bursts of energy that left the kids bouncing off of the walls. Christian and I tried to keep things quiet and peaceful over the weekend, but there is only so much you can do with a 2.5 year old. Fortunately, they discovered the joys of the Ipad over the summer and what was once an only very occasional treat became a fixture over the weekend.

Here they are, enjoying the Ipad, playing Plants v. Zombies, some game they discovered in Atlanta (thanks Papa-T):

They have been fever free all day (James since Friday) so I am really hoping to get back to the routine tomorrow. I have a trip to Lake Charles (for work) and things will get very complicated if the virus is still lingering.

Jamesy Firsts

2011-08-23T22:22:00.003-05:00

James had his first bona fide 'playdate' last Sunday with one of his friends from ASHFIN, Grace. He could barely contain his excitement all weekend and told everyone who would listen that he was going to play at "Gracie's house". When we pulled up to her house and she was on the porch waving he practically catapulted out of his car seat. He enjoyed every minute of his time with Grace - playing with her many wonderful train sets, cooking in her kitchen, checking out all of her dress up and enjoying a peaceful lunch together featuring some of his favorite items -Gogurt and fruit gummies. It was the perfect day.

Here he is with sweet, adorable Grace:

I just love how his happiness is captured in the pics. There is no denying that he is totally psyched. Grace has graduated from ASHFIN and is headed to 'big girl' school, much to James' chagrin.

H O T

2011-08-21T21:54:00.005-05:00

I cannot begin to describe how much I dread going outside in the middle of the day right now. The heat is totally exhausting and we are all in agreement that it is time for that first snap of cooler air.

For some reason I decided to take the kids to Audubon Park after school on Friday even though it was 97 degrees outside. I figured a cold Icee would keep them comfortable. As you can see from the picture, they were rather miserable:

They are obsessed with feeding the turtles right now. There are tons of turtles in the lagoon that is adjacent to the bandstand so whenever we have stale bread or cereal we venture out there. Generally 10 - 20 hungry turtles show up ready to eat. Last Friday there were eels in the water as well (at least I think they were eels)...hideous creatures...frightening in fact. We only saw two of them, but that was enough to freak me out. The kids did not seem to mind them. In fact, they thought the eels were kind of cool.

As if I did not learn my lesson on Friday afternoon, on Saturday I took the kids back out into the scorching sun. We went to the farmer's market Saturday morning - looking for peaches (but there weren't any) and we ended up with zucchini & squash instead (which I thought were winter veggies, but what do I know). After the farmer's market we headed over to the Ogden Museum for the Ogden Family Fair. Luz visited the Museum over the summer while at ASH camp and loved it. I had never been and was totally blown away. The mumseum is beautiful and interesting and totally manageable, even with a tired two year old. The Family Fair was incredible - so many wonderful activities for kids and games focusing on learning about and appreciating art. I cannot wait to go back when I have more time to look around and a not-so-tired two year-old on my hip.

The watercolor station, a big hit:

Luz, working on the scavenger hunt at the 'found objects' rocking horse:

Luz and James with their 'horsey' creation:

Luz, pinning the tail on the virtual donkey:

Outside of the Ogden Museum by the lamp post covered in stickers. I pass it on the way to work and love the colors:

Another Year, Beginning the World

2011-08-18T21:08:00.006-05:00

School started today and I don't know what it was...maybe something about the new uniform and the fact that I have rather distinct memories of life in the ASH jumper, or maybe what seemed to be some small but profound developments over the summer that appeared to suddenly transform a baby into a big kid, or perhaps it was just that haunting sensation annoying me once again with the reminder that it is all happening just as fast as everyone warned me it would...whatever it was, I sort of felt the emotion more than I have in prior years. This morning I felt happy and proud and so incredibly blessed.

I Came to Dance

2011-08-14T21:21:00.005-05:00

Somewhere buried deep in the middle of one of Luz's more recent summer mixes was a song featured only at her request and called Dynamite by a guy named Taio Cruz. From what I can tell, the song is all about this guy that is very serious about his dancing - something he plans to do all night while throwing his hands up in the air. Needless to say, it did not really make sense tucked between How do you Solve a Problem Like Maria and the theme song from Tangled, but it never seemed to bother Lucy or James and, in fact, it became an instant hit and one of the top requested songs of the summer.

After a few weeks it was clear that this was not something that was unique to my kids. Most of Luz's friends knew the lyrics, impromptu dance parties started up whenever the song came on, and summer camps around the country probably used it in their farewell celebrations - playing it while sweaty kids tried to do the robot. There is something about having a six year old that has made me appreciate pop music for pop music's sake again and that feels nice. I do not think I will ever LOVE it again, but I can tolerate it, and I cannot help but smile when the kids are listening to this (and yeah, listening, not watching the video - I do have limits):

and doing this:

Luz and James dancing to Dynamite while at the bandstand at Audubon Park after feeding the ducks and turtles one hot morning this summer. She is sort of doing the robot and he is just straight up "dancing".

End Of Summer

2011-08-10T21:51:00.004-05:00

Summer vacation is finally coming to an end...Christian is enjoying his last few days of time off, the kids are using every excuse to stay up much later than their normal bedtime and sleep later than a kid in college, and I am benefiting from later than usual morning runs, long showers and late arrivals to work. It all comes to an end next week when the school routine begins. At this point I cannot fathom 5:30 a.m. runs, am dreading enforcing the 8 o'clock bedtime and am not sure how the kids and I will be dressed and out of the house by 7:30 each morning. Christian suggested a trial run this week, but I quickly put the brakes on that idea...why give up a lazy summer morning just to prove that we can do it? It is not like we have a choice. We have to do it, practicing is not going to make it any easier. So, for the next few days I am just going to enjoy every minute of a good thing while I have it.

A little round of early morning Leapster...don't mind if I do:

I guarantee there will be none of this in the morning next week. No, it will be all about waking up, getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, packing bags and hurrying off to school.

At Last!

2011-08-08T20:38:00.003-05:00

Have you been missing these guys?

Yeah, me too. They are back after a week in Atlanta spending time with the gang. I was busy with work and redecorating and purging and cleaning and really missing everyone.

I Know...Enough

2011-07-31T21:19:00.005-05:00

I do not quite know what to make of the fact that it has taken me weeks and multiple posts to document our trip to the beach. It was not a long trip and it was not a particularly eventful trip, so I suppose it has something to do with my schedule. Yes, work has been busy, rather busy, and, yes, it is summertime so the kids are staying up later than usual. I suppose that leaves a small window of time to blog. It is a shame, I miss keeping track of all of the wonderful things that the kids have been doing. I imagine I will have more time once the school year starts and we are back into a regular routine. Until then, bear with me and rest assured that we have been busy enjoying everything that summer has to offer - heat, swimming, snowballs, ice cream, bbqs, daylight, road trips, movies, sunscreen, heat, time with friends and family, traveling, reading books, playing games, and heat.

There are a few more things about the Pensacola trip that I wanted to mention. We were there for the rainiest day since 1988, sure, I would have preferred sunshine, but the deluge provided the opportunity to explore the Naval Aviation Museum - something Christian and I had talked about doing for years - and it was awesome. There are old planes that the kids can climb in and out of, a decent-sized indoor play area for kids, a handful of flight simulators (Luz and James were too young for them this year), some entertaining 'walk though' exhibits, a canteena, and walls of interesting facts I wish I had more time to read (bear in mind, I had very little interest in the content of the museum at the outset and merely wanted a way to spend a rainy morning at the beach - but it sucked me in). Did I mention there is an IMAX theater and that the museum is free (of course donations are accepted and are important).

We also checked out the 'main' public pier in Pensacola. There is a $2 or $3 charge per person but I think it is worth it. We bought the kids an ice cream cone and walked out to the end of the pier. There is some serious fishing going on out there and a really nice view of the water. We saw all kinds of sea life we never would have seen from the beach and/or the condo terrace.

Anyway, there were two interesting things we did while we were in Pensacola that were definitely worth checking out. As far as Gulf Coast beaches go, Pensacola is my favorite. I think they have done a nice job of keeping it fun and user-friendly without having it be overrun by development. It never feels jam-packed, which is the sensation I get in other beach towns along the Gulf.

Here are a few pics from the Naval Aviation Museum:

And the pier:

And it is kid-friendly, sort of, see - Luz trying to read:

this:

Photos From Pensacola

2011-07-27T21:31:00.006-05:00

We hit a milestone this year at the beach...both kids tolerated the surf and the sand. I know this is not the first time I have commented on my inability to comprehend how some families can stay on the beach for 6, 8 and 10 hours at a time. I hear stories of sandy sandwiches and sunny naps and bronzed children who won't get out of the waves and I remember my own childhood and am sure that we were just like that, that I climbed on a raft at dawn and drifted until the sun set. I do not know if there is some revisionist history going on or if we really did spend hours on end at the beach, but I do know that there was a point last summer when I decided that I would never have that experience with my kids, that they were simply not 'beach' people.

Until this most recent trip, our visits to the actual beach were somewhat brief, always involved whining and begging for the pool, and occasionally ended (and sometimes began) with tears. Not this time. Nope. James decided that the sand was cool and was even amused by the salt water and Luz decided that she loved building sandcastles, riding waves and collecting seashells. Sure, there were a few touch and go moments when James needed a nap and, yeah, we were not out there for hours on end...but our stamina has improved, thankfully. Who knows...next year we might officially have kids who are 'beach' people.

Cleaning her shells:

Working on her sandcastle (that's another thing...where do these people learn to build such incredible sandcastles...mine are always pathetic in comparison):

Watching Luz and the water:

Collecting shells:

Enough:

With Mama (I was there too, see):

Growing Up

2011-07-24T21:20:00.010-05:00

This is what stops me in my tracks, knocks the wind out of me, and makes me think that life is going by way too fast:

Jamesy, in the morning sunlight - Pensacola, Florida
2009:

2010:

2011:

Luz was a little envious of the photo shoot and made herself irresistible, as usual:

*Note the incredible ikat duvet. I could dedicate an entire post to it, but I will spare you. Suffice it to say that I have wanted one since the first time I saw it! It is just one of the many fabulous things that make me smile at the beach condominium that we have enjoyed for the past few years thanks to the Renton family.

Beach Weekend 2011

2011-07-19T21:41:00.003-05:00

We just got back from a three day beach trip to Pensacola. There are so many things about a weekend at the beach that I love. In fact, I cannot imagine a summer without a little sand and salty water...it just isn't summer without a bit of both as far as I am concerned.

This year was a little different though...it rained from sun up until sun down on Sunday...4 inches...the most rain in one day in Pensacola since 1988. What luck. But it was precisely because of the deluge that we finally checked out the Naval Aviation Museum - something we have talked about doing for years - and it was A-mazing. In fact, we could not believe we had been missing out for all these years.

I am already looking forward to a return trip when the kids are a little older so that they can ride in the simulators and I can actually read a bit more about each exhibit. I will tell you more about it soon, but I am busy with work and dealing with the logistics for the last few weeks of summer...so in the meantime, here is is a pic of Luz and James, ready for some sun:

Kiddos

2011-07-11T22:19:00.002-05:00

Luz and James are back after a week of nothing but fun in Atlanta where they did exactly what kids are supposed to do during the summertime - have fun. Most days, it looked about like this:

Summertime

2011-07-07T23:18:00.004-05:00

Luz and James have spent the past week doing precisely what kids are supposed to do during the summer - swim, stay up way past bedtime, eat hot dogs, watch fireworks, spend time with grandparents, pal around with cousins, and have a sense that days can last forever. Those are things I remember and love about summer as a kid.

So, while the kiddos are off in Atlanta doing summery stuff, I have been busy working, and tidying up around the house, and catching up with old friends I don't see enough of, and going to fancy movie theaters, and running, and watching what I want to watch on t.v., and working, and working and missing this:

Catching Up

2011-06-27T21:25:00.003-05:00

Summers are supposed to be long and slow and lazy, but as long as I have had children, summers have been quite the opposite. The pace around our house has been unusually hectic despite our best efforts to keep things long and slow and lazy. I have not quite figured out the math behind the equation but somehow the things I pick to do to make memorable summers end up just adding to the frenzy.

There are so many different things to tell you all about but I have not had time and clarity of thought (see above). I have been riding some great big highs (Luz's 6th birthday and a recent trip to NYC) and suffocating under some lows (the death of Loki, my first real responsibility and the best running partner I will ever have) but so it goes with life.

We are looking forward to some time in Atlanta with family over 4th of July weekend and then a long weekend at the beach. Summer just isn't summer without sticky, salty hair and sandy toes. Soon enough, though, I will have time to catch you up to date and share some pictures and thoughts with you.

Until then, I leave you with a picture of the Empire State Building in all of its rainbow glory on pride weekend just after NYC passed their marriage equality bill. It was quite a time to be in NYC.

Happy 6th Birthday Luz

2011-06-19T13:40:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe it!

For Christian While You Are Away

2011-06-14T21:15:00.004-05:00

Weekend With Nana

2011-06-12T17:54:00.005-05:00

Christian and I spent a few hours together after I arrived (late) from TN on Friday night and before he left (early) Saturday morning. What could have been a rather chaotic 48 hours was eased with the arrival of Nana.

The weather was nice and we had nothing in particular to do this weekend so we packed a few things and headed out to Thibodaux for some swimming, sun, golf cart rides, time with the horses, visits with family, and rest. We had a few rain showers, but the timing was always right and Luz was able to spend a ton of time in the pool practicing her jumps, dives and strokes.

Here are a few pictures of the kids from the weekend:

Tiny Dancer

2011-06-07T21:35:00.003-05:00

Luz and I spent the evening at Loyola watching one of the metro-area ballet schools perform Hansel and Gretel. For the most part I tend to become rather bored when thinking about all things ballet. With the exception of Black Swan and many of the years when I was a ballet student, the idea of watching ballet induces narcolepsy. But Lucy has such a deep appreciation for ballet and a love of the performing arts. Even at 8 o'clock at night, after a long day of fun in the sun at camp, she sits perfectly still, totally fixated. She did it last week at Shrek! with mom and then tonight at the ballet with me.

It reminded me, though, I have not posted some of the pictures from her ballet recital last month. Like I said, things have been rather busy around here.

Backing Up A Bit

2011-06-02T20:40:00.006-05:00

There have been so many things going on around here for the past few weeks that it is tough to keep up. At the end of the day I am totally drained and it is a toss up - tell you all about what exciting (or rather mundane) things have been happening around here at the Vaicius house or pour a glass of wine, throw on an old t-shirt and watch some mind-numbing Real Housewives of Wherever. Sometimes my will to be creative and create a journal for Luz and James is beaten down by laziness. Other times, I think about a moment that made me smile, something that I want to freeze in time, a memory I want to share with the kids but know I will forget before it could ever mean anything to them.

Here is a moment a few weeks ago at their friend, Sadie's, birthday party. 2 year old peer pressure v. 5 (almost 6) year old terror. 2 year old peer pressure won. Almost 6 year-old put on a brave face but you can still see the fear...poor boo:

And this one, just before a 'look Ma, no hands moment'

Salt in wounds, one would think, but for her it was more like 'are you crazy, you could fall and hurt yourself...kids have to fall off of these things all the time...they seem so incredibly unsafe.' There is nothing wrong with being risk-adverse, with hedging one's bets. Perhaps she has a future as an actuary. Or maybe she has had to sit through too many of my war stories.

But you cannot fool me. I know there is bravery inside of that almost 6 year old. I see if every day and so does he, which is why he made her sit beside him.

FINALLY!

2011-05-31T21:40:00.002-05:00

The first tooth...

Here is the note she wrote to the tooth fairy...not particularly polite, but so be it.

I took a poll in the stands at the softball game tonight and the going rate seems to be $10 for the first tooth. Yikes.

Remembering Pop

2011-05-30T22:35:00.004-05:00

Right after Pop died a friend of mine shared his own experience with losing his father. This was something that happened frequently after Pop died and I appreciated it even when I grew weary of the gesture and was done with depressing stories of loss and grief. But there was something simple about this particular story, the point of which was nothing more than to prepare me for what was coming, to let me know that I would, in no uncertain terms, miss my father every single day of my life.

It has been two years since my father died, 730 days of missing him, some of those days with a smile on my face, others, like today, with heavy tears.

Here he is with my Aunt Kate, clearly having a great time (which was generally his goal, and an admirable one at that):

Heart Ache

2011-05-26T21:36:00.006-05:00

It has been a rough month on the 'dogs we know and love' front. Two of Loki's 'cousins', dogs he has played with for years, died recently because they, like Loki, just got old.

Loki's medical situation has been tricky, and heart breaking, and anxiety inducing. It has caused a few heated conversations, many tears, a few laughs, but mostly deep sadness. We stopped testing after spending what we agreed was a reasonable amount of money and getting a second opinion. At the end of the day more testing might have given us a diagnosis, but it might not have...and Loki is almost 13 years old.

He has been suffering with some sort of illness that makes it impossible for him to retain protein. His appetite remains steady (although his diet has changed - only 'soft' foods) but his ability to keep weight on is long gone. He is a shadow of his former self...all skin and bones and hollowed out eyes. He looks like a malnourished dog...so much so that a neighborhood busybody started leaving bowls of food and water and (gasp) even called the SPCA (they were totally professional, apologetic and sympathetic once I explained the situation). I can see that the neighbor was acting from a place of goodness but I the message was not so well-received by Christian and it certainly confused and saddened Lucy.

It has been a mix of emotion for the kids - they obviously see that he is sick since he does not move around like he used to...and perhaps Loki's slow death is a blessing...it is very peaceful, mostly pain free and it is giving us all time to come to terms with the idea of life without him around. He started distancing himself from me three months ago when he began to opt out of our morning runs. I am used to running solo now, though I will always miss what was probably the best running partner of my life.

I guess this is all just to say that I am sad about Loki every day. When I wake up in the morning I am on pins and needles until I am sure he is breathing. When I see his chest heave I wonder if it is his last breath...and then still sometimes he will see or hear me and I will use my sweet 'Loki boy' voice and he will thump his tail just to send me a reminder that he is still here, taking it all in, waiting for a few more sticky kisses from James, to lend an ear to me when I want to complain about my day, to sit protectively while Christian putters around in the yard, and to lounge patiently through one last heart to heart with Luz. Thank you boy for breaking it to us gently.

This is the most recent picture I have of Loki. It was taken over Easter weekend at White Plantation. It is amazing how much weight he has lost since then. I will take some pictures this weekend for comparison:

And if you are wondering where all of this is coming from...plain and simple - dogs are awesome. Here, see for yourself:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110526/us_yblog_thelookout/dog-with-two-broken-legs-finds-owner-after-storm

I guarantee you Loki would hobble home to us on two broken legs. No question.

School's Out

2011-05-25T21:05:00.002-05:00

Remember this little girl...here she is starting her first day of Kindergarten:

Well, she turned into this girl starting her last day of Kindergarten:

and it made my heart ache that she was so grown up and that there will be no more 'white dress' days at ASH until she graduates in 2023:

Someone please feel free to step in and show me how to make it stop racing by...because I cannot keep up.

Cousin Time

2011-05-22T20:48:00.004-05:00

Nana and Papa-T surprised Luz and James when they showed up with Liam and Pete for a weekend visit. We managed to pack a ton of activities into 48 hours and capped off the weekend with Luz's birthday party - a swimming party with some of her friends from school.

I apologize for the sporadic posting but the chaos of the end of the school year coupled with the chaos at work is challenging. By the end of the day I can barely muster the energy for thirty minutes of mind-numbing television. I promise that more regular posts will be the rule again soon enough. Until then, I leave you with a little taste of what this past weekend was like.

Here is yet another attempt at a shot of all of the cousins. Clearly I was mistaken when I said this would be easier to capture as the kids got older:

Happy Birthday Christian

2011-05-15T21:30:00.006-05:00

I am sure it was not exactly what Christian had in mind when he thought about how he wanted to spend his 37th birthday...

It started with a blueberry muffin breakfast and I added a candle just in case we did not have a chance for cake and singing happy birthday later in the day:

And it ended at the softball field, listening to his team sing a rather off-key rendition of happy birthday, dodging termites, drinking concession stand beer and watching the river rise:

Not what he had in mind, but not likely one he will forget either. Happy Birthday Christian...love, J.

Jazz Fest 2011

2011-05-11T21:10:00.000-05:00

Last year it was all about the kids' tent...where had I been? Why did I not know about this oasis for fussy toddlers and exhausted parents? How did I miss the reduced price fare, the shade, the toys and the crafts? It was an incredible discovery and we were back again this year and loved every minute of it...except the part when James hit a spicey patch in the mac and cheese...yeah, I get it, it's NOLA and everybody likes a little spice, and James does not have a sensitive palate...I guess this was just a generous batch...

This year we discovered the misting tent and, once again, I was reduced to scratching my head and thinking "how did I not know about this place." It is not tucked away, off the beaten path, like the kids area. In fact, it is right on the side of the main drag and, even on a somewhat mild day, it is a refreshing treat that is not to be missed:

My overall review of JF 2011 is glowing - great weather, great crowd control, awesome bands, and delicious food. My top runners are still strawberry lemonade and crawfish bread but I also enjoyed a few Miller Lites and a couple of bites of a cochon de lait po-boy. Christian still counts the meat pies as his top runner, I think. My only complaint is the price, but, thanks the generosity of friends, we were able to make it happen and document it with a few pictures I will treasure:

Luz, finally working up the guts to kick out the jams at Fais Do Do:

Laughing and playing:

Jazz Fest high:

Heading home:

Happy Mothers Day

2011-05-08T21:39:00.009-05:00

I had a perfect day. My greatest mothers day wish is that I am able remember the little details that made it special and smile many years from now. I want to remember the necklace I got from Luz, one she had made last summer at camp, one that I repaired many times with bits of tin-foil and twine. I want to remember her excitement, how she woke me up at 6 am to climb into the bed next to me, shower me with kisses, and tell me the first part of my present...to sleep late. I want to remember how she took my breakfast order the night before and made it precisely to my persinickity order...two whole grain toasts, one with nutella, one with almond butter, and an iced-coffee from P.J.'s, with one Sugar in the Raw. I want to remember the plate I ate it on...handmade by Luz with specific instructions not to microwave or place in the dishwasher. I want to remember that James slept until after 8 (thank you very much pal) and that he showered me with kisses and hugs and "happy mothers days".

I want to remember a lovely day with my family and friends and with my mom, my wonderful role model and best friend.

And I want to remember the beautiful end to it - the sun setting while I watched my dusty, sleepy kids, covered in bits of hay and Plum St. Snowball, heads spinning from the sights and sounds of the end of Jazz Fest..and as we made our way out, back to reality we happened upon a last little gift, Arcade Fire taking the stage to play with RAM, from Haiti.

I had a perfect day.

This Guy

2011-05-04T21:31:00.009-05:00

Repeats everything that this girl

says and does

and I can only imagine that it requires a bottomless pit of patience on her part as well as a great sense of humor, and (thankfully) she has both.

He is also really really really into cars and trains (which is cool because he can hear the trains that run along the Mississippi clearly from our house), enjoys watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, can speak in complete sentences (despite there being only a handful of folks who can understand what he is saying), has an obsessive relationship with pasta of all sorts (much like his mama), and is 100% sweetness and filled with hugs and kisses.

M.M.E.

2011-05-02T20:57:00.004-05:00

Aunt Moll was in town for Easter and a week in NOLA for some r and r. As always, the kids loved having her around and are somewhat mopey now that she is back in NYC. Right now when I start a sentence with "Guess what we are doing - -" the response is "going to see Aunt Moll." To say that they idolize her is an understatement.

Here they are at Pinkberry on her last night in town. She clearly looks more like James' mama than I do and, yes, Luz looks more like one who is about to be taken to the doctor for for a round of vaccinations than one who is about to eat frozen yogurt. I do not recall what the complaint of the moment was...

Jazz Fest 2011

2011-05-01T23:03:00.003-05:00

When we first saw the JF 2011 lineup a few months ago Christian and I knew we would be there Sunday evening to close out the first weekend watching the Decemberists at the Fais Do Do stage. With the kids occupied at mom's house and visiting with their cousins, Jack and William, Christian and I enjoyed the first JF in a long time with no kids in tow and we had a ton of fun. Although Christian both opened and shut the place down, I did not get out there until after three...just enough time for crawfish bread, strawberry lemonade and a few laps around the track before the start of the main event.

It was a lovely afternoon, one we hope to repeat next week with kids in tow...weather permitting, of course:

Three Cheers

2011-04-27T21:01:00.004-05:00

Here is what I found when I came downstairs yesterday morning to get ready for work:

Luz had set the chairs up, found something decent to watch on t.v., lined up some pre-breakfast snacks, and generally figured out how to take care of just about everything she and James might need, which was a good thing. I was busy showering and getting dressed and Christian was busy dropping off the spacewalk at ASH. It is nice to know that sometime very soon Christian and I will be able to sleep a little bit later while Luz and James enjoy a quiet morning together. The timing is great because we just upgraded to a king-sized bed. Oh yeah. We were long overdue for a new mattress and figured that we had the space to accommodate a bigger bed. We are still working out the details - the room is in total disarray as I try to figure out what furniture we can and cannot live without - and the bed, although one of the most comfortable I have ever been in (a Simmons Beautyrest Pillowtop - decided after much research and a fair amount of testing) is not quite right because one of the pieces of the bed frame warped during shipping. Fortunately, the piece is going to be replaced soon...at least that is what we are told.

We are back from a perfect Easter weekend in Thib with family and friends and I promise to post some pics soon. Until then, here is our little fam on Easter morning and our sweetheart Loki, enjoying a very uncharacteristic lethargic visit to his favorite place on earth:

Happy Easter

2011-04-20T22:22:00.003-05:00

While we are busy hunting for eggs we hope you will be enjoying a lovely Easter with family and friends.

Our Weekend

2011-04-17T19:41:00.004-05:00

For the first time in ages it is Sunday evening and I do not feel completely wiped-out. We had a busy weekend but there were plenty of peaceful moments and adequate time to catch my breath. I did not accomplish much of the important things I set out to do but I not feeling panicky about it...not yet.

I think part of the reason why I feel more relaxed is that I decided to take half of the day off on Friday to attend the ASH Alumni Baby Party with James and Luz's Easter Egg Hunt...sadly, the last Easter egg hunt I will have to go to for her class.

So, Friday started like this with James at the baby party hunting for eggs:

and then Luz and her classmates hunting for eggs in the front yard of the "old"/Rosary campus

On Saturday Luz played her last soccer game of the season and I was happy to see that, although she never scored the elusive goal, she had a great game, was enthusiastic the entire time, and seemed to enjoy every minute of it.

James, patiently waiting for the game to end when he would much prefer watching the boats and trains:

Sunday was a quiet day, after a somewhat challenging Palm Sunday mass, Luz and James and I went to Mimi's for a post-mass lunch and play date with their cousins Edward and Helen. The kids loved spending time together and the weather was perfect...unseasonably cool for NOLA.

I took this picture with my phone and cannot figure out how to enlarge it...I apologize for the size:

We are all ready for spring break and are looking forward to some serious r and r next weekend...oh yeah, and a visit from the Easter bunny.

Haircut, II

2011-04-12T20:53:00.005-05:00

It was a spur of the moment decision that followed a rather windy and humid soccer practice last Saturday morning...Christian decided that both he and James needed a haircut and that they needed one asap. Fortunately, the super-cool salon around the block, Urban Angels, had just enough time to fit the two of them in and the results are great. Check this place out if you are in need of a new stylist in Uptown NOLA. I think this group is very dedicated to the art of hair styling and it comes through in the cuts. They don't have a website, just a MySpace page, otherwise I would embed the link.

I begged the stylist for a haircut for James that did not look much like a haircut and that made sense to her, somehow. I just did not want to be accused of another Jim Carrey ala Dumb and Dumber debacle like after his first haircut. He still has curls. He still has length and, most importantly, he can see again and does not require headbands and ponytail holders to play. I also think he will look at least somewhat tidy when he gets all gussied up for Easter Sunday.

Here, see for yourself...pre-haircut, soccer practice at the fly:

Getting ready:

Post haircut, playing Angry Birds and spinning on the umbrella outside of Reppici's:

Conge

2011-04-10T21:49:00.005-05:00

After a mostly mellow weekend involving soccer, a trip to Urban Angels Salon for the boys, a delicious dinner at Baru, and a couple of rather warm morning runs, we spent the better part of the day in the stifling heat at the ASH Conge. To my horror, Luz discovered confetti eggs this year. They have to be the most disgusting and germy idea ever. She was a whiz at the kiddie games and even reclaimed a couple of stuffed animals we probably donated trying her luck on the spinning wheel. There is nothing like taking home an over-sized and somewhat soiled Cookie Monster and filthy, webkinz fox when there are already hundreds of stuffed animals that never get played with crammed into cabinets and bins...oh well...the the thrill was in the victory, I suppose.

We had a great time, even in the heat, and are now trying to clean up (do you know how tough it is to get rid of confetti...I think I will be finding this stuff for weeks and I have new respect for my mom who probably had to pick it out of four heads at a time when we were young...not a task I enjoyed). I am home and do not anticipate an travelling, at least for a little while. I have been incredibly busy and, so, am looking forward to enjoying a better balance over the next few weeks...wish me luck.

Luz and James, "new" (old) stuffed animals in hand...and, yes, James got a haircut this weekend...it was time...more on that later:

Confetti eggs...empty, possibly salmonela-ridden shells, baking out in the heat, waiting to be cracked in HAIR...nasty:

Face paint, because no fair experience is complete without it, right:

Intergalactic Cooking

2011-04-03T22:10:00.008-05:00

Christian and I could barely contain our laughter when this little library selection made its second (or maybe even third) appearance in Luz's book bag after library last week:

There is no question that there is plenty of love for Star Wars around here. Christian buys SW sheets and p.j.s and figures and books and movies and whatever else he can find and - thanks to Aunt Kate - we have a complete Star Wars pancake making set - so it makes sense that Luz, in an effort to please Christian, selected this book during library. Once, it makes sense, more than that is just a tad strange. She has, on average, one visit to the library a week, which does not leave much time for the endless rows of beautiful books just waiting to come home with her...glossy pages filled with tales of princesses and ballerinas, but yet all we have seen around here, with the exception of a lovely ballerina/fairy book last week, are multiple volumes from a "How To" set of proper pet care that looks something like this:

(truly, we have read about all types of dogs and cats, rodents and rabbits and even amphibians)and then the cookbook. I just don't get it but am, needless to say, entertained by her choices.

In an effort to show my appreciation for her excitement about the cookbook, we spent some time reading through it and selecting a recipe to cook. We agreed on popcorn balls, which, in retrospect, was a terrible idea. I somehow got the recipe wrong and it totally did not work. Round two was this afternoon and we decided to make a variation of Jawa Smoothies. Luz did not really like them but they were well-received by Christian and James. And, at least tasted how I imagine they are supposed to taste, unlike the popcorn balls which we could not even get to stick together.

Here is a pic of Luz and James earlier today, ready to cook:

We had a great weekend. The weather was warm and sunny so we spent most of it outside. We went to the Freret Street Fair on Saturday followed by the Fete Francais and ended the weekend at the City Park playground before dinner at mom-moms. I do not think we caught up on any much-needed rest or the list of chores around the house, but it would have been a shame to waste such beautiful weather inside tackling a to-do list. We can save that for a rainy day.

Luz and James at the Freret Street Fair...fresh squeezed, sugary lemonade:

Taking turns testing out Uncle Richmond's bike while we waited for C to get back with a Cuban sandwich:

W O W

2011-03-30T21:45:00.002-05:00

My beautiful grandmother, James and Luz's GG, celebrated a birthday earlier this week and, although I could not be there in person for the cheers because I was making my way home through the lovely Eastern Kentucky mountains, I was there in spirit.

And when I finally made it home very late last night after what seemed like hours and hours of somewhat risky travel through fog and up and down narrow mountain passes and then thunderstorms dumping hail, I saw this picture and it took my breath away:

When I am 84 I would like to be just like her. Happy Birthday GG, with all my love.

Warm Weather Weekend

2011-03-27T21:52:00.005-05:00

It is hard to believe that it has been a week since my last post. There is no question that it was a crazy week, but I can usually muster at least a post or two. I have been incredibly busy at work and James has become increasingly challenging to put to sleep at night so the time to write even a quick post has dwindled substantially, along with any bit of energy I had to be creative.

Fortunately, we had a lovely, mostly mellow weekend enjoying the warm weather and I managed to catch up on some of the things I love most - time with Christian and the kids, running, reading, taking pictures and cleaning. Well, I did not really clean, but I did pick up all day every day...toddlers are messy, and so are 5.5 year olds for that matter. Christian took my car to the car wash today too, so I guess that sort of counts as cleaning.

Before I enjoy the last few minutes of my weekend I wanted to share some pics of the kids I took during the soccer game on Saturday...I was playing around a bit with the camera, using some manual settings and I edited the pictures on the computer for a 'cleaner' effect because the pics are not properly exposed. Interesting. I still love the auto setting because I am lazy and don't really have the time to learn enough about the proper shutter speed and f-stop combos...but this was fun,

Loki, Lok, Lokinator, Oakley

2011-03-20T22:15:00.004-05:00

Over the past few months we noticed that Loki seemed to be slowing down. His barking slowly decreased in volume, duration and frequency to the point where it is now pretty rare to hear that incessant barking that used to drive me batty. His ability to run 10 miles is long gone, in fact, 3 is a stretch these days. He has lost 8 lbs since his check-up in October and he seems just sort of, well, old these days.

There's no question that Lok, once the main focus of our attention, became second in line after Luz was born and then third in line after James was born, but he has to feel the love. First thing in the morning and last thing at night, I spend a few minutes with him reminding him he is loved, scratching the backs of his ears, tempting him with treats and daydreams of running through the sugar cane fields. We have our quality time together. And, yeah, I occasionally forget to fill his water bowl and maybe he misses a meal or two, but I have always been the one to take him for long walks at sunset and interesting runs around NOLA at daybreak.

It is clear to me, though, that our time with Loki is special right now, and so when the sunlight is just right and he seems so perfectly content I smile and try to remember to be thankful that he is why Luz and James will always love dogs.

Mardi Gras 2011 - Part 3

2011-03-17T21:18:00.004-05:00

Thoth Sunday is always the highlight of Mardi Gras for me. After an absolute washout on Saturday for Iris that left us trudging through calf-deep flood waters, the beautiful sunny Sunday was a welcome treat. The crowds were horrendous because the rain on Saturday resulted in the relocation of Endymion from the usual Mid-City route to the Uptown route following Bacchus. The shift is always a total bummer for everyone involved - Endymion in Mid-City is a huge tradition (not one I have ever really participated in, but an important one for Mid-City folks) and adding another parade, especially one with a fan base like Endymion, to Sunday makes for a logistical challenge and an exhausting day.

I know...complaining about a day of parades sounds silly but there is something to be said for simplicity and restraint. In my opinion, there is some merit to the idea that we should return to the old days of one parade a day and one or two stuffed animals per parade.

We took it all in stride, paced ourselves, made friends with territorial parade-goers who roped off large portions of the neutral ground making it almost impossible to get kids to and from the ladders, and most of us made it to and through all of the parades...most of us.

The highlight of the day/night was not even the parades - though Bacchus and Endymion were beautiful to watch - so perfectly bright and big and entertaining - but hanging out with family and friends who made a special trip just for the occasion. We loved meeting new babies out and about for their MG debuts and catching up with old friends and family members we do not see often.

A few other highlights from our week were the annual ASH Krewe of Smocks (despite the relocation to the gym because of the rain), Friday po-boy lunch with the family, and Proteus and Orpheus Lundi Gras night (two beautiful parades - in two totally different styles - old and new).

Mama on the ladder...up there just to catch one of my friends in Thoth...snagged my favorite catch of the year...a set of Saints bobble-heads which were shared with friends and family before I could snap a pic. On Sunday Lucy started out in purple play clothes but it only lasted an hour - she ultimately settled on her go-to pink gown:

Barbara and Auntie Ruthie...boas:

Betsy with my sweetheart - world's best baby ever - goddaughter, Eliza:

Lu and Edward...his first MG...and I think he is hooked...and yes, she is in costume:

Lundi Gras morning...this is how tired everyone was...unfortunately some of us had to wake up and go to work:

Lu with Emma, waiting for Proteus to start...note modified Snow White costume in this shot:

Celebrating Papa-T's birthday...this one is in here to show you yet another costume...this time with a feeble and frightening attempt at makeup as well. Gag.

Mama and Superman, waiting for Rex:

MG day meltdown...Superman had enough:

Headed home after Rex...I get the feeling next year we will not be able to avoid the truck parade:

Mardi Gras 2011 - Part 2

2011-03-15T23:03:00.010-05:00

We were lucky enough to have Nana, Papa-T, Aunt Ruthie, and her sweet friend, Barbara join us for the second weekend of MG parades and festivities. They stayed at a bed and breakfast just a few blocks away and had no trouble getting to and from our house on foot for parades. They managed to pack in a ton of activities while they were here. They did not miss any parades, made it to the French Quarter a few times, and still managed to have enough energy to keep up with the kids. It was great to have them around and, honestly, I don't quite know how I would have managed the Thursday night parades without their help since Christian was riding.

Here are a few of the highlights:

The start of Chaos...love the demon/monster heads flanking the float. It is a sub-par picture because my camera was totally uncooperative when I took night photos. I still have not figured out what the deal is:

Nana, Ruthie & Barbara, parading:

Aunt Ruthie & Barbara were interviewed for the WDSU 10 p.m. broadcast that night; they were famous:

Incidentally, that news person did a number of 'stories' MG week from the back of Lucy's original, yellow MG ladder, this one:

It is hard to mistake! Oh, and don't be fooled by the white sweater, she was in a lovely pink, taffeta number that day, it was just a little chilly in the morning.

Papa, not looking too psyched to be up on the ladder again. Check out Luz...Thursday night was the white with gold lame ball gown...such a statement and yet she looked so natural, so comfortable, so matter-of-fact in it all night:

C, Thursday night, looking for Nana, Aunt Ruthie, and Barbara...tacky MG boas ready to go:

Here is Richmond, about to unload some cups (incidentally, maybe I have lost my touch, but I seem to have caught substantially fewer cups this year...wonder if less were thrown):

Another Thursday night float - entertaining satire:

More to come...

MG 2011, Part I

2011-03-13T20:56:00.005-05:00

For the past two years I have really enjoyed Mardi Gras but I have also found that I am turning into a bit of a curmudgeon. The crowds tend to bother me more than they used to, the territorial parade goers get under my skin with their roped off sections of land and bottomless buckets of chicken, and the length of the season wears me out. I suppose I just don't have the stamina I used to have and, now that I have kids, there is a new, exhausting, dynamic - there are ladders and snacks and drinks and bathroom breaks and bead sorting and defensive and offensive parade watching and tears and melt-downs and absolute, blithering-fool type exhaustion. That said, I cannot imagine living anywhere else and missing out on two weeks of celebrating.

We spent the first weekend of the Mardi Gras season watching parades with friends who were in town from Atlanta. It was their first MG experience and it was just right - great weather, just a few parades, and not too much of a crowd. I think the they enjoyed every minute of it and headed back to Atlanta with bags filled with beads and trinkets.

First parade of the season...dusk (incidentally, I believe parades look best at dusk):

On the porch...taking a break...looking back at the pictures I see this is when the 14 days of dress-up started...Lu has on an old leotard and skirt here, harmless enough, but it escalated as it got closer to MG...you will see...suffice it to say I washed more costumes than underwear over that two week period of time:

Waiting for the next parade to start...

Enjoying some cotton candy...there was plenty of this going on:

We also visited the float den to check out some of the floats in Christian's parade. I love seeing the floats in the den - such a cool sneak-peek of what the parade will ultimately look like. Lucy and James love it too - mostly because they get to climb on the floats.

Lu, on Christian and Richmond's float:

James, helping Uncle "Ichman" get last year's rain-out beads ready for loading:

Group shot with Karen, Davy and the kids...saying goodbye after a weekend of fun ending with breakfast at P.J.s:

Mardi Gras NOLA

2011-03-08T18:39:00.004-06:00

We are wrapping up about two weeks of parades, parties, missed naps and hangovers of all types. Sleep has been scarce, peace and quite no where to be found...but the ballerina fairy princess and Superman enjoyed every minute of the fun and were thrilled to share it all with family and friends.

I will tell you all about it soon but in the meantime I am knee deep in beads, empty beer cans and a house rather in need of cleaning. Until then, I leave you with a pic of the dynamic duo on our walk home after our last parade of the season:

Boy & Globe

2011-02-28T21:46:00.004-06:00

For the past week or so James has been having some sleeping issues. He is starting to be scared of "monsters" (I blame that on too much Scooby Doo watching in the afternoons with Luz) and is generally incredibly clingy at night. He is not thrilled about getting into the crib, once in the crib he likes to climb out, and he always prefers to have one of us in the room with him. Christian and I both cave too often. We are tired and he is our baby and it is easier to fall asleep by his side than it is to listen to crying and wince at the thought of him climbing out of the crib.

So on Saturday afternoon, when we were all very tired after a morning of parading, and the band playing around the block kept me from actually falling asleep, I rested and James snoozed and the afternoon sunlight was just perfect and I saw this:

and had to share it.

Luz, Fashion Show

2011-02-22T21:14:00.003-06:00

Luz is turning into this really entertaining kid that is nothing like the type of kid I was and I am sort of just watching...wondering where it comes from. She has always been very shy so I am sort of surprised to see some of the things she is doing - packing books that she wants to read to her class, practicing which sorts of questions to ask them about the story and how to best angle the pages so everyone can see; asking to call her friends on the phone; and putting on these crazy plays and concerts and fashion shows when people come over, among other things. Sure, 33.3% of the time the attempts fizzle out and she remembers that people are actually looking at her and, god forbid, engaged...but every now and then it comes together and a quiet morning with a babysitter turns into a very elaborate display:

Channeling her inner Aunt Susan, hairstylist Luz:

An old standby, Dorthy Luz:

A nod to her ancestor, Pocahantas Luz:

My personal fav, pirate Luz, Ahoy:

and, the piece de la resistance, Mater Luz:

Note the incredible attention to detail. She just told me that she wants to dress up as a rockstar for Mardi Gras. Hm, think I need to get the stylist back over here to put that 'look' together.

So...Wow

2011-02-20T20:49:00.004-06:00

I am still sort of scratching my head in amazement, wondering just how it happened that everything, well, most everything, worked out this week. I knew it would be an incredibly busy week for me with a client in town, multiple mediations, and a couple of huge deadlines to meet, but I had no idea Luz would get sick and then so would Christian and that he would be non-functioning for 4 days until, finally, a Z-pack kicked in....Needless to say, things were crazier than usual, but I made it through the week healthy and we lucked out with a gorgeous weekend and no commitments (other than a small family reunion of sorts - I will fill you in on that soon). We spent most of it outside when it was daylight and took advantage of the incredibly warm temps to open every window and do some serious Spring cleaning. It feels much nicer and a ton cleaner around here.

Luz and James loved being outside. We hung out with neighbors, walked to the park about 10 times and checked out the new Italian ice store that opened around the block (it is excellent, incidentally, and they sell these delicious, cinnamony donuts which smell incredible and are tough to resist).

We busted out flip flops, played hopscotch and corn-hole, and enjoyed the fresh air. It was perfect.

Jamesy, first flip-flop feet:

Congratulatory hugs:

Hopscotch - yet another one of those really interesting things - James has been able to jump for about a year now - it took Luz until she was 3 to be able to do it - at least I think she can do it - better check:

Parenting Firsts

2011-02-13T23:32:00.002-06:00

This guy thinks being chased is the best sport around. He frequently enjoys teetering on top steps and landings. He is fond of jumping on and off furniture without anyone nearby to spot him. It is all in the name of fun. The most recent stunt, however, was born out of total anger, absolute disgust at the fact that he was sent to bed before he was ready. His response was to climb out of the crib, open his bedroom door and descend the stairs where he appeared, red-faced, tear streaked, quivering with ire, repeating "no want to go to sleep".

This guy...really:

We're Still Having Fun

2011-02-10T23:06:00.004-06:00

At some point on Saturday night/evening Christian and I can celebrate 16 years of life...together. It was on February 12th, 16 years ago, that we had our first date and I had my first sneaking suspicion that I should probably get used to the person I was watching a movie with because it was going to be something we would do hundreds of times together. My intuition was right.

I am not good with numbers and dates and days and months and years, I only know this because it is scribbled away in the corner of Saturday's block on the motherboard, the calendar that keeps track of our lives, tucked underneath soccer practice and quiz bowl finals, a little reminder about the butterflies in my stomach and the wonder of what lies ahead.

It has been a challenging parenting/working mom week for me and I say this knowing that it is all rather relative...being up at 3 am with a fevery toddler is tough, especially when you have to put in 10 hours of work the next day, but I realize I need to treasure the opportunity to rock James for hours on end when he does not protest my hugs and kisses and be thankful, incredibly thankful, that this is what is tough for me right now.

So, what do we have planned for Saturday night...something wild and romantic you say? I have my sights set on an a big bowl of pasta and whatever is waiting for us on Netflix. I am, after all, planning to run 13.1 miles the next morning. The celebration and the romance will have to be penciled in on the motherboard at a later date.

So, here we are, not quite 16 years ago, this one was taken circa '97, I think, and I know there is just so much to say about it but, c'mon, it was YEARS ago...

Sunny Saturday

2011-02-08T21:53:00.005-06:00

After a week of gray skies and cold rain and watching the rest of the country get inundated with snow, we had the luxury of a beautiful, sunny day on Saturday. The last few hours of our day were free so we headed to the park to enjoy some time outside and soak up some much-needed sunlight.

Here is J, in a double hand-me-down sweatshirt - one of my current favorites:

And Luz, dressed for the occasion in a floral headband, because you never know who you might run into at the park:

While we were there a mobile cupcake shop stopped by - what luck! The name of the company is Cupcakes & Co. It is a new business and the girls operating it are lovely so please give them a try NOLA. You can follow their daily stops on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook (in my next period of free time I will learn how to add links for Twitter and FB, I promise). The cupcakes we tried were tasty, but the service and convenience are the biggest perk. I just need to convince them to sell coffee and hot chocolate as well. Stop by their website and see if they will be in your neighborhood soon - www.cupcakesandcompany.net

Lucy's Jams

2011-02-07T21:00:00.003-06:00

Christian is a master mix maker and I am generally good about posting the ones that he creates for me so that you can all see what kinds of tunes we are listening to in casa Vaicius. I have not ever posted the track lists from the mixes he creates for Luz but I just could not resist this time. He captures a perfect blend of current favorites (tracks we know she loves because she sings the songs or mentions the lyrics or shrieks when she hears a few beats as I scan the radio for something I can tolerate), stuff he thinks she should love but probably won't, songs that she has been brainwashed to love, and stuff that is just amusing enough to catch her interest.

Here is the latest installment, Lucy's Winter 2011 Mix:

Journey Don't Stop Believing
What's My Name Rihanna and Drake (whoa...this was a mistake, I think)
Baby Justin Bieber and Ludacris (I know)
Empire State of Mind Jay Z and Alecia Keys (this is much better than you think)
Twist and Shout The Beatles
I Want Candy Bow Wow Wow
Halo Beyonce
Mama Mia Abba
Break Your Heart Taio Cruz and Ludacris (her favorite for the past 2 months)
Mine Taylor Swift
Mr. Sandman The Chordettes (she is most fascinated by this one)
That's The Way KC and the Sunshine Band
I Like It Enrique Iglesias
King of Anything Sarah Bareilles (I wish she loved this one)
Help The Beatles
Firework Katy Perry (ugh)
Naturally Selena Gomez and the Scene (hearts SG more than JB)
Billie Jean Michael Jackson (she likes it but is weirded out by MJ)
Love Story Taylor Swift
Rock Lobster B-52's (wow...throwback to the Athens, GA days)

Enjoy!

James, Two Years Old

2011-02-01T22:29:00.004-06:00

Here is a little project that I finally (sort of) completed last night. It seems rather simple, but making this little video has sucked up quite a few hours over the past couple of weeks. I enjoyed almost every minute of putting it together and am eager to learn more about the process when I have more free time. There is no doubt that there are some editing issues, probably a few grammatical errors, and a host of glitches with the soundtrack fading in and out (maybe next time I can convince Josh to create a minute or two of something sweet).

I finally settled on a John Lennon classic, even though the song is about a boy named Sean, not James. The second track is by a band called, The Boy Least Likely To, and it makes me happy, just like James. I was inspired to put the video together as I sat down to write a post for James on his second birthday. I felt like I was starting to say the same old things and I just was not getting my point across. James is the baby that makes me want to have ten more babies. He is loving and hilarious and endlessly entertaining and I hope this video does a decent job of showing all of you just what I am talking about.

Enjoy!

James Is Two from Julie Vaicius on Vimeo.

Fun With Lenses

2011-01-31T21:26:00.004-06:00

I dusted off the 50mm/1.8 Canon lens in response to some early morning sunshine on Saturday. Luz was sitting at the kitchen table playing with an awesome book that folds out into a dollhouse that her Aunt Susan gave her a few years ago. This gift has been a HUGE hit, but Luz is the type of kid that can entertain herself quietly for hours playing with paper dolls. One of my favorite things to do is to pretend like I am busy doing something - cleaning, working, cooking - while I am actually eavesdropping. Saturday morning it was all about unrequited love and a young woman with a ton of sick babies. Heartbreaking but also hopeful.

I could not resist a few shots:

I love using this lens. I have so much to learn about photography. Most decent shots I get are pure luck. I look forward to studying it later in my life when I have free time. Until then, I will just keep shooting for the lucky shots.