Merry Christmas

Our holiday involved a horrendous virus that created a domino-effect through the northshore Harrison/Roahen house and the southshore DeSchutter house. But it also involved lots of hezellig family moments. As you'll see. Kai performs Misty Mountain Hop.

Daddy dressed Nina today

hanging together

Sometimes, it just works out with these two.

weekend

More Nina painting. And Kai climbing.

What a weekend. We closed Bogue Falaya on Friday night. Fridays are fun - we know quite a few people now who congregate then, Elias comes with his dad and brother, Merrick (who Nina follows around all starry-eyed). I've met awesome moms and dad there. Bogue Fayala is all sand and wood and nestled in the trees by the river. It's Kai's favorite because there are always older boys there to run around with. So Friday night we were there 2.5 hours and the kids were wiped. Got dvds on the way home: Kai watched Despicable Me, and I made the kids watch Charlie Brown Christmas. I LOVED IT. It's been so long, I'd forgotten what it's all about and how hilarious it is.
Saturday Kai rocked his piano lesson even though he hadn't played in weeks. Then the kids frolicked at Franco's school while I worked on the computer. I got some Kai time while Nina napped, and the night ended at the lake with a parade, music, decorated boats on the water. My bold, brave, extrovert, never wavering, never doubting Kai just jumped right in with a group of older kids playing football. He just ran and ran and ran with them until they started paying attention to him. Smile never left his face. The older kids are so nice to him! It always amazes me. He's never been belittled or bullied by older boys.
I took the kids out to eat, and they were again wiped at bedtime.
Sunday we hiked to New Orleans - a blustery day, and the lake looked like a pot of gumbo. We spent time at Katy and Hector's house (Hector is the Katrina baby, just 2 weeks younger than Kai, a beautiful creole kid, with energy almost equaling Kai). Then we spent a wee bit of time at the Treme Gumbo Festival but kids were tired and music too loud. Drove through a CRAZY Saints tailgating neighborhood to get to Sara and Matt's house, had pizza with Tibo. Ran the kids at the park and then we made the long trip home. Worked beautifully - kids were pooped and asleep by 7:45!!!!!
Can't wait for Nate to come home. I yelled at the kids this weekend and felt like the worst mom in the world. Single parenting really sucks. I felt like I cleaned and cooked the entire time and never played with either kid, hardly took time to cuddle or tickle or even gaze. Single parents, you humble me. It's a tough job. I can't wait to hear about Nate's weekend in Sacramento, he saw our great friends and had a fantastic time.

day at the zoo

We had a blast with Christine, Tibo, Sara at the zoo.

projects

Meecie sent a big box of projects...keeps Kai waking up at 5:30 every morning because he's so excited. Reindeer antlers, nativity scene, angels, gingerbread house - we've got the bases covered.
And here's how Nina came home from Franco's the other day, as her favorite color pink butterfly.

funny, funny girl

nina - E.T.

Happy St. Nick's Day

The kids were thrilled to find that St. Nick visited last night and left their stockings full of treats.

Kai's new spiderman skill

oh christmas tree

Our weekend. We picked out our Carolina Sapphire, super yummy smelling, adored and named "Cute Guy", Christmas Tree. We drove to Pearl River, LA and chopped him down ourselves. Even in Louisiana it was cold enough for winter coats but certainly nothing like our tree hunting days in Michigan.
We drew dinosaurs and painted. We got a box of books we hadn't seen since Michigan and read awhile. We watched ET and all but Nate cried sad/joyful tears at the end. (Nina my little emotional one was sobbing when ET said goodbye.) The weekend started with Breakfast with Santa (=sugar-filled chaos) at Kai's school.

the tooth fairy paid her first visit

The new tooth was already so big that it's hard to tell he lost one.

nina

Tonight, lying down with Kai and Nate in Kai's bed, in the dark, repeating over and over, "Fat butt, fat butt, fat butt." Where is she getting this?!?!?!?!
(Meanwhile, we had our parent-teacher conference tonight. Kai's teacher has had it with the potty mouth. The entire class is infected! Kai still after all this time nearly doubles over when he repeats the word butt more than 7 times. Or pee pee. Oy vey.)

Our day today.

Nina the explorer. Mountaineering into outer space.

From the archive...present to past.

Last year, getting our Xmas tree. Ah, memories. It was cold that day.
And another cute pic of the kids at a park in Davis last winter.
BFF. Sammy's got it down.
Kids on rides in Santa Cruz. Thrilled. Second trip to Monterey Bay aquarium. Kai in the cockpit on his 5th bday flight. First potato sack race at Christ Episcopal welcoming fair. Watchin g a movie with Dup. Faces painted at a festival at the corner of Mag and Napoleon.

The weekend

Kai after his first ride without training wheels...Kai and Nina eating pretzels in the trunk of Nate's car since food is not allowed in the car...Kai assists the magician at the Three Rivers Art Festival on sat. night in Covington.

No training wheels!

Bye bye Honda

Good-bye Honda. Hello Volvo. (Kai changing the station to "The Dead" on Sirius.)

I knew this would come, just not so soon

Today I was getting Nina out of her carseat and she said, with a giggle, "You're fat, mom." "What did you say, Nina?" An unequivocal, "You're fat."
Oh lawd.

Another grandma visits

"A boy-n-a girl in a little canoe with the moon shining all around..." Remember that campfire song? "So they talked and they talked til the moon grew dim and she said you better kiss me or get out and swim...."
Kai's request for the song last night:
"...and HE said you better watch Star Wars with me or get out and swim..."

Here are happy-as-clams Nina and Tibo with Grandma Bo / Laure-Anne / Loretta :-)

bikes

Out on the Tammany Trace. Neither kid lasted long, but it was nice to get out and get inspired by other bikers on the trail. Nina playing peek-a-boo last night.

Funny Nina

Going to the "thtowa" (store) with all of her accoutrement!

Nate and Kai

Nate and Kai working on Kai's piano workbook; strong Nate can still do fly-to-the-letter with our 53-pounder; one of the best smiles in the world.

The boys spent some quiet time watching a Palau DVD last night instead of reading books. Kai said that the fish book is good, but the DVD is "Awesome!"