The Bayou Chica

Summer Swim Team

2011-07-24T08:46:00.003-05:00

This summer we decided to try out swim team. SG LOVED it and did fantastic. MM liked it, but was no way near dedicated like her big sister. That is understandable since she is just 5 and her sister is 6 approaching 7.

SG did so well, she was given the chance to swim in the Meet of Champions (MOC) this Saturday. We were quite impressed because going into the meet, SG was 2nd in her division for freestyle and 3rd in her division for backstroke. She sure did accomplish a great deal of technique in just a few weeks in the summer.

Although she didn't do as well as her division competitors at the MOC, we are still very proud of her commitment and accomplishment.

Immersion Works!

2011-05-29T16:55:00.004-05:00

My latest cause is immersion programs in the school system. My husband and I went round-and-round trying to figure out where and what kind of education to choose for our children. After endless conversations and hours of research, we decided on a world language immersion program.

So far, so good. Our oldest daughter just completed first grade with "A" honor roll all four 9 weeks.Our 2nd child finished pre-k 4 with a great foundation for her target language. We feel like it was a really great decision. Initially, we had SG enrolled in a parochial school. The one part of public school we were torn about was the fact that there was no daily religion class and they wouldn't get the religious foundation we hoped for. SG also tested into an advanced placement school which you must score a 95% or higher. She did and was accepted, but still we wanted that language immersion.

As the end of the 2010-2011 year approached, we got word that the immersion programs within the Jefferson Parish Public School System was considering eliminating them. The worse part is that the school system didn't notify the principals, coordinator for foreign language and immersion programs, teachers, or parents before the news story broke.

We have gone 1 school year with great results from both of our children. I don't want to see this program go. I was brainstorming with another parent and we came up with an idea to fight the school board and educate everyone what immersion is, the importance of it, and why we need to keep it in the public school system. That is when Immersion Works came alive.

We were just a group of 2 and have grown to a Facebook group of 219. We now have a voice! We had a voice before, but now it is a stronger, louder, and a very educated voice. Our school board members didn't even know we had immersion programs much less what an immersion program was. One of the school board members did attend one of our meetings and went away very knowledgeable and is now an advocate for Immersion Works.

June 7, 2011 at 3:00 PM is the school board meeting that will determine if the immersion programs will truly be cut. As a group, we will attend the meeting en masse all wearing the Immersion Works logo T-shirt. If you are in the area, please join us to show your support.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-01T09:19:00.005-06:00

Thanksgiving Day
2010

Good Teacher Bad Teacher

2010-09-27T08:28:00.005-05:00

I have been hearing a lot about good teachers versus bad teachers within the US school system. Even Obama is talking about programs to get rid of the "bad" teachers. Maybe there is a lot more to this situation than just bad teachers.

I am not a teacher, but I am a mother of three preschool and school age girls, PTA president, school volunteer and I do teach first graders (as a parental volunteer) a class once a week for thirty minutes at one of the local public schools.

Yes, I am sure there are good teachers and bad teachers, just like there are good employees and bad employees, good and bad students, good and bad everything. I seriously have a hard time believing a "bad" teacher is the one to make a whole school's grade percentage to fall below.

This has become a blame game and no one wants to take responsibility. So, therefore, the fingers are pointing toward the so-called bad teachers. What are the schools doing to support their "bad" teachers? Are teachers getting annual workshops on learning newest teaching methods to adapt to the needs of children today? What else are the schools doing to support their teaching staff? Are these schools with "bad" teachers reaching out to the families to get them involved in their child's education?

Maybe this is a family issue; a problem that starts in the home. When these reports go out about the "bad" teachers, are they looking at the students' home life, parental involvement, how much time does this student spend on homework and studying?

From my personal experience in both the public and private school system, it is the same. The more involved the parents are in their child's life, whether it be social, school, extracurricular, or personal, makes a huge difference in the child's academic career.

Parents, get involved in your child's life. See what's going on with them. Volunteer at school. Help out with homework every night. Decrease television, computer, and game time. Do more things as a family. Eat dinner together as much as possible. I know kids can be difficult and don't necessarily want you around, but let them know you are there for them. I feel like if we, as parents, take these small steps in our child's lives, it won't make a difference if they have good or bad teachers. They will learn to strive for the best and do well, regardless. We are the ones that have to lay down a solid foundation for them and be a good role model.

The Taco Bed

2010-09-09T06:15:00.002-05:00

Do you have a taco bed? Oh, I see. You are wondering what is a taco bed I bet. It is a toddler bed. I am not sure how my girls got taco out of toddler, but they did. So, for the last few years, the toddler bed has been referred to as the taco bed.

We had the privilege of using a family crib that has been passed down for many years. It started with my nephew about 25 years ago. Then it made its way to his 2 brothers, 2 other nephews, and my 3 girls. Now we get to pass it on to another family member.

This is the point where the taco bed comes into play. I was given an undetermined date to return the crib.....October of this year. I was panicking because the baby was still sleeping in her crib. Yes, that was an exciting thing that at 2 years and 3 months she was still sleeping there.....until this week.

I am not sure if she had some type of taco bed radar or what, but the last 2 nights, she didn't want to have anything to do with her crib. I figured we would give the taco bed a try and we had great success! Two nights in a row and she laid down and went right to sleep. My biggest fear was that she would get out of bed and start wondering around since she wasn't confined like in the crib. No, she didn't.

I guess we can pack up the crib and pass it along. Hip hip hooray for taco bed success!

Is 40 Really Fabulous?

2010-09-08T20:01:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I turned 40 a few weeks ago and things just aren't right. Leading up too that point I was taking care of me and my health. But something happened. It is as though a switch was turned off (or on) and everything has gone downhill.

Is this typical for this milestone? So, here's what I am talking about. I have acne. I am a 40 year old with acne. I never had this problem before, not even in my pubescent days. I have been eating like a ravenous beast. I put on a few pounds, but the problem is that it has distributed itself in the thigh area. I have been the same weight for about 15 years +/- a pound here and there. Before, I never really liked to eat chocolate, but now I hoard it and have it tucked away so that the kids won't find it. I want it all to myself. This is just crazy! C-R-A-Z-Y ......I say.

I exercise and I don't get the results that I used to get. Maybe because I am eating like a ravenous beast, oh I mentioned that already. I realize I don't have and I probably won't have my tight 30 year old body, but good golly geez, why can't I get some results from my exercise routine?

In addition to all those things, my hormones have gone wacky and I am loosing my hair. Please tell me fabulous is somewhere around the corner waiting for me.

Proud Mom

2010-09-02T12:35:00.002-05:00

Monday, I was going through my daughters' school folders and they each had a bright orange paper. I just assumed all the parents got one, but no.

It was an invitation to the Student of the Month and Terrific Kid Presentation. Neither child really knew what it was all about except that they should have a parent present on the said date. So, I got myself ready and headed over to school to find out that not one, but two of my daughters were chosen as their class' student of the month.

I was beeming with pride and content. It is great knowing that they both got this school year started off well. I only hope it continues. What am I saying? Of course they will.

5th Year Anniversary

2010-08-29T23:44:00.004-05:00

So much on my mind about this. It has been 5 years and the wounds still feel fresh. It is so hard to believe this happened, but we have video/proof to confirm it.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Tulum, Mexico

Return from Paradise

2010-08-14T06:02:00.002-05:00

This week we came home from a week in paradise. It was so lovely. The most incredible part was that we were gone for 6 nights/7 days without the children. That means just FG and me for 1 whole week.

I guess you are wondering where we went, right? It was Puerto Morelos, Mexico on the Riviera Maya coast. The Ocean Coral and Turquesa was the place for us last week. We chose to upgrade to the privilege package. It was so awesome. Not only was it an all-inclusive, but with this option, we had a beach butler, private beach, an exclusive lounge, reservations to the very busy restaurants, a pillow menu, and so many other little things that made you feel really special.

When we arrived to our suite, there was a chilled bottle of champagne, a half dozen of chocolate covered strawberries, and a birthday cake waiting for us. Did I mention I was celebrating my 40th birthday? That was the main reason we took this holiday. One of my favorite parts to the room was the outdoor shower on our balcony. I believe I used it most days.

Because of our adventurous spirit, we couldn't just stay at the resort, although you could and be entertained 24/7. We hopped in our rental car sans radio, but at least we had air conditioning, and did like Dora and explored. Our destinations were the town of Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, the Jungle Spa, and Cenote Crystal.

Still, my favorite area is Tulum. The beach and ocean are so beautiful in this part of Mexico, more so than the other spots, but don't tell anyone, it's my secret okay.

Don't Panic, She's Not Bleeding

2010-08-13T18:48:00.000-05:00

Here's the phone conversation I had with my dad.

Dad: Hey there, everything is okay, she's not bleeding anymore.
Me: What are you talking about? Who's not bleeding?
Dad: CG fell, but she's okay. She isn't bleeding, but she might need a stitch.
Me: Sorry, but I am not getting everything. What happened?
Dad: CG fell off the bar stool and hit her head. She's not bleeding, but should I take her to the hospital for a stitch?
Me: Let me come over and check her out.
Dad: Oh, she's fine. She just needs one little stitch. The gash looks really deep, but I am glad it isn't bleeding anymore.
Me: Let me call FG and the pediatrician.

Pediatrician: Take her to Children's Hospital

FG picked her up and brought her to Children's Hospital ER. The first text I got from him was she had a skull fracture via Xray, was waiting on CT scan and staples to close the laceration. Next my poor baby had to get 4 staples to her head. Finally the CT came back and showed no bleeding and no fractures. Yeah, we are in the clear.

I was going to meet FG and CG at the hospital, but FG asked me to stay put and he would take care of her. That was the most difficult day at work. Lucky for me, I got him to swing by my work so I can see her.

You would never know she just had a major blow to the head and staples applied. She was silly and giggly as ever. She did show me her boo boo and said "don't touch" as she was pointing to it.

Oh What a Night

2010-07-09T06:58:00.004-05:00

I just had a dream come true. It was a night of uninterrupted sleep! That doesn't happen around here very often.

Just about every single night I get at least one and sometimes two visitors in my bed each night. That would be my 2 big girls. Therefore, little to no sleep for mom here. When I get up in the morning, backache, stiff neck, shoulder ouch, and so sleepy.

Unfortunately, I have had some health issues that we think were prompted by my little to no sleep. My doctor ordered that I get rest. Well, I finally got some last night.

My husband had a great idea. We let the girls go to sleep in our bed last night. I slept in their room, in the trundle bed {of all places to get a good night sleep}. I slept all night! I don't even think I moved. I woke up in the same position I fell asleep in. No back ache. No stiff neck. No shoulder ouch. No sleepiness. Just a well rested mom! Oh, what a night.

Happy 2nd Birthday!

2010-06-18T22:05:00.002-05:00

Happy birthday to my sweet CG. I cannot believe she turned two. It seems like yesterday that I was taking a pregnancy test for her. But, as you know time flies when you're having fun.

There have been so many milestones she has reached. You would think this is my first time with a child turning 2, but it is my 3rd. One of the things I am so happy about is that she is still sleeping in her crib. SG was jumping out of hers at 15 months. MM got moved out of hers at about 22 months in order to make room for CG.

CG is a little talking machine. My others were talking machines, but not like this one. It was really cute hearing her say one word sentences, but she is making 3-4 word sentences. Usually, they are demanding sentences, too. I am going to chalk that up to the "terrible twos."

It is truly amazing to see how similar, yet how different all 3 girls are. Somethings they do, it is like watching me, Mini-Me. Other times they are so unique in their cute little ways.

Happy Birthday CG!

I LOVE my Job!

2010-04-08T08:09:00.003-05:00

How many of you can honestly say, "I love my job?" I can! I really have the best job. Of course my primary job of being mom and wife are great, but I am talking about my job as a nurse.

I work part time which really makes working even more desirable. I get a five day weekend every other week. That right there says dream job.

This weekend, I was talking to my aunt and she was asking about my job. I was going on and on about what I do and she stopped me mid-sentence. Her response was, "I have never seen you smile talking about work or so enthusiastic." I guess I never realized I did that.

As a nurse, I have taken on many jobs over the last 13 years. Some have been good and well, some not so good. I remember my first nursing job. It was on a 23 hour observation unit working nights. After 6 months, I was charge nurse. One of my nursing assistants from then ended up being one of my charge nurses later down the line. Congrats to her for moving on up the education ladder and is now completing nurse anesthetist school!

Between my first job and my present one, I did many things. Reflecting on this, I see I mostly worked in some field of cardiology. The first few years I worked nights and I always seemed to be sick and my body was cold all the time. I am so glad I was able to get on day shift. Let's see; I worked observation, step-down ICU, travel nursing in step-down ICU, agency in telemetry, ICU, and CCU, GI lab, post CABG, heart transplant, CCU, ICU, echo lab, stress lab, cath lab, and even helped out in cardiology doctor's offices. Well, this all leads up to what I am doing today. As a Cardiac Rehab Nurse Clinician, I teach patient's about taking care of their hearts.

No more 12 hour shifts. No working weekends or holidays. No taking call. No more nights. No hurricane duty. Just 8 hour shifts (including a lunch break), 3 days one week and 2 days the next.

Isn't the nursing profession wonderful that there is so much flexibility and so many options? It really is!

CRAZY

2010-02-20T15:41:00.002-06:00

Okay, now I know it is a lot warmer here in the south than up north right now. Today it was about 50〫. A beautiful day right?-especially when the sun is shining. Here's where the crazy comes into the equation.

My two CRAZY girls decided they wanted to go swimming. At first I said no way, but they were relentless. So, I thought if they really want to go since they already had their swimsuits on and didn't let up on the wanting to swim, I said sure why not.

Child #1 jumps in. I hear a screeching, "Mommmmmmmm!" Not to my surprise, the water was obviously cold. Child #2 says, "no way am I getting in." #1 hops back into the ice cold pool and swims for a few more seconds before realizing she didn't think to get a towel. Once again I hear, "Mommmmmmmmm!"

I figured this was it and clothes would be back on, but not my 2. They now decide to bask in the sun. #1 is in the buff and #2 still with her swimsuit. They are nuts. My children are nuts.

Happy New Year!

2010-02-19T15:31:00.000-06:00

As I realize, I have not posted in about three or four months. Wow! A new year has come before us. Happy 2010. Since this time, we have had some exciting things happen here in New Orleans.

Did you hear about the Super Bowl? We won....we, as in the New Orleans Saints. It has been a few weeks and the city is still beaming. This is a great time to be in New Orleans.

New Orleans...proud to call it home.

Surprise! It's a Bouncing Teenage Boy!

2009-11-10T13:51:00.002-06:00

I know this may come as a surprise to some of you, but we decided to let our nephew live with us for a few months while he is on a school break.

Now, to our surprise, we didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into. Can you say 16 year old hormones? Oh boy, literally. Having a teenager boy is so very different than my 3 girls. I know we haven’t gotten to puberty yet with any of them, but my gosh, talk about a crash course.

What a difference between raising boys and girls! They are so very different. We aren’t used to being around boys, much less having one live with us. I am learning boys seem to have an erection throughout most of the day.

What kinds of things do I need to be aware of during this advanced teenager stage we are in? Any advice from experienced parents?

Calgon, take me away……………

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-16T08:01:00.001-05:00

I've Been Threaded

2009-09-06T22:40:00.002-05:00

I wish I had a before and after picture to show you the results. I was out shopping yesterday at the mall with my family when I saw something that seemed quite intriguing. It was a threading booth which I had never seen before. I've heard about it, but this was the first time I actually saw it done.

I stopped to look and was very much impressed, but soon after went on my way. There was something about it that drew me back. I did it. I agreed to let them them thread my eyebrows. To give you a bit of history, I have the bushiest eyebrows which have never been kept up in quite some time. They were a mess.

I sat down and the chair reclined. The lady got her thread and started her magic. Well, either she is a sadist or I am a masochist. That was some painful. I am not sure if the actual pulling of the hairs bothered me the most or the sound of the thread being wound up when it was moved back and forth. Ouch!

I do have beautifully arched eyebrows, but yikes, it sure was a painful five minutes to get there. As they say, "you have to suffer to be beautiful."

Baking Frenzy

2009-09-05T18:28:00.006-05:00

Well, today I went on a gluten free baking frenzy. I started with cinnamon raisin bread, made some pancakes, and finally chocolate chip cookies. Since I am still learning how to bake gluten free, I figured I would try all sorts of new things today. Some good and some, well, not so good.

I'll start with the good.
Here's my cinnamon raisin bread. I cannot believe it, but it rose. To everyone's surprise, it tasted fairly well. The kids, especially loved it. I had to put some butter and sprinkles of cinnamon sugar to satisfy my taste. And, it sliced very well thanks to my electric bread knife.

Next were the pancakes. As you can see, they were rather flat. Once again, the kids loved my creation! The girls originally complained about how they looked, but ate every single pancake. I score again.
Now for the disappointment. Here are the horrible cookies. The only one who actually ate them was the baby. But, she eats everything. She's not very selective when it comes to food. I'll just try again. When all else fails, I know the Betty Crocker GF chocolate chip cookies are yummy. Thanks Betty!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-02T07:22:00.002-05:00

What Kind of Cup?

2009-08-30T13:16:00.004-05:00

Okay guys, this one is not for you. This post is just for the ladies. I just placed an order for a feminine product. I cannot wait until it comes in. It is called a Moon Cup (US). When I first learned about it, I thought it was so weird, then I did some research and now think this may be the next best thing.

I was flipping through one of my sister's British magazines and found an article about the British version of the menstrual cup called the Mooncup (UK). This is what started me on this search. I found an awesome website called Ecomenses that lists all of the different brands of cups, her reviews of many of them, and a wealth of information.

I am so darn excited. I have to wait 3-7 days until it arrives. You'd think I was waiting for an envelope with money or a new car, but no, just a menstrual cup. Something that I feel will revolutionize they way I think about and handle Mother Nature's Special Gift each month.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-26T07:00:00.002-05:00

Texas Longhorn Steer
San Antonio, Texas

Dreams Do Come True!

2009-08-25T21:10:00.003-05:00

As you know, I have three little girls that keep me quite busy. Therefore, it leaves very little time for me to do a lot of the essentials. I am always picking up in the morning, in the afternoon, at night. It never ends. Luckily for my dear husband, he helps out and does much of the cleaning.

For the last 2 years, I have been asking for a house keeper for my birthday, mother's day, Christmas, our anniversary, but nope. Not a one. Until today!

Two ladies were here at 6:45 AM until 3:00 PM today. My house is so clean and everything is put away. It is wonderful. Not sure how long I will get the luxury of a house keeper, but I will welcome them with open arms in 2 weeks.

Now, how do I get the kids to follow rules and put their things away? I guess that goes for husbands, too. This certainly was one happy day.

And Then There Were More

2009-08-19T10:08:00.002-05:00

MM went back to the doctor and we find out she can't have any dairy including cheese nor can she have sugar. This is near impossible. What am I going to allow my poor child to eat? No wheat, flour, gluten, dairy, juice, or sugar.

I think I may need to consult a nutritionist because I am overwhelmed with this task of eliminating so many foods.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-19T10:03:00.002-05:00

Panning for gems at the Natural Bridge Caverns, San Antonio, Texas.

Gluten Free...Again

2009-08-17T21:24:00.003-05:00

Well, we are back to gluten free, AGAIN. First, it was SG about two years ago when we were trying to figure out some of her problems. Now it is MM. She has a super sensitivity to wheat, gluten, and dairy. Its no big deal for me, but try to tell a 3 year old she can't have pizza (not gluten free), snacks at school that the others are eating, and just about everything else.

I thought the hardest part would be getting her to quit drinking cow's milk, but it wasn't so bad. She is starting to dig rice and almond milk, mostly if it has chocolate in it.

Back to the gluten free (GF). I find there is a much greater selection at the grocery, Wal-Mart, and Whole Foods than there was 2 years ago. Thank you Betty Crocker! We tried the new chocolate chip cookies. I would say they were pretty good since they were all gone the next day. I picked up a box of their brownie mix tonight. I just wish ole' Betty offered coupons for her products. GF sure is expensive.

I have a feeling I'll be writing about my experiences with all of the new gluten free products we try. Please let these new dietary habits make an impact on my sweet little one's health.

Let's Bowl, Let's Bowl, Let's Rock-n-Roll

2009-08-15T08:38:00.004-05:00

I think the pictures say it all. Nothing else needs to be said.

The After Effects

2009-08-15T08:09:00.002-05:00

Here's a picture of the "after" major spring cleaning in the girls' room. Gosh, that was some hard work. Although it is clean, the girls were able to mess it up almost immediately.

Spring Cleaning

2009-08-13T11:43:00.003-05:00

Spring cleaning, well I guess it is summer cleaning, I decided to tackle today. Allergies, asthma, and infections are on the rise in our house. I suspect this is the best opportunity for me to start de-cluttering and dusting.

Today will be out with the old and in with the new. The girls get new mattresses for their beds. I figured since I have to move things around then it is just as good as anytime to give the bed linens a good scrub down. Their bedroom is getting a good scrub down, too.

When I made it to the laundry room, I decided it was time to give it a good scrub down, too. So I am tackling one bedroom and the laundry room today. Hopefully I will be able to get to my bedroom before the baby wakes up from her nap.

If I remember, I will post a picture of the completed "Summer Cleaning" of the girls' room.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-08-12T22:31:00.001-05:00

Yes, I just celebrated my 39th birthday and am very proud of that. Most people really dread their birthdays, but not me. I like to rejoice in them. I have had 39 awesome years. Thanks mom (and dad, too)! Best of yet, I am proud to tell my age. Ask me and I will tell you.

I don't think I look my so-called-age. I don't feel my so-called-age. So, therefore I must not be 39 years old. Nah!

First of all, I think I have really great genes, of the scientific/biological type. Next I have 3 young children to help keep me youthful and active. Lastly, I think it is a mind over matter thing. If you feel old, you will be old. I feel young therefore I am young.

Happy birthday to me!!!!!

Family Yoga

2009-08-09T10:27:00.002-05:00

Saturday was family yoga day. We started classes called Little Family Itsy Bitsy Yoga, through a program called Itsy Bitsy Yoga. Yes, it was me and all three girls. So, every Saturday and every other Wednesday, we will have family yoga. I guess you can say I am grooming them into little yogis.

Of all the girls, I think CG did the best. For being just 13 months, she sure was interested and trying all of the poses/movements. MM just wanted to play and SG knows more than the basics we were doing. All in all, it was a great experience with my girls!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-05T07:56:00.002-05:00

Hello Again!

2009-08-05T07:48:00.002-05:00

I actually forgot about my blog. I have been so busy with my busy-bees and work. There is never a dull moment. Hopefully I will remember to leave a post every-now-and-again.

I was working just once or twice a month, but now I work part-time. They (my job) actually have me 2 days one week and 3 days the next. It is one thing to be a stay-at-home mom and work occasionally or to work full-time, but this part-time work and full-time mom is kicking my butt. One day I will sort it out and make it work.

Merry Christmas Elves

2008-12-06T18:22:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

It's A Girl.....Again!

2008-07-24T20:30:00.003-05:00

As you may have noticed my absence from the blogoshpere, I have been so busy being pregnant, working, and taking care of my two active busy-bees.

June 18, 2008 at 1:31 A.M., I delivered a healthy baby girl. She was 7 pounds, 2 ounces with a length of 19.5 inches. By standards, she is considered average size, but compared to my other girls, she was a tiny one.

My two oldest girls (2 and 4 years old) keep me so busy. Then you throw sleepless nights with a newborn in the mix and it makes for one exhausted mommy.

I feel bad for my family because I just don't have the energy to do much of anything. I couldn't tell you the last time I cooked vegetables with a meal. My house is a mess. What is frustrating is that once I get the house cleaned up, within minutes it is a mess again. I am to the point that I am going to quit trying.

Well, I am back. I am not sure how often I will be posting, but hopefully it won't be as long as my last hiatus. Happy blogging!

When the Bee Stings

2008-01-10T07:25:00.000-06:00

The weirdest thing happened to me yesterday. I was stung by a bee. I guess getting stung is not so weird, it is how it happened.

I was getting into my car and like usual, I sat down in my seat, but felt a sting. I don't think the bee intended on stinging me, but I sat on it and got stung. I had already put my car in reverse when this happened. When I felt the sting I jumped up and hopped out of the car. What I didn't realize was that the car was still in reverse. My car rolled down the driveway into the street with my daughter in the car. Lucky for me there were no cars passing or cars parked behind me in the street.

It was a crazy moment. Lucky for me I didn't start swelling up from the sting. I was able to carry on with my day. I did get the stinger out. It wasn't in all the way as a typical stinger would be. That's why I don't think it intended on stinging me, but I sat on it by accident.

The lesson here for me is to check my seat before sitting down.

Geaux Tigers!

2008-01-07T19:15:00.000-06:00

Today is the day. LSU vs. OSU. Actually in just a minute or so is kick off.

This city has been so crazy today. Everywhere you look, there is purple and gold. I was listening to the radio and they were playing the LSU fight song. Now, there have been many bowl games in New Orleans with LSU, but not quite like this one.

This is all the people have been talking about. Today was the first day back at school for most children from the winter break. I felt really badly because I forgot it was purple and gold day. My daughter could have worn an LSU t-shirt with blue jeans. She was one of maybe 5 students with her school uniform today. The school next door to her school was supposed to start back today, but I didn't see anyone. At least no students. Our babysister said here school will resume tomorrow because so many teachers were not going to show up. Therefore the school declared today a teacher enrichment day with no classes.

My daughter knows nothing about football and certainly nothing about LSU. Well, when I picked her up from school she said she wanted to go to the LSU park. As I am putting her to bed she is saying "go Tigers". It is amazing what children learn. She is only 3.

This morning my father dropped his car off downtown close to the Superdome. He and my mother are going to the game. Are you ready for how they go their tickets? First I will say they were free. A friend of theirs payed $1300 for each ticket. That is $2600. She could not get a flight down here so she offered them to my parents. Back to dropping the car off. My dad figured it would be hectic getting to the Superdome so he dropped his car off, took the streetcar to the end of the line on Canal Street and I picked him up. I was going to drop them off at the same place, but we realized there was no traffic. I drove all the way to the Superdome and parked right next to his car and tailgated with them and their fellow tailgaters.
I do have a feeling that downtown New Orleans shut down early today.

There were so many people out there. Parked thank goodness. I am just amazed that it took me no time to get downtown and back home. There was no traffic. I guess everyone decided to get down there early. It looked like a lot of people had been there since very early today by the stumbling.

I am not a big football fan, but I will watch this game.

Geauxxxxxxxxxxx Tigers!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T09:46:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year to all! I hope this is the best year yet. Are you going to make any new year's resolutions? I decided not to this year. I will just focus on living a nice quiet, simple and productive life.

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-24T18:26:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone is having a very merry holiday season.

Seasons Greetings from our little snow angels.

Our Fifth Wedding Anniversary

2007-12-04T05:53:00.000-06:00

November 30, 2007 we celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary. Actually, we celebrated the whole weekend. This year we decided to celebrate in style without children. It was realized that we have never been away from the kids as a couple more than a few of hours during the day due to work.

FG has been out of town away from the kids several times, but never away from the kids with me. I actually went out of town for a wedding with my mom 3 weeks ago without the girls. FG stayed home with them in order for me to have my first weekend alone. It was nice, but I was ready to get back home to them.

Here's how our anniversary weekend started. Friday night, we went to the ballet. We saw the production of the dance company Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Quite frankly, I hated it. The first act was horrible. I fell asleep during the first act and intermission. The second act was certainly a lot better. It held my interest better, but not FG's. He fell asleep this time. When Act Three came around, we decided to leave. I spent 15 years of my life dancing. Be it that I am no expert in dance, but some of the moves just didn't seem normal and certainly not graceful. I guess I am more of a traditionalists when it comes to dance. Surprisingly, FG is the one that wanted to go to the ballet. I wanted to go to the symphony to see the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. But, as you know, marriage is about compromise.

Saturday morning we did spend some time with the girls. In fact, we had breakfast with Santa at Zea's Restaurant at the Esplanade Mall. It was fun, but a bit unorganized. They kind of forgot about us and we had to track down Santa and Mrs. C in order to take pictures.

Two o'clock was the time. The time for us to say have a good weekend kids with your grandparents. We were off to downtown New Orleans to the W Hotel New Orleans on Poydras Street. You would think we were taking some long trip away from the girls far far away, but it was just a ten minute drive from home. It was just what I needed!

First of all, I just hung out in the hotel room. I did nothing for about 15 minutes. Then I decided to do something I rarely get to do...take a bath without being interrupted. It was very nice. They had Bliss skincare products which were very nice and my skin appreciated them.

Next, we got ready for our dinner reservations at 6:00 PM. They were for Cafe Adelaide across the street at the Lowes Hotel. Our location was fantastic. The restaurant was across the street. Harrah's Casino was next door. Well, back to dinner. Being that the restaurant is part of the Brennan's family empire, service was excellent. The food was good, but I was very limited since I don't eat beef or pork. Of course, they had their namesake turtle soup and duck. FG got both of them. I got squash soup which was good, but too sweet for me. Next I had the shrimp remoulade. I think this was my favorite part of my meal. My entree was tuna. It was just fine, but not the excellence I was expecting. We decided to skip dessert since we were going to a party. I guess I have become a food snob over the years. That's what happens when you live in a city where food is such an important part of the culture. It is the culture.

Our next stop was next door at Miracle on Fulton Street. It is part of the Harrah's Casino Hotel. It was quite lovely. There was a band that played, Santa was there, and the icing on the cake was snow! Well, it is the closest thing we will get to snow here in southeast Louisiana. The street was very enchanting. I wish I had the girls with me because they would have had so much fun. But, it was an excellent experience with just FG and me.

Our final stop for the night was a party at the Elms Mansion on St. Charles Avenue. Lucky for us, it was a very mild evening and we were able to enjoy the grounds of the mansion. I held out on dessert at the restaurant because I figured we would have some at the party. We left 30 minutes before the party ended and still no dessert. I was so disappointed. Otherwise, we had a very nice time at the party. It was just lovely.

Now, back to the hotel. Did I happen to mention the incredible service we had at the W? There was a gentleman that goes by the name "Doc". He is the epitome of customer service. He is the man! If you need anything, I mean anything, he is the go-to man. Part of the unexpected service we got was a message from the staff wishing us a Happy Anniversary, a half dozen chocolate covered strawberries delivered to our room after about an hour of our arrival. In the morning, a chocolate mousse dessert was delivered to our room with Happy Anniversary on the chocolate. They really paid attention to the details. I certainly felt special. One detail we both noticed was in the elevators. They had rugs that said "Good Morning", "Good Afternoon", and "Good Evening" which were changed according to time of day.

Well, that was our weekend without children. we certainly did enjoy it. I don't know why it took us that long to do it. I am ready for a child free weekend or night again!

Road to Spirituality

2007-11-14T10:01:00.000-06:00

Maybe it is because of the realization that I am pregnant with my third child, but I am searching for my spirituality. I have been on this search for quite some time, but have not had any luck. I think now that the newest member of our family will be arriving in about 7 months, I am really trying to complete projects and fill this spirituality void I have been having.

First of all, I decided I needed to learn how to pray. This I felt was my start to finding lost spirituality. I did consult a few people on how one learns this art, but I never followed through. The main person I depended on in this matter finally contacted me last night. I am a bit disappointed and felt like he copped out, but he did guide me to someone that I really think can help.

This person I am talking about is the priest at our church. Since we are in this new age of technology, I decided to email him. I did tell him I had something that concerned me and wanted to talk and we decided email would be best for both of us. This is usually the best form of communication for me because I can do it when the kids are asleep and I can focus. I really gathered my thoughts well and spoke how I felt with my present spirituality and religion. I am not one to make my feelings known too often, so this was really a break through for me. I sent this email on October 14, 2007. Well, November 11, 2007 comes around and no response from my priest. I resent the email, but changed the subject and added a few statements at the beginning of the email. I saw him at church on Sunday, but didn't say anything.

On Monday, I decided to call him. I didn't get him, so I left a message. Finally, Tuesday night he called. I guess I wouldn't have been so bothered had he just sent a quick email response saying I got your email, but I am busy and will get back to you later. Of course when he calls, I am sleeping and in a fog during most of our conversation. I am sorry to say that as a priest, I thought he would be more helpful and give me more insight.

The good thing that I did take from our foggy conversation was that our Archdiocese has a department called the Archdiocese Spirituality Center. This really excites me! I called today to set up an appointment with a spirituality director. I never knew there was such a thing. This person will help guide me on my journey to finding my spirituality and learning how to pray.

The lady I spoke with asked me, "who would you like?" Of course, I don't know anyone so she said a man, lady, priest, nun, layperson, young, old. So, I told her about me, my age, my family, and my expectations. Her reply was, "I have the perfect person for you." This sounds really encouraging. This 3 minute conversation was certainly more stimulating than the 35 minute conversation with my priest.

I am now waiting impatiently to hear from my spirituality director. I am hoping this is just what I need on my road to spirituality.

Surprise!

2007-11-08T06:35:00.000-06:00

Well, for those of you that don't know.....I am pregnant.....again. This makes baby #3. The funny thing is that it was planned. I knew when "it" happened that I would be pregnant. Although, I am still freaking out a bit. I am 37 years old pregnant with my third child. I will have 3 children 3 years old and under. I think I am either 7 or 8 weeks along. Normally, I would keep it quiet until after the 1st trimester, but I am already "showing". It is too hard to hide. And I am tired of making excuses to why I am sick all of the time. Surprisingly, I already had an ultrasound at 6 weeks.

I realize I have not been blogging and for that matter on the web. I have been so nauseated and just feeling bad. I used to be on the web before the kids woke up and after they went to bed, but not anymore. I now find myself curled up in a ball until after the kids awake and go to bed soon after they go to sleep. Sometimes as early as 8 o'clock. I don't remember being this tired. It isn't just being tired, I feel completely exhausted.

Am I old? Is this why I am feeling like crap? I know, I am too old to be having babies while I still have 2 toddlers. So, of course I am considered high risk. Not only because of my age, but because of my 2 previous c-sections.

This is a topic that really frustrates me and quite frankly angers me. My first child was breech, so it was a medically necessary c-section. The next delivery should have been natural, but my doctor convinced me the baby was growing so fast that they needed to do a c-section. In hind sight, I realize neither my health nor my baby's health were in jeopardy. This one was not medically necessary. What I do know is that doctors hate having to stay in the hospital the whole time while a mom tries to labor for a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section). It is no longer about what a patient wants. It is about what is more convenient for the doctor. They are the ones getting paid for their services. I don't understand why they cannot go through with a patient's wishes. I am a nurse and understand the medical standpoint, but I had no health risk factors that would prevent me. I do realize there is a place for everything. I do know that if it is a risk for the baby or mother's safety then, so be it, a c-section is necessary.

I have made birth plans, but never really made light of them to my doctor. I feel like this time I should and stick to it. When I went in for my appointment last week, she immediately said, "you know you will be having a c-section, right?" And I said, No, I won't unless it is truly medically necessary. I told her don't be surprised if I don't show up for my scheduled c-section. I will labor at home and and go in when the time is ready. Of course, if there are any complications, I will change the plan, but I feel like it should be my plan.

I just feel so cheated that I didn't experience labor for either birth. Not even one labor pain. It is a "Rite of Passage" that I was not given the opportunity. I really want it, unless it will bring harm to the baby. I think the closest to labor I felt was during my true first pregnancy when I was miscarrying. (Don't send pity over this, I am over it.) So in actuality, this is my 4th pregnancy. I try to forget about the 1st one.

So, my goal is to have a natural vaginal childbirth after 2 c-sections. My doctor thinks I am nuts, but this is my will. I am scouring the New Orleans area to find a new doctor that will work with me, but it seems that all the doctors that would have, have fled the area since Katrina. If you know of someone, please let me know (leave a comment or email me).

My attempt at being crafty

2007-10-29T06:35:00.000-05:00

I was inspired by Artsy-Crafty Babe to try the art of paper mache. Now, you have to realize I have not done this since 5th grade. I really thought I did it since then, but no. I did a recount in my head and the last time was about 27 years ago.
I guess I could have looked up the proper proportions of glue to water, but I didn't. We winged it. Getting the balloon covered with the newspaper and glue mixture wasn't so bad. SG got a bit messy and had glue all in her hair. I really thought I would have to cut her hair, but luckily it washed out fairly easily.

It seemed like it took forever to dry. I left the paper mache balloons outside to dry and it took about 3 days. In addition to it being windy outside, the balloons ended up in the pool. I think this project was not really meant to be. I fished them out of the pool and finally I put them in the garage for safe keeping. One of the balloons popped and the shape disintegrated.

We carried on with the project despite our setbacks. Now it is time to paint. We painted them orange to resemble pumpkins. The paint just didn't work. It was not opaque enough. I then conceded and called this project a flop.

Next time, I will look up a recipe for the paper mache to get the proportions just right and get the best paint for the job.

To Surgery We Go

2007-10-25T06:55:00.000-05:00

Wednesday was surgery day for MM. I was fine until about an hour before we had to leave for the hospital. I had to put on one load of laundry and had to start the dishwasher before we left. Lucky for me, MM was napping. It was as though my brain was in overdrive. This was my defense mechanism. In order for me to keep my mind off my 15 month old baby having surgery, I kept myself busy.

Fifteen minutes before leaving home, I decided I had to wash my hair. Now, you know I had all morning to do this, but for some reason there was some trigger that went off that insisted I needed to shower and wash my hair in the 15 minutes before we had to leave. Not only did I need to do this, but I needed to blow dry my hair, get dressed, apply some make-up, wake up the baby from her nap, dress her, and get some juice packed up. Oh, I cannot forget that I timed it just right that the clothes would be finished in the washer just before leaving. I had to put them in the dryer. I also timed the dishwasher just so I would be able to get MM's favorite sippy cup for our journey. Surprisingly, I did all of this in 15 minutes. I got to the hospital with 2 minutes to spare.

Here's MM at the hospital waiting in the pre-op area. She could not sit still. Luckily we were one of the last ones in there waiting for surgery. She certainly kept the staff entertained.
This was her after a dose of Versed. Strangely, she stayed in my lap until I walked her over to the surgery suite. She certainly liked the Versed. Notice the syringe in her right hand. She wouldn't let it go. She was feeling good.
Off she went for surgery and off I went to the land of neurosis again. I just could not sit still. I couldn't stop talking. I had to walk. I walked over to CCU to say hello to my friends and work colleagues. I really think they thought I was the one drugged.

Once I got back to the surgery area, the doctor came to talk to us to say the surgery went well. Whew! What a relief. Even though they say minor surgery, it is still major surgery in a mom's brain. When you medicate my child to sedate her. Then you anesthetize her, put a breathing tube down her throat, start 2 IVs, and medicate her more with Fentanyl, I would call this major surgery.

The anesthesiologist came out to talk to us and then the nurse. Finally, I get to see my baby. But, the problem is that she is screaming and won't stop crying. She has IV fluids infusing to her foot and is hooked up to the oxygen saturation monitor. Her vitals are within normal limits except her heart rate is elevated. As a nurse, I know this is generally due to pain. I finally convinced her nurse to give her some acetaminophen. MM kept arching back and getting stiff. JoJo the clown could have stayed home because MM had no interest in her. Once she got the medication, I continued to rock her and started singing BaBa Black Sheep. Somehow, my singing helped soothe her. I tried other songs, but this was the one. So, Tylenol, singing and flatulence made my baby happy again. It was so good to see a slight resemblance of a smile on her face.

Off to the house we go. Now, at this point I am completely exhausted. I felt like I had been up for 2 days straight and non-stop on the go. I was so happy to get home. I was so happy that the surgery was over and my baby was fine. The only trace of surgery is the swelling of her left eye. You would never know she had a tube inserted from the eye and into the nose.

Here's MM waiting to get get home. I thought to get a picture of her post-op, but I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and didn't remember until we got her in the car.

What a day! I am glad it is over and all went well.

Crazy Eights

2007-10-22T12:08:00.000-05:00

I have been tagged for a meme. This is a first for me! At first I was going to just do it real quickly, but I decided to actually put some thought into it and use it as a learning tool into my deeper self that I rarely tap into.

So, here's to you Sheila at My Memories. Thanks for tagging me and making me look a bit deeper into myself than I would normally allow others to go.

Here's the Crazy Eights Meme:

Things I am passionate about:
1. Hand writing thank you notes and good manners
2. Having fun in life
3. Reading to my children
4. Stimulating my brain by doing puzzles, reading, computer games
5. My family
6. Dancing and listening to music
7. Learning
8. Health: being healthy, staying healthy, advocating a healthy lifestyle

Books I’ve read recently (or am currently reading):
1. Ines of My Soul: A Novel by Isabel Allende
2. Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner
3. Smart Discipline by Larry J. Koenig,, PhD
4. The Making of A Happy Family by Larry J. Koenig,, PhD
5. The Dirty Girls Social Club by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
6. Pocket Parent
7. Secrets of Longevity: Hundreds of Ways to Live to be 100 by Dr. Maoshing Ni
8. The Hidden Manual: Mac OS X

Things I say often:
1. Little Miss
2. One, two, and if I get to number three
3. Good golly
4. Oh my gosh
5. What do You think?
6. My oh my
7. You tell me why
8. Please and Thank you

Things I want to do before I die:
1. Instill in my children the values I feel are important
2. Be able to have a conversation in Spanish with my husband
3. To visit a foreign country and communicate in their language (not English, of course)
4. Visit Hong Kong to fulfill my grandmother’s last trip planned before she died
5. To teach my children all of the necessary lessons needed to be respectful and productive human beings
6. To teach my children to be passionate about life
7. To dance: I love to dance and think it should be part of my daily life
8. Have one last dance with my husband

What attracts me to my friends:
1. A little bit off like me
2. March to the beat of their own drum
3. A passion for life
4. A certain spirit about them
5. Honesty
6. Good values
7. Listening even when I am making no sense
8. Common ideas of life

Things I learned last year:
1. Sometimes you just need to let it go
2. Choose your battles with your children
3. My children are a lot more like me than I realized
4. My girls also have a great love to dance
5. I can order everything I need from Sam’s online. They will do all the shopping, and I just have to go there to pay for it and pick it up
6. No recycling means tons of waste
7. Hardships can make you stronger
8. Downsizing all of my possessions (due to natural disaster) has been a really good thing

Songs I can listen to over and over:
1. Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Saint Etienne)
2. Diamond Girl (TKA)
3. Never There (Cake)
4. Amargo Adios [Version Tequila] (Inspector/Mariachi “Los Reyes de Guadalajara”)
5. Rompecabezas (Aterciopelados)
6. Cuts You Up (Peter Murphy)
7. Good Times Roll (The Cars)
8. Rush (Aly & AJ)

Doin' the Haus

2007-10-21T10:56:00.000-05:00

Deutsches Haus that is! Saturday night we celebrated Oktoberfest 2007 at the Deutsches Haus. I have been here to celebrate Oktoberfest many times, but this was the first time with children. And I must say, I had the most fun this year because of the kids.

I did the chicken dance and didn't actually feel silly.
To make it even more fun, I danced with the Deutsches Haus Chicken. The girls were having so much fun. They danced and danced and danced and danced.
Notice the hair in motion!
I took still pictures and realized my camera takes video. Ding-dong! I got some really great footage of the girls gone wild "G" version.

While we were there, I learned some new information about my heritage. I always thought I was just a smidgen German, but now I learn I am more German than my other cultures. Well, I am not in the thinking kind of mode, so I am not going to try to figure out the percentage. Here goes, here's my ancestral heritage:
Maternal grandmother: 100% Italian
Maternal grandfather: 50% French, 50% Spanish
Paternal grandmother: 100% German
Paternal grandfather: 50% French, 50% German

So what am I? Heinz 57? So, my children have this plus an addition of 100% Nicaraguan from their father.

Since this celebration last night, I got curious. Curious as to why they celebrate for 4 weeks and why they celebrate this at all. So, here's the answer.

History of Oktoberfest

The Oktoberfest tradition started in 1810 to celebrate the October 12th marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to the Saxon-Hildburghausen Princess Therese. The citizens of Munich were invited to join in the festivities which were held over five days on the fields in front of the city gates. The main event of the original Oktoberfest was a horse race.

Anniversary celebrations were held annually thereafter that eventually became larger and more elaborate. An agricultural show was added during the second year. In 1818, a carousel and two swings were set up for the revelers. Such amusements were few in the first decades of the festival, but party-goers were amply entertained by the tree climbing competitions, wheel barrow and sack races, mush eating contests, barrel rolling races, and goose chases. By 1870s, mechanical rides were an expanding feature of the festival and in 1908, the festival boasted Germany's first roller coaster. When the city began allowing beer on the fairgrounds, makeshift beer stands began cropping up, and their number increased steadily until they were eventually replaced by beer halls in 1896. The beer halls, like the beer tents of today, were sponsored by the local breweries.

The festival was eventually prolonged and moved ahead to September to allow for better weather conditions. Today, the last day of the festival is the first Sunday in October. In 2006, the Oktoberfest extended two extra days because the first Tuesday, October 3, was a national holiday. Over the past 200 years, Oktoberfest was canceled 24 times due to cholera epidemics and war. (Taken from http://www.vistawide.com/german/oktoberfest/oktoberfest.htm).

I have very fond memories of the 1984 Louisiana World's Fair Exposition in New Orleans. There was an exhibit called the German Beer Garden. This was my first experience with beer and Oktoberfest. This Oktoberfest extended from May 12 through November 11, 1984; A bit longer than the typical fest. Oh, those were the days.

To add to the history, Deutsches Haus has been around New Orleans since 1928 in the same spot at 200 S Galvez Street. It is in danger of being demolished to make way for the new LSU and VA Medical Centers. There is a petition to save the Haus.

Pop Go the Measles

2007-10-16T22:02:00.000-05:00

Have any of your children contracted the measles? Our youngest developed the measles, but it really isn't the measles. Do you get that?

Okay, here's how the story goes. On October 3, 2007 my daughter went in for her 15 month checkup. Part of the routine visit was for her to get an MMR vaccination. Just as a refresher, MMR is for measles, mumps, and rubella. She got her shot, cried and life carried on.

Saturday night, October 13 we were getting ready for my mother's birthday dinner celebration when we noticed a generalized, yet very mild and minimal rash. I just assumed it was from a new clothes detergent I tried. You know how sensitive and delicate baby skin can be. I noticed a few more spots before we put her to bed, so I gave her some Benadryl.
This is what she looked like the next morning. In just about 12 hours of sleep her body went from a few spots to what you see in this picture. Hello! This looks like measles. I called the on-call doctor and that asked is she was in any respiratory distress. Of course she wasn't, only spotted red. She said to continue with what I have done by giving her Benadryl and Tylenol or Ibuprofen. Believe it or not, but this picture actually looks good compared to what she looks like today.

Monday, we called the pediatrician's office so he could see her. Finally we got an appointment. It was a bad side effect of the MMR vaccination. Generally, a reaction occurs 7 - 12 days after the injection. Her reaction time was 10 days. Our pediatrician stated he has seen mild "bumps", but never like hers. Luckily she never experienced any other true effects of measles such as a runny nose, eyes, or mouth, and fever. We emailed pictures to her doctor so he can document it.

Now, to add insult to injury, the poor doll has to have eye surgery tomorrow. Not only is she going to be itchy from the darn pseudo measles rash, she is going to have a tube placed from her eye through her nose.

Things I do to Help the Environment

2007-10-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

First of all I want to say that I live in a post-Katrina area and recycling is almost nonexistent. I am able to bring newspaper to our local school for recycling. Parish (county) curbside recycling has been unheard of. Recently, I heard about a private company that does curbside recycling. When I got wind of this, I jumped at the chance to be a part of it. Friday, I had my official second curbside recycling day. I felt so great about doing this.

Thank you to Phoenix Recycling in New Orleans, LA for allowing me to do this. Because of this, our weekly trash has decreased to about half. I do pay for this service, but the price makes no difference to me. With our previous parish curbside recycling, we paid through our water bill. I have talked to several of my neighbors about this and their reply was, “you actually pay for that?” What they don’t realize is that they paid for it before. The difference was that is was part of the monthly water bill and they just didn’t know it. As of right now, I am the only one on my block that has curbside recycling. I really hope this changes.

Now on to the other things I do to help the environment. I don’t feel like I do too much, but I guess every little thing helps.

Things I do to help the environment:
1. I try to use towels and cloth napkins instead of paper towels and napkins.
2. I try to avoid hitting the “print” button on the computer as often as I used to.
3. I am not much of a TV watcher, but I turn it off if the kids have it on and they are nowhere to be found.
4. I turn the lights out when I am finished. I am constantly going behind everyone in the house turning lights out.
5. I don’t drink coffee, by my husband fills his coffee mug with a lid before he leaves home and uses it at his office instead of using the disposable cups.
6. I have been replacing our regular light bulbs one at a time with CFC light bulbs.
7. I try to avoid using foil and plastic wrap and use glass or plastic ware instead.
8. I maintain the proper air pressure in my car’s tires.
9. I clean up after my family and me when we go out and about and do find myself picking up after strangers, too.
10. I try to explain to my 3 year old about recycling. I think she does understand because she remembers what does not go in the trash.
11. We reuse printed paper usually by giving it to the girls to cut, paste, and draw on.
12. We installed low-flow toilets.
13. We avoid fast food meals. I cook about 95% of all of our meals.
14. We change our A/C filter routinely.
15. Most of my laundry is done in cold water with the exception of a few loads that are washed in warm, not hot.
16. I try to purchase local grocery items such as fruits and veggies.
17. I recycle as much as I can.
18. When we refurnished our house, I bought appliances that were energy star efficient.
19. Our new A/C system is 16 SEERS and is energy star rated. We use a programmable thermostat.
20. Our lawn and garden is watered early in the morning.
21. We have oak trees in front our house.
22. I unplug appliances when not in use.
23. I try to remember to unload my car of any excess weight routinely.
24. I plan on buying a bike before the end of the year and actually using it.
25. We use filtered water from the refrigerator instead of buying bottled water.
26. I use recycled shopping bags when I go grocery shopping and other miscellaneous shopping. My daughter likes to remind me, “Mommy, don’t forget the bags in the car.”
27. I have been mending our clothes and items instead of getting rid of them.
28. I buy toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, cereal, dish soap, soap, toothpaste, dental floss, diapers and other things in bulk. I also remember to recycle the packaging.
29. I find myself buying and using more durable goods than disposable. For parties, we use all of the plates, glasses, cloth napkins, and other items we have instead of buying plastic and throwaway items.
30. I use my crock-pot at least once or twice a week (sometimes more during the winter) which in turn, I use the oven less.
31. I have joined Bog Action Day.

My Little Sleeping Beauty

2007-10-10T10:15:00.000-05:00

Well, as the story goes.... my little sweat pea MM never has a problem with going down for a nap or bedtime. Then one out-of-the-ordinary day, she doesn't want to nap or sleep. What happened to my perfect little sleeper?

Yesterday, I put her down for her afternoon nap around 1:30 PM and I thought she was asleep (while I was working in the office). My mother and SG came inside and got her at 2:10 PM. Wait a second here. She was supposed to be sleeping! But, she wasn't. She was laughing and playing in her crib.

I get over the fact that she didn't take a real nap that afternoon. But, around 4:30 PM she was getting really goofy and giddy. This was my clue of how tired she was. She was out within seconds of me putting her down in her crib.

Around 6:00 PM we were getting ready for dinner. I thought I heard her up and had FG go get her. To my surprise, she was still sleeping. This child doesn't miss meals. She slept through dinner. I figured she would wake up at some point before my bedtime. Nope! She stayed asleep.

This morning, I got up around 6:45 AM. She was still sleeping. Before I got out of bed, I actually panicked that she was still asleep from 4:30 PM the afternoon before. I jumped out of bed and dashed in her room. She was still breathing...whew! As I am watching her sleep on her belly all stretched out I realize how big she got. I think she was having a major growth spurt and needed a bit of extra sleep. She now extends 3/4 the length of the crib. This is the baby who is growing up so fast.

Finally, she woke at 8:30 AM! MM slept for 16 hours. I think this is record breaking sleep for my children. I am glad she got the sleep she needed, but she sure did have me worried for a moment.

Stop! No, Go!

2007-10-08T23:09:00.000-05:00

Okay, so what is it? When you come to a yellow light, do you stop and wait for the light to turn red or do you accelerate and hope it doesn't turn red?

This is the question I have been pondering. Two weeks ago I was stopped by a state trooper because I went when the light was yellow with anticipation that the light would remain yellow. Obviously, that was not the case. It turned red. As it happened, I was feeling dread. Phrases I verbalized were, "I cannot believe I did that. The light turned red. I BROKE the law." To make it fair, it was a double light system. I had to get through two sets of lights on 1 yellow light. Once I crossed and made my u-turn, I knew I broke the law. Bright swirling lights were headed my way.

The way this happened was...a night out on the town. We hired a babysitter and went to a wedding. The wedding was getting lame so we decided to go OUT on the town to Harrah's Casino. My traffic violation occurred on Canal Street at Decatur Street, across the way from my destination, Harrah's. This is probably a routine stop for the police.

I got out the car. I must vouch for myself and say I was nicely dressed. No alcohol in my system. No signs of drug use. And I am not of the young set. I felt like all of these things gave me an advantage with the state trooper. He asked me where I was going and coming from. We joked about never going out and the one time I do, look at my predicament. He checked my drivers license and ran my license tag. All were clear and he gave me the go-ahead to continue my evening.

So here I am back to my dilemma. Do you stop or go at a yellow light? The officer said always stop at a yellow light. Sure, but the car going 45 mph behind me doesn't think so. If you are approaching the yellow light, sure I will stop. But, if I am right at the light and it changes yellow, I feel as though I should just punch it and go.

Since this night, I found myself in this situation often. I have jammed on my brakes with a yellow light and thought I would have everything from the back of the car including children up front with me. I just don't know. I guess each yellow light will be a unique experience and will have to be dealt with as it arrives.

If the Cup Fits

2007-10-04T08:09:00.000-05:00

My mother has breast cancer, well survived it. The problem she has is no bra fits her. Her left breast is about one size larger than the right. (She would have a fit if she knew I was writing this.)

I have been encouraging her to buy a new full support bra so she doesn't hang out. She tends to "hang out" often because she goes with a bra to fit the smaller breast cup.

Yesterday I decided to go bra shopping for her, but it hit me that no bras in the stores will fit her. How often do you go shopping and find a bra with one C cup and a D cup? Right, I know!

When I saw her, I mentioned this to her and suggested she go to a shop that specializes in special bras for cancer survivors. Her reply was, "why would I do that?" Hello mother, you spent over a year in treatment for breast cancer. I think she may still be in denial. Or that she may think people are going to feel sorry for her if she goes to a place like this.

I never really thought about this, but I guess she could have reconstructive surgery on her breast. Maybe I will mention this to her.

But, in the meantime, I need to help her get a bra that fits properly. I cannot let her go out in public with one breast hanging out the top, bottom, and side of her bra.

33 uses for an old toothbrush

2007-09-28T11:59:00.000-05:00

Here's recycling/reusing at its best.

33 uses for old toothbrushes:
1. ring cleaner
2. eyebrow shaper brush
3. jewelry cleaner
4. nail brush
5. carpet cleaner
6. shoe cleaner
7. comb and brush cleaner
8. tile grout cleaner
9. cleaning small grooves in the car
10. remove stains out of fabric
11. cleaning around sinks
12. cleaning around the toilet
13. cleaning around faucets
14. garlic press cleaner
15. scrubbing the part of coffee pot where coffee is dispensed
16. dusting the lint catch in the dryer
17. dusting the lint catch of hair dryer
18. cleaning between fork tines
19. cleaning dog poop from shoe soles
20. cleaning sliding door encasement
21. cleaning computer keyboard
22. cleaning inside of bottles
23. make a toothbrush bracelet
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_occasions/article/0,,HGTV_3268_1382191,00.html
24. clean shower tracks
25. clean can opener blades
26. brush your cheese grater
27. clean silk from ears of corn
28. waffle iron cleaner
29. hair dye applicator
30. clean gunk from appliances
31. clean telephone receiver
32. clean light switches
33. clean corners and seams

Sweet Jesus!

2007-09-24T10:22:00.000-05:00

We decided to go to church Saturday afternoon at 4:00 PM instead of Sunday morning. The girls sometimes get very active and irritable and antsy during Sunday morning mass. That's why we opted to try it out on Saturday afternoon.

Big mistake! These girls were so wild. I didn't take into account that they didn't eat before we went. Neither one would sit still. This isn't surprising, but please sit for at least one to two minutes at a time.

MM wanted to walk. So, I walked with her down the side aisle. She wouldn't let me hold her hand so she would drop to the floor and have a tantrum. She has never done this before. Why does she have to do it now in church? Not only did she do this once or twice, but about 10 times in the one hour of mass. I decided to walk the girls to the back of the church in the candle and statue area. This was fine until I hear Kaplunk!

Guess what happened? One or both of them were playing with the last supper statue and dropped it. Jesus' head broke off. Of all the statues for them to break, it was this one.

At the end of mass, FG and I felt obligated to tell Fr. Ian. He was so fine with it. He just requested that we glue Jesus' head back on and return it. I was quite relieved that he was so nonchalant about it. Not that I was expecting him to be angry, but not so laid back about it either. So, the deal is that SG has to help me put Jesus' head back on.

Now on to another mess the girls made. I was in the laundry room ironing. I figured something had to happen because I don't iron very often. I hear SG say, "Mom, we made a big, giant, huge mess." I see tiny white foot prints all over the floor. I follow it and there it is. The girls got into 2 containers of powder. Powder is everywhere. Luckily it is mainly contained in the my bathroom.

I wanted so badly to be strong and angry, but I busted out laughing. It was the funniest thing. A fine thin layer of powder was everywhere throughout the house. I am still cleaning powder. It looked like it snowed in there. The girls were covered in powder snow. I think my favorite part was the tiny white feet prints everywhere there was wood flooring.

As you can see from the picture, they put a towel and my dress down to clean up before I got in there. It made it worse. Mischief at its best!

Reusable Bags Help us to Go Green

2007-09-19T14:06:00.000-05:00

Like many people I know, I feel bad about all the plastic bags brought home from the grocery and every other store. I have been looking into purchasing some reusable bags, trying to decide what size and how many I would need.

Help could be on the way. Amy at Crunchy Domestic Goddess is giving away reusable bags. " Reusable Bags has offered up two of their best-selling reusable bags to one lucky winner :
the Workhorse Style 1500
and the Lightweight Recycled Cotton Tote with Dual Handles, both made by ACME Bags."

Hop on over to Crunchy Domestic Goddess and enter!

The Bird Watcher

2007-09-19T06:52:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I was trying to find something to do with SG outside. I asked her what she wanted to do. I heard a shocking reply. She said she wanted to bird watch. This is so out of character for her. How often do you hear from a three year old, "I want to bird watch."? She certainly took me by surprise.

So, that's what we did. The great part was that the weather was exceptional Tuesday. It was in the low 70s with a cool breeze. We pulled out chairs in the backyard and bird watched. We have a bird nest under our carport with doves. Though, they weren't too exciting. Over on our neighbor's tree, there were two birds that were having a grand ole' time. These were the birds we were watching. I guess I need to get a book out and learn about the birds in our area since my daughter likes to "bird watch".

They were chasing after one another, flying around the tree, singing and chirping, and hanging out on the fence. I am still amazed that SG sat quietly and patiently for at least 45 minutes. She truly enjoyed watching. She did say she was relaxing. Wow! New vocabulary.

I guess next time I am looking for something to occupy her time, I will suggest bird watching.

Befores and Afters

2007-09-17T10:11:00.000-05:00

Lately, I have been doing a lot of reorganizing. I save all the cleaning for my husband. I'll spend a couple of hours reorganizing a cabinet or drawer. He comes home and asks "what have you been up to all day?". I will say cleaning drawers and cabinets. He says "all day?". Yep!

So, to document my latest tasks, I have pictures to prove what I have been up to. I am sorry to say I don't always remember to take the before picture, though. I think it is just a case of "mom brain" being forgetful. Hey, at least I remember the important things.

First is my little sweatpea's room. It has been so bland and boring. I decided to jazz it up a bit.

She now has a garden.

Okay, now this was a big project. I didn't realize how disorderly one tiny room can get. I think it was a case of embarrassment when I thought to take a before picture. This picture is so much better looking. I guess to most people this still looks a mess, but hey, I can see the tabletop and walk without tripping on anything. As you can see, I organized my crafting/wrapping paper area. I can actually use the table to wrap gifts.

This has been a work in progress. I had been meaning to get my hair cut for the last 6 months. I have been wearing my typical "mom" hair-do, pinned up or in a pony-tail.

Next is the mad-crazy-I-can't-do-anything-with-this-hair look.

Finally, a hip-mom hair cut. Lots of layers and up with the latest hair trend.

Order in the House

2007-09-12T08:34:00.000-05:00

This morning I woke up early as I always do since school started. But today was different. Instead of going directly to the computer and spending about 45 minutes online, I actually did some housework. I have accomplished so much this morning. (Okay, I have to admit it is a habit I need to break, but I did go straight to the computer but only for about 10 minutes).

Today is a busy day. I guess things happen much more quickly when under pressure. I have three appointments lined up today. At 9:30 AM the A/C repairman will be here to replace the leaking coils in my less-than-a-year-old A/C. 12:30 PM is when the pest control technician will be here and the famous window time frame of 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM is reserved for the annual termite renewal inspection.

The house has been picked up and cleaned the quickest in a long time. I have just been tired and not feeling like picking up. I cannot tell you how many times a day I pickup after the kids. The good thing is that SG is getting older and I am teaching her about responsibility. Therefore, she is learning to pickup after herself. So, it doesn't happen as often as I would like, but this is a start to the learning process.

I don't like to complain, but...

2007-09-11T16:18:00.001-05:00

Okay, so we were at church on Sunday and there was so much that bothered me. First of all, I am a firm believer in dressing appropriately for church. I guess that's why people refer to the term "Sunday clothes" or "church clothes" when they are referring to nicer duds. I have been seeing too many people wearing clothes that look like they strolled in right from the night club. I am talking tight knit cotton jersey; chest bearing, cleavage showing stretchy camisoles; pants so low you can see their butt crack and hip bones. Come on! Where is your dignity?

Pet peeve number two is noises that should be avoided. This is why we have vibrate mode on cell phones. A couple of cell phones went off during the quite moments in mass. These weren't your typical ring-ring. These were loud obnoxious songs certainly not appropriate for church.

Next is the toy that the mom allows her child to bring in church. I am not sure about other mom's, but I bring quiet toys such as colors, coloring books, books, etc. This child was playing with a talking doll. Come on now! Have a bit of sense. If anything it is for the common good of the congregation.

I know, I am being a bit rough, but these are things of common courtesy. People have forgotten about manners and respect for other people.

I like to move it, move it

2007-08-28T08:11:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the girls and I went to Target for some shopping. It was just a typical shopping adventure except, SG started to sing. She will remember the catchy phrases of a song and just sing it repeatedly.

We watched the movie Madagascar recently. She absolutely loved the song that goes, "I like to move it, move it. I like to groove it, groove it." The only problem is that she leaves out some of the words.

Now, to continue my Target story. We were shopping along and we were singing the song together. Then she was singing on her own. We were going down an aisle with several people and baskets. The women were looking at me with looks of awe and offense. At first I really had no idea why.

Then it clicked. SG wasn't singing the whole phrase from the song, just bits and pieces. She was just singing "move it, move it" repeatedly. This is why I was getting the one eyed stares. If the people only knew she was only singing a harmless little song. They probably thought she was being rude and asking them to , well move. Oh well, I am sure I won't see any of those people again.

"I like to move it, move it. I like to groove it, groove it."

How well traveled are you?

2007-08-18T10:21:00.000-05:00

Your Travel Profile:

You Are Extremely Well Traveled in the Southern United States (85%)
You Are Very Well Traveled in the Midwestern United States (75%)
You Are Well Traveled in the Northeastern United States (57%)
You Are Well Traveled in the Western United States (53%)
You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in Canada (40%)
You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in Southern Europe (40%)
You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in Africa (25%)
You Are Mostly Untraveled in Latin America (13%)
You Are Mostly Untraveled in Western Europe (7%)
You Are Untraveled in Asia (0%)
You Are Untraveled in Australia (0%)
You Are Untraveled in Eastern Europe (0%)
You Are Untraveled in New Zealand (0%)
You Are Untraveled in Scandinavia (0%)
You Are Untraveled in the Middle East (0%)
You Are Untraveled in the United Kingdom (0%)

How Well Traveled Are You?

Are You a Child of the 80s?

2007-08-18T10:08:00.000-05:00

You Are 88% A Child of the 80s

There's hardly a moment of the 80s that you missed out on.
Was there ever a better decade? As if!

Are You a Child of an 80s?

Happy Birthday to Me!

2007-08-12T22:39:00.000-05:00

Today, I celebrate my 37th birthday. Yes, I am very proud of that. Some people shy away from their age, birthdays, and just aging in general. Not me! I love birthdays. It is the most important day of my life. If it weren't for this day so many years ago, I would not be here.

I think I am aging well. At this point in life, I only have about 5 gray hairs. Lucky me that I don't have to die my hair. For the most part, I am healthy. I have two young children that keep me very active. I exercise several times per week and eat healthy. I think I look younger than I am (then again I could be fooled).

So many people dread turning 30 , then 40. I remember being in my mid-twenties looking forward to my big 30th birthday. So far, my 30s have been the best years of my life. Can life get any better? Look out 40, just another 3 years!

Yesterday we went to the farm. It is about an hour away from where we live. When I say farm, most people think of some farm with cattle and crops. Not ours. It is tiny with an itty-bitty "cottage" and a horse, Skippy. It is our refuge from the city life.

The big birthday event was at Pontchartrain Vineyards' Jazz 'n the Vines. The Sentimental Serenaders Big Band performed and we had a picnic along with wine, a battenburg lace tablecloth, and candles. Okay, so it was about 102 degrees, but we hung in there. The cake started to melt, it was so hot. Despite the heat, we had a great time.

My sister was in town from Pennsylvania. She decided to leave earlier than us so she could get a good night sleep for her 17 hour drive back to PA in the morning. As she got about 3 miles down the street, a deer ran out and hit her car. This is one of those unheard of things down here. Now, in PA yes, but in Louisiana, no way. Yes way. She was really panicked. When we spoke to her, we thought a huge deer smashed the whole side of her car, but it was a small doe that only damaged the front bumper. She is sore, but not to the point that she needed to be hospitalized. She was able to get on the road this morning, just a bit later than she planned.

This morning was a glorious morning. It is always nice to wake up in the country! The sun was shining bright and we were on the porch rocking in the rocking chairs. Skippy was hanging out with us thinking he was human instead of a horse. We went to brunch at one of my favorite spots in Mandeville, The Broken Egg.

Once we got back home, I opened my presents. I got a beautiful cake stand, jewelry, Victoria Secret panties and bra, cool measuring cups, and Print Explosion Deluxe 3.0. And one day soon I will be getting a new bicycle. How could one's day get any better?

Here are some pictures of my birthday festivities!

My birthday cake from Zoe's Bakery. I didn't feel like making my birthday cake.

SG kept calling this a picnic party. It was so beautiful at the vineyard.

A doe, a deer! Oops, this is the deer damage.

MM on Skippy.

Ashwin’s Blog Extravaganza!! Win $2500

2007-08-03T07:58:00.000-05:00

I thought I would get in on the action! $2500 is a lot of money and could go to good use. Good luck to you!

Over at Ashwin’s blog, you will find one crazy blog owner!! You can win $2500!! To enter just copy this text and paste it in your blog!! But hurry, this competition will not last long! So get posting!

Happy 3rd Birthday to my dear little one!

2007-07-31T00:42:00.000-05:00

Today SG turns 3. It is so hard to believe she is growing up so fast. Then again, she is so tall and can have intelligent conversation. Wow!

Here's a pictorial of her over the 3 years. First I will start with one of me 40 weeks pregnant on my way to the hospital for delivery.

Mommy and Me: Happy Birth-Day

3 months old Toys-R-Us Giant Ferris Wheel in NYC

5 months with Papa in Scottsdale, AZ

Finca Agua Fresca, Jinotega, Nicaragua

Taking a rest on the coffee beans. 18 months; Nicaragua

May 2006

26 months Audubon Park

Jan. 2007: 2 years 4 months

June 2007

July 4, 2007

Happy 3rd Birthday to me!

Summer Giveaway

2007-07-03T23:43:00.000-05:00

The Whole Family: Reflections From the Kitchen Sink blog is having a Solarveil sling giveaway. It is made by AP Stitches. Go to The Whole Family blog to enter. Be sure to enter by Wednesday, July 4th at 11pm. A random drawing will be held the very next morning and one lucky mama will win this great Solarveil Sling!
Good luck!

Happy Birthday to my Little Sweatpea!

2007-06-30T10:24:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe it! Marcela is one today. It seems like yesterday I was 9 months pregnant living in a FEMA trailer. Wow, how time flies.

Here's just a few shots of her over the year. My how she has grown.

Just a few days old.

Sweet Cheeks!

My little pumpkin!

Baptism: 6 months old

9 months

11 months

Sunning at Anna Maria Island, FL: 11 months

Today I turn 1! I am so excited.

Summer Makes Me Think of...

2007-06-26T09:27:00.000-05:00

...water sprinklers spinning around in the front yard with ice cold lemonade in hand.

Soundtrack of My Life

2007-06-25T21:18:00.000-05:00

I hit shuffle on iTunes and this is the order of the music. So, this is the Soundtrack of my Life. At least on this go round of iTunes shuffle.

Opening Credits:"Bent" 808 State

Waking Up: "Morena Mia" Miguel Bose

1st Day of School: "100% Pure Love" Crystal Waters

Falling in Love: "Wassamatter Baby?" Yerba Buena

Fight Song: "Everybody Everybody" Black Box

Wedding: "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" Dr. John

Life: "Clocks" The Casual Dots

Sex Scene: "Come Clean" Hillary Duff

Driving: "Go" Moby

Party: "Vertigo" U2

Birth of a Child: "It's My Life" Talk Talk

Funeral: "Mustang Sally" Wilson Pickett

Ending Credits: "Intuition" Jewel

This is pretty funny. Some of the songs somewhat go with the category. Rather cool for being random.

Happy Father's Day!

2007-06-18T00:08:00.000-05:00

Hello to all of you dads! I hope YOUR day was nice and special. I am sad to say that I didn't see my dad today, but just talked to him on the phone to wish him well.

The girls and I took FG out for brunch and the park. It was a really great day. The only thing I would change next time is the choice of restaurant. We dined at Begue's at the Royal Sonesta Hotel. The food was exceptional. The only problem was that we could not sit back, relax, and enjoy it. The girls were not being very cooperative (for a 4 diamond dining establishment). We forget that when we dine, it sometimes has to about them and their temperments. I think we will need to save the dress-up-for-dinner-restaurants when it is just the 2 of us.

I am back after 10 days of family torture!

2007-06-11T13:11:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it wasn't complete torture. I spent 10 days with my parents, sister, niece, and my 2 girls on vacation. The 1st 2 days actually were torture between my sister, dad, and me. I wanted to leave. Luckily the air lightened and fun started happening.

Our 1st day was a 10 hour drive to Orlando from New Orleans that turned into 2 days. My mom wanted to make a stop in Panama City Beach where she and my dad honeymooned 42 years earlier. (They were celebrating their 42nd wedding anniversary.) This detour took us about 2 hours south out of our way and a day off schedule.

Finally back on the road to Orlando. From Panama City, it still took us 10 hours. I am not sure hour that was so. My mom likes to stop and look around.

We get to the hotel and it is nice, but not nice for a family of 7 staying in one room. Our hotel was the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort. Can you say cramped? It was a Kid Suite room. This entailed one king size bed (which my parents got) and 2 sets of bunk beds. Yes, my sister and I were sleeping on bunk beds that were not long enough for my legs. They even had plastic liners for all of the bed-wetting children. Talk about uncomfortable for adults. After 2 nights here, we decided to find a hotel more accommodating to all of us. We checked out several hotels and ended up at the Double Tree Hotel Suites on the Disney property. We were so happy here. It was a one bedroom suite. It had 2 double beds and a sofa bed. It was perfect. They even had a small refrigerator, sink, and microwave. We stayed here for 4 nights. I will definitely stay there again.

We spent one day at Epcot. This was probably the worst Epcot experience I have ever had. Not because of the park, but because we didn't get there until about 1pm and everyone was hungry and cranky. The next day we were celebrating my niece's 12th birthday and my parents 42nd anniversary. I made reservations at The Magic Kingdom's Crystal Palace for 8:15 AM. Of course we didn't make it there until 8:45 AM. We got to see all of the Winnie the Pooh Characters. It was a nice way to start the day at the Magic Kingdom.

Luckily it was the beginning of June. I don't think I could have endured anymore crowds, longer lines, or higher temperatures. Later that day, we had dinner reservations at 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian Hotel. My niece thought this was the coolest thing. It was a princess dinner along with Prince Charming. She got a crown that stated "Happy Birthday" which she wore for the next 3 days. Then we headed back to the Magic Kingdom until closing. Thank goodness my parents took my kids back to the hotel.

The next day it rained and rained and rained. We took advantage of this time and relaxed. Yep, sunshine the next day. We had planned on getting to either Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach to cool off. My dad had this great idea to wait until the evening when it isn't so hot. It was about 4:45 PM when I called the front desk to get the park times. They close at 6 PM. We got everyone together and had 1 hour and 5 minutes to enjoy the Typhoon Lagoon. We actually made the most of it and enjoyed every single minute.

Our next destination was the beach. One our way here, we stopped in St. Petersburg to check out the Dali museum. I had the kids in the stroller, but they were talking up a storm. So much that people were snickering and forced us to leave. Dali was a bit bizarre. I sped through the exhibit and was glad I didn't have to sit through the tour.

We spent 2 nights in Ana Maria Island in a beach front hotel, Club Bamboo. Here, we had 2 full bathrooms, a kitchen, one private bedroom with a king bed and the living room with a king bed, sofa bed, and dining room table. Yes, this was the icing on the cake. I don't think you could have ended a Disney trip any better. I don't recall June being so windy or breezy in Florida. I am not complaining. I am very grateful for the constant breeze because otherwise it would have been a scorcher.

Then we ended the trip by leaving Florida at 5:30 AM and getting home only 11 hours later, record breaking time with kids. The return trip always seems shorter than the departure.

Dear God, please forgive me for........

2007-05-27T22:01:00.000-05:00

Today we went to mass in Baton Rouge. We decided to go to St. Joseph Cathedral in the downtown area. We were rushing to get there since we aren't too familiar with it. Using mapquest instructions, it was rather concrete.

So, we get there and mass has just started. It is packed. We did not realize it was Pentecost Sunday. In addition, it was a new priest's first mass as a priest. It was very formal. The usher seats us in the 3rd row. Normally this would not be a problem, but you have to factor in my children. They are in an unfamiliar place and are expected to be quiet for 1 hour and 15 minutes. That is asking a lot for my 2 girls.

There are 2 nuns sitting behind us. They were 2 very old school nuns. I was waiting for one of them to pull out a ruler and swat Sofia's bottom. You kept hearing "geez" and "oh goodness". One of them did tell Sofia to "sit down" a couple of times and "you are going to drop that bottle".

If anyone has insight on how to keep a very energetic 2 year old and 10 month old to sit still and stay quite in church, please tell me the secret. I wanted to turn around to the nuns and say, "hey, give me a break! You were once a baby and toddler." I even thought to say, "do you expect me to leave the kids at home alone while I go to mass?"

This church and our regular church, St. Anthony of Padua (on Canal St. in New Orleans) are both old churches without this new thing called crying rooms. I was raised going to church with my parents. You go as a family. I feel like going to church is a family thing and we should all go to celebrate together.

I feel like the older people have a problem with families and their young children. It is very important to me to be there as a family. I had an old man whisper under his breath to me that children do not belong in church. What hogwash! I feel like this is the foundation to my children's spirituality and religous roots.

So, just warning you; My children will be with me in mass. I may be the one peeling someone off the wall or sticking crackers in another one's mouth to stop the chatter, but we will be there as a family.

Big Giant

2007-05-17T11:25:00.000-05:00

Through the eyes of SG, everything is "big giant".

Here are some of her quotes from today:
"Mommy, can I have a big giant piece a watermelon?"
"Mommy, I hurt myself big giant."
"My boo-boo is big giant."
"Mommy, when am I going to be big giant?"
"I want big giant cheese."

Cake Walk

2007-05-15T08:11:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of my latest cake creations. The oval shape/egg was my homage to spring for Easter Sunday. The cupcake and rainbow were the two I made for SG's annual school spring fair. For all three cakes, I was expecting to make my own icing and really take my time, but I find that very difficult to do with my 2 sweet peas.

Now realize, these are amateur cakes. My, I see many imperfections. I just hope they all tasted yummy.

Jazz Festin'

2007-05-10T22:44:00.000-05:00

Well, I survived yet another New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Once spring comes around, I start getting into jazz fest mode. I guess it is just a mind set, nothing more than something to look forward to.

When I was single, I used to go each year. Then I started going with my boyfriend, who is now my husband. We used to go each weekend, but now with kids we had to limit it to either one weekend or one day per weekend. I actually went twice while I was big and pregnant and hot (as in temperature hot).

Everyone has their own way to experience the fest. Ours has become a neat ritual. We get there between 11:00 AM and 12:00 noon to set up camp. This serves as a base. The base has chairs, a blanket, umbrellas, small cooler with ice and wipes. From here we go check out the food, music, arts and crafts, then come back and relax. We even have a spot we go to each year. There are the same people that set up camp here, too. It is funny that you may never see these people anywhere else in town, but you know you will see them at the same spot every year.

This year seemed hotter than usual. Maybe it is the hormonal thing after giving birth twice. So, I decided to spend more time listening to music in the tents.

Here's just a sampling of the musicians I heard play in one weekend: Johnny Angel and the Swingin' Demons, the Dixie Cups, Buckwheat Zydeco, Galactic, Cowboy Mouth, Nicholas Payton, John Mayer, Treme Brass Band, Frankie Ford, Jeremy Davenport, Eric Lindell, Papa Grows Funk, Anders Osborne, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Ingrid Lucia, Greater Antioch Full Gospel Choir, Steely Dan, and Harry Connick, Jr. How can one weekend get any better?

Jazz fest used to be different. It seemed like it followed the title of jazz and heritage music of New Orleans or well, Louisiana. I don't get where Rod Stewart fits in or ZZ Top and Counting Crows. You can tell the changes over the years as the prices have gone up and to think you could go for just $10 a day. I guess to attract more people they need to pull in these other genres. I still enjoy it!

I am so glad I did not bring the kids. I have the idea that it is such a great musical experience that the kids must encounter. Then I realize the baby must take 2 naps a day, SG gets really cranky at about 1pm because she doesn't want to take her nap. Then I have to factor in the heat and boredom because they are doing what I want to do and not running and playing at the park. I almost brought them on Sunday, but after seeing at least 10 cranky, hot and sweaty kids either slumped in the stroller or in their parents' arms on Saturday, I decided I would wait until they are a bit older. I just want them to grow up appreciating the wonderful music our great city of New Orleans has to offer.

Tattletale

2007-04-09T23:06:00.000-05:00

Saturday our family came over for the annual crawfish boil. Everything went well, but there is one niece and one nephew that drives me nuts. My poor child cannot do anything without one of the two "telling" on her.

Granted my daughter is only 2 1/2 years old, she is very independent. She has been potty trained for quite some time. I get a tug on my shirt from my niece to say my daughter went to the bathroom. Well, yes, that is what we do when we have to pee. I guess that is what happens when you are still wearing "pullups" at age 5.

My nephew whines to me that SG is eating candy. Okay, I say. Normally she doesn't eat candy because she becomes a firecracker after large amounts of sugar. So, I try to be nice and explain to him that it is Easter and it isn't often she gets this "candy opportunity".

Next my nephew was chasing SG. She got tired of it and started chasing him and pulled his shirt. Well, he has to run to me to tattle on her for pulling his shirt. Over the course of the day, between the two of them, they tattled on my daughter at least a dozen times. Some of the stupid stuff was because she moved a chair, brought her sippy cup in her room (which I allow), and she ate just the hotdog instead of the hotdog with the bun.

This gets so old. I know she likes playing with her cousins, but I don't like it because I don't want her to get these annoying habits. Oh, I hope my child does not become the annoying tattletale.

Happy Easter

2007-04-07T22:06:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter
Originally uploaded by Bayou Chica.

Happy Easter from Us!

Crazy Weather

2007-04-07T21:46:00.000-05:00

Today was our annual spring/day before Easter crawfish boil. Typically, it is hot and sunny. Not today. It was cold and hailing. I don't know what the exact temperature was, but it was cold. I would have to say in the 30-40s. Right now it is 43 degrees.

What a surprise. To think we were in shorts a few days ago and now I have to get our winter coats out of the attic. Go figure. What is up with this weather? Well, actually I do know, but you know what I mean.

This is so crazy. We anticipated swimming and fun in the sun. I had to go to the store and buy a couple of tarps to enclose our carport. Yep, we were boiling crawfish in the hail and eating them while using space heaters.

Happy Spring!

Weekend Recap

2007-04-01T21:03:00.000-05:00

This was one busy weekend. The whirlwind started as soon as we picked up SG from school on Friday. We headed straight to the park. It was a very windy day so, I got the kite out and we flew it. I forgot how easy it is for kids to make friends. As we were flying the kite, a young girl started helping SG fly it. She and her sister were hanging out with us playing. It was so nice.

It makes you wonder why adults don't "make nice" like kids. As adults, we keep to ourselves and do what we have to do and that is it. The heck with socializing with others doing the same thing we are doing. A child's life is so simple and innocent. I would love to have that again. Being an adult can be too complicated at times.

Okay, back to the weekend. Saturday was the "Sheriff Marlin N. Gusman presents the 2nd Annual Easter in the Park at City Park Marconi Meadows". It was a lot of fun for the girls. Even though MM was too young to participate in the egg hunt and sack races, she got to get pictures with the Easter Bunny and crawl. SG didn't want to leave, but it started raining.

SG had a birthday party that afternoon. I thought to get a nap in before going, but what a silly thought. The party was at Gym Rompers on Claiborne Avenue, Uptown. This is the ultimate birthday party spot for kids 1-5 years old. My child did not stop. She was like the Energizer Bunny. When we got to the car, she made a big sigh then fell asleep. This was about 6:20 PM. She was out for the night. She did not wake up until the morning.

Today we went to mass then another birthday party. Because today was Palm Sunday, mass was much longer than usual. The attention span of the girls was exceed after about 30 minutes. Mass was one hour and 20 minutes. Talk about a rough time. After mass we drove from St. Anthony of Padua on Canal Street to La Madeline on St. Charles at Carrollton Ave. I was so proud of SG, she ate a bowl of fruit! Next, we headed to the birthday party at Elmwood's KidSports. As you can see, we took a rather scenic tour of the city and metro area.

Once again, no nap today for either of the girls. SG was so fired up. Once she gets on this adrenaline role, she does not stop. I wish I had this sort of play equipment at our house. I could wear her out and maybe she would nap. MM got to play on some of the toys. I think she just got a kick out of crawling between everyone's feet.

This has been a record breaking weekend. I had both of the girls asleep before 7 PM two nights in a row. I hope I can keep this up.

To The Beach

2007-03-26T14:16:00.001-05:00

This weekend, we decided to go to the beach. SG has been asking for weeks, "can we go to the beach?", so we decided to head out to the gulf coast.

Our destination was Gulf Shores, Alabama. Usually we go to Destin, FL, but decided to stay a little closer for our first venture out with both of the kids. This was MM's first trip to the beach. She loved it! SG had a great time and has a savage tan. I am so glad she got those jeans from her father. Now, MM on the other hand took after me and has lily white skin.

Now, what is it with children and the beach! They just can't get enough. No matter how blue they are from the freezing cold water, sunburned, or full of sand, they do not want to leave. Sand can be in every crevice of the body, but it makes no difference, they don't want to leave.

A couple of highlights and then I will share some photos. I had the BEST steamed shrimp and crab legs at Gulf Shores Steamer. I will drive down there just to have their steamed shrimp and crab legs again. I grew up eating boiled shrimp, but these steamed shrimp put boiled ones to shame. Next highlight is the view from our room. It was spectacular! We were right on the beach.

Can you believe this is what we saw each morning we woke up. How splendid!

The only regret I have is where we stayed. Although it was nice, there was something I did not like about it. I just can't put my finger on what it was. Our accommodations were at the Phoenix All Suites Hotel. It had everything we needed, but something was just off.

The Beach Babes:

SG was so enamored with the "old school" souvenir shop entrances.

Pajama Party

2007-03-21T09:34:00.000-05:00

I came across this cause and am very excited about helping out. It is called the Pajama Program. All that they ask for is a pair of pajamas or a book. Who doesn't want a good book or nice warm PJs? I challenge everyone out there to send a pair of pajamas and a book.

They have many chapters in the US and a couple international, which include Canada and Australia. If you find a local chapter, get involved locally!

How about plan a pajama drive party!

"It's easy and fun for all ages! PJ drives can happen almost anywhere - homes, offices, retail stores, spas, and throughout towns and cities. Drives can be organized by almost any group - Scout troops, churches, synagogues, teachers, seniors, day care centers, libraries, performers or any group you belong to or are aware of. You can even have a birthday party for your child and ask your guests to bring a pair of new PJs to the party!"

Weekend Getaway

2007-03-20T06:23:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, we decided to take a trip over to St. Francisville, LA. In addition to going to the town of St. Francisville, we stopped in Jackson, LA to visit the Feliciana Cellars Winery. Our outing was just splendid.

This was our first trip with both of the girls. I feel bad for the baby because she has not been anywhere. SG is only 2 1/2 years old and she has been out of the country twice and I think her trip total is up to 15 (with most of those being on an airplane).

St. Francisville is such a lovely town. They were having the 36th Annual Audubon Pilgrimage. Of course we did not get to go inside the beautiful homes, but we did get to see the outside of such beauties. The town was just picture perfect with white picket fences. It makes you want to move there and live a simple life.

Here are some pictures to show what a lovely time we had.

Feliciana Cellars Winery

Everyone taking a turn on the tree swing.

This is part of what used to be the West Feliciana Railroad. "One of the South's earliest railroads. Ran from St. Francisville, LA to Woodville, MS. Idea conceived in 1828 as a means of transporting cotton to river. Chartered in 1831. Completed in 1842. In use in Illinois Central system until abandoned in 1978."

This is Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church c.1871. It was built from plans by General P.G.T. Beauregard. We attended mass here.

Just a cute shot of the girls from the weekend. Yes, I had them in matching tops. As a parent, I never imagined I would do such a thing, but here it is documented.

Take Stock

2007-03-14T14:29:00.000-05:00

As I was lying awake in bed this morning, I was thinking about all the money we spend on baby and child products. It comes to a lot of money on a select few items. I should probably buy stock in a lot of these things. Here is a sampling of the items I spend tons of money on:

diapers
baby wipes
Band-Aid brand bandages
antibiotic ointment
gas drops
infant Tylenol
infant Motrin
crayons
books (but, not any one particular publisher)
stain remover
stickers
sticker remover
nite-light bulbs

I know there are tons more items, I just cannot think of them at the time of this posting.

2007-03-12T11:04:00.000-05:00

Mom and baby: Flappers

One Day Soon

2007-03-12T10:51:00.000-05:00

I am in the planning stages of my blog. One day soon I will go live and be up and running. I am transitioning from another blog host. Be patient and I will be online.