Summer Movies

It has been a busy summer, but we managed to fit in a few movies over the past couple of weeks and Luz and James recently weighed in on their favorites.

James picked Madagascar 3 as his front runner - something about the gigantic bear on the trike and then the Ducati and a little ditty that he cannot get out of his head called Afro Circus.  The Madagascar foursome is up to its usual madcap adventures and the penguins are there at every twist and turn. Much like the other two Madagascar movies, it does not disappoint.  It is a nice, entertaining, and cool 1.5 hours of fun for you and your family, so check it out.

Luz picked Brave as her front runner and I cannot blame her, what is not to love about an independent, stubborn young girl who rides horses and shoots a bow and arrow. The animation is incredible (it is the first time Pixar has used a new animation technology and there are parts of the movie that are so vivid the animation looks real).  The story is a slight departure from the normal Disney cartoon fare in that there is no prince charming.  The only love story is one between a mother and her daughter, one I think every daughter and every mother will relate to.

As between Madagascar 3 and Brave, Brave wins in my book, but I also have to consider Hunger Games (which I LOVED, I really did, and not just because Lenny Kravitz is in the movie - although that was a big selling point) and What to Expect When You are Expecting (which was awful - but, yeah, I knew what I was getting into).  And I also have to consider the ones I have not yet seen but will  catch on the big screen - Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom is going to blow me away - I can feel it already when I watch the trailer - I don't know what it is that he does but when I watch his movies I feel like I have been gingerly dropped right smack dab in the middle of some incredible storybook and there is this awesomeness all around me.  Oh, and one more little treat...plans are already in the works to see this little gem next week and it just might blow all of the other contenders out of the water:

7 Years

Luz turns 7 next Tuesday and I really cannot believe it and do not even know what to say other than, "wow, how did thaaaaat just happen...did you see that...seven years just passed, count them - 1, 2, 3...yeah, I know, it happened right in front of my eyes, while I was paying attention and everything."  My celebration is a little early but I am leaving town and sort of on vacation and blogging will be even trickier than usual and for once it feels nice to do something ahead of time.

Lucy always asks me to play the little photo/video I put together earlier this year when James turned 3.  She has a great appreciation for history and a mind that relishes the details.  I knew I needed to do the same thing for her, but the task was daunting - 4 different cameras, three different computers, seven years of photographs, countless memories - where does one begin...I took a stab at it and, let me tell you, unless you went to school for this sort of thing or had some sort of training or lots and lots and lots of free time, it is hot and sweaty work.  Consequently, the end result is not exactly what I had in mind and does not come close to capturing the joy and wonder of the last 7 years, but I did the best that I could with a limited skill set.  The result is not unlike most endeavors in my life (much like anyone that is spread a little too thin) very B+, but it makes me smile and at the end of the day it is for Lucy anyway, just to be sure that she can see everything that I got to see over the last 7 years and maybe one day understand this incredible, bottomless pit of love in the heart of a mother.

Here's to you Luz...on your 7th birthday:

Little Mommy

I LOVE Golden Books...they remind me of being a little kid.  We must have had a great collection when I was little because when I read them to Luz and James I have little hints of deja vu and become nostalgic.   I remember something about all of those precious bunnies sleeping in a chest of drawers, the story of Sailor Dog, little bear's antics before bed, and Dr. Dan and Billy from one of my favorites, Little Mommy.  Do you remember this one:

Luz loves this one.  While Sailor Dog is easily James' favorite one out of the collection, Luz has always enjoyed Little Mommy and practically has the book memorized.  She loves it so much, in fact, that she acted out scenes from it the other day.  James is such an eager participant in all of her 'games' and never minds being bossed around....Luz is lucky, at least for now.   She pretty much feeds him his lines and waits for him to repeat them back to her.  In this particular game he had to play both Dr. Dan and Billy, in addition to playing the part of ASM...an exhausting task.

Salad Days

I have the privilege of being married to a school teacher (yep, that's right, one month at Christmas, a week at Mardi Gras, spring break, and 104 days of summer vacation...no, it's cool, really) and having kids, so my life will always revolve around the school seasons, for better or worse.  I get to feed off of their excitement and sense of relief, at least a little.  But meanwhile, nothing much has changed for me, I am still stuck in the same old same old, the usual routine - alright, maybe there is a little pep in my step without the added burden of lunches and laundry and homework and clean uniforms.

Our summer so far has been lovely...filled with day camps and late nights and skipped baths and trips to the farmer's market and ice cream and trip planning and lots and lots of sunshine...

And yeah, I know, James has disappearing eyes and a bad haircut. I have no idea why his eyes disappear when he smiles...need to work on that...and the bangs, 100% my fault...I couldn't take the incessant scratching of the forehead and rubbing of the eyes...I did it and Aunt Sue will fix it in a week (please?).

Taking A Breath

A friend of mine lost her 21 month old daughter last week due to an awful set of circumstances that could happen to any child.  It is breaking my heart into a million tiny pieces, as if I needed another reminder about how none of this is within our control and that it is okay, inevitable even, to love deeply, but with that comes immense, crushing sadness...one day.  It is enough to make me not want to get out of bed, to roll into a ball and shut it all out; this is nothing new.

I do not do any of that though, of course not.  I am a human.  We are made to be resilient.  We can do the stiff upper lip thing.  We can redirect and remember that what we have is precious and that we have to love big and with all of our heart every single day.  I just hate that these reminders come at a very big price.

...loving every single bit of these two...and hopefully teaching them to do the same:

Missing Pop

He was the best.  He loved sports, a hard day's work, a good steak, a cold beer, hugs, books, oldies, celebrations, dogs, yard work, UVA, his family, and quiet nights in his den with some fiction, a good t.v. show and the buzz of his life all around him.

It sounds like a cliche.  It is a cliche, but I miss him every single day of my life and I cannot comprehend why it has to be that my kids' memories of their grandfather will be made mostly through stories and photographs and imagination.

Luz, Pop and Chlo-zee-bee (probably circa 2007), making a memory:

Parenting Firsts

The last few weeks have presented a few parenting challenges.  It is all relative; I know that.  I have two healthy kids and try to be mindful of that blessing every morning when I wake up and then again every hour of every day.

But even in this place of bliss there are moments...I heard horror stories about potty training and then experienced them once or twice.  I remember frightening tales about the dangers of co-sleeping and recall a few nights falling asleep in the rocker, the baby barely hanging off of my lap.  I grew wide-eyed at tales of explosive diapers on airplanes and experienced it for myself when Luz and I took our first plane ride together right after Hurricane Katrina.

There were a few other things I heard about but, fortunately, never experienced...until I had two almost back to back (incidentally, it happened right after breaking a mirror - Luz's brand-new extra-special birthday present mirror).

The first happened on a drive home from Metairie last weekend.  James suddenly became feverish, uncomfortable, and incredible whiny...moments later he vomited all over himself, his car seat, and whatever else was within a few feet of his mouth.  Cleaning a convertible car seat with a five point harness is as nightmarish as I expected it to be after the descriptions I had heard.  In fact, it was so awful that we picked that day to fully convert James to a booster seat and trash the old convertible.  I suppose I am lucky that it took almost 7 years of parenting to experience that loveliness.

The second bit of awesomeness occurred on Friday night at the ballpark when we discovered that lice had somehow made its way into Luz's dugout.  Oh yeah.  LICE.  Luz was spared, so was Christian, James and I were not so lucky.  What followed was a miserable night of washing and drying and cleaning and freaking out...until...we made the decision to call the "nit picker".  Yes, there is such a thing.  There is this incredible lady who lives in New Orleans and moonlights as a nit picker.  Yes, there is a premium involved but have you seen my hair? Have you tried to keep a 3 year old still long enough to delouse him? It was worth every single penny we spent.  She is lovely and efficient and totally professional...like Mary Poppins and Winston Wolf all wrapped up into one.  So, if you find yourself similarly situated, don't hesitate to contact her at www.nitpickingnola.com.  You will not regret it.

After delousing until midnight, we were ready for 48 hours away from the house and headed to the country with mom-mom for some much needed r and r over the holiday weekend.

Goings On

The end of the school year always catches me off guard.  There are countless half-days and celebrations, parent involvement activities, fake birthdays, school birthdays, free dress days and countless other extravaganzas.  Those things, coupled with the start of the summer and the piecing together of camps and babysitters and trips here and there, is enough to make my head spin.  I am trying to stay organized but I am not sure I am doing a great job...but I have managed a few pictures so that I can remember it all in a few weeks when everything is distant blur.

Luz, representing her class in the annual May Crowning celebration...made me smile:

 

New Orleans Day at ASH:

7th Birthday Celebration #1 at Airline Skate with her classmates:

At the Spring Recital...introducing her song, Windsong:

With GG and James, celebrating:

At the Brownie "bridging" ceremony:

I think that about wraps things up...at least for now!

Boy & Bike

About two months ago it clicked and James had the whole pedaling thing down.  Now he is unstoppable and can ride as much as a mile, smiling the entire time, ringing his bell and waiving to the people he passes on the street.  He also enjoys exploring the neighborhood and riding laps around the playground on the corner while Lu and I play 2 square, swing, or sit on the bench chatting.   It is a perfect way to spend the afternoon.

Mama's Day

Have you seen the most recent cover of time magazine...

No, not THAT (http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20120521,00.html) one this one:

I woke up to this lovely Mother's Day tribute this morning and it warmed my heart.   With every fiber of my being all that I really care about anymore is being an awesome mother, whatever that means, and oftentimes I am pretty sure that I fail miserably - like the other day when Luz told me about a story she was writing about a young girl named Magnolia who had a birthday party but her mother could not make it because she was busy at work.  The troubling part was that she did not seem particularly upset about it, quite to the contrary, she was rather matter-of-fact.  Ugh.

It was a lovely mother's day, filled with all of the things that I care about most, time with family and friends, rest and relaxation, and lots and lots of hugs and kisses from the kiddos.  We were lucky enough to have Nana and Papa-T in town for the weekend and an idle Saturday resulted in a few long hours or productive yard work and an awesome new herb garden...what a wonderful mother's day gift...now my fingers are crossed in the hopes that I can keep this garden growing.

James and Nana, watching the gardeners:

The weekend ended with a beautiful sunset and an evening swim followed by a delicious dinner at Anne and Luis' house where we celebrated all of the moms and Christian (oh yeah, did I mention it is also his birthday?  the nerve).

It Happens All At Once

I am the mother of an almost 7 year-old.  I watch The Voice, but you knew that already.  Actually, I record it and then watch it.  I am listening to the pop music countdown on 97.1 on Sundays for the first time in decades.  The last specific memory I have of listening to the weekend top 40 (it happened often when we were little because my mom has always loved music of all kinds) was in the parking lot of an A&P grocery store at one point in time when the song, King of Pain by The Police, was #1 in the charts (if I was a little more energetic I would do some quick research and pinpoint the time to a particular year but I know you don't really care).

As if being an avid Top 40 listener was not enough, I also recently started reading this:

and LOVED it.  And I am now stuck on another popular trend:

But this does not really count, right?  What really scares me most is that I am sort of considering reading this book:

Someone stop me before I start wearing maxi dresses (I tried one; it looked terrible on me.  I am way too short).

Whoa, swallowed up in fabric, and that is Eva, one of the most gorgeous ever!

This and That

In the beautiful blur of springtime in NOLA all kinds of wonderful things have been happening - long walks, picnics, hours playing at the park, pony rides, school fairs, visits with friends, music (lots of it), dog adoptions (almost, not quite though), softball season, and many other things.  All of this is happening while work has been incredibly busy and the end of the school year is wrapping up and totally chaotic (yeah, I am not sure how that happened so fast).  The summer is already mapped out and we are looking forward to a few trips and plenty of time for r and r BUT what I really would like is one of those Sundays I experienced as a kid, the kind that seem to drag on for hours and hours filled with sunlight...every now and then I have a glimpse but then I look at the clock and it says 10 p.m.

Luz, first catch, City Park NOLA:

James, pony ride:

Luz, riding an inflatable mechanical bull, I know, I had no idea it was a thing:

Jazz Fest 2012

Luz and James are FASCINATED by Cee Lo so when we found out he was going to be at Jazz Fest this year we decided we would check him out.  Christian had already made plans to watch the LSU v. UGA baseball game in Baton Rouge so the kids and I were on our own.  Despite a bit of a rocky start - we had to park about a mile away (on Orleans) and the crowd around Congo Square was unreal - it ended up being a fabulous day at the fest.  Luz even said it was the "best Jazz Fest ever".

The stroller, although absolutely necessary for the walk, was a bit of an albatross but I only rolled up the back of a few ankles and over a handful of toes (sorry drunk dude that stopped in the middle of the road to meditate).

Our first stop was the Strawberry Lemonade line.  It was about a 20 minute wait, but James fell asleep in the middle of the wait.  Although tedious, the wait was worth it.  The strawberry lemonade was much improved this year - or maybe my taste buds changed - who knows.

After getting our drinks we headed to Congo Square for Cee Lo and finally got a decent spot for the last 5 songs, which happened to include the hits, much to Luz and James' joy.  I had Jamesy on my shoulders so he could see and he was so excited he almost knocked me over a few times.   Cee Lo was covered in sweat but seemed to be enjoying it - cracking jokes and riling up the crowd.

After Cee Lo we headed to the Kids Tent and the kids were psyched - crafts, room to roam, toys, shade and popcorn.  I love this area and will be sorry when I don't have kids as an excuse to head over there and camp out for some decompression time.  While we were chilling out in the kids area Catherine caught up with us and we all headed over to the Gentilly stage to check out Feist.  The sun was setting, there was plenty of room to sprawl out, Fest was fabulous and the breeze cooled us off.  It was a perfect ending to great day.

The highlight for Luz and James, however, was the pit-stop at Catherine's house before our walk to the car.  They begged to stay and play and invited themselves over to spend the night next week.  I did not think I would be able to get them out of there.

Here are a few of the pictures from our day:

Pre-game, on the porch gardening and hanging out with Katie and Lily:

Hot and tired is not a good way to start out Jazz Fest:

 Crashed.  They have both done this at one point in their lives at JF:

Surveying the scene in the kids area:

Strawberry Lemonade, the best:

See Sawing:

Catherine!

Showing Catherine one of the many crafts:

Enjoying the cool grass, listening to Feist:

One of many shots that Jamesy took:

Playing his tambourine, helping out the band:

Easter 2012 - Part 3

Here are a few more pics from Easter weekend.

Playing in the hose/water gun fight:

Swinging under the gigantic oak trees:

Exploring:

Finding treasures:

Debating the back-story on the horseshoe: