Saturday, October 29, 2011

Autumn weekend in NOLA

Finally showing an interest in riding his bike on his own.
Love this picture with our house in the background
Concentrating...hey, it's hard to learn how to steer and pedal at the same time.
Then Dad gets home from work and it's playtime in the front yard.
The French Quarter had their annual "Boo Carre". Y'know...the kid stuff...face paint, balloon hats, arts & crafts, trick-or-treating, music, etc.
We were a little late to jump on the Angry Birds bandwagon, but we are in full swing now. Robin loved the mask.
I think the Silver Man was having as much fun as Robin.
They were practicing their Ninja moves.
We also hit a fall festival last weekend. Rockclimbing, bounce housing, games, etc.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Disney World

We joined our friends the Dubnanskys Columbus Day weekend at Walt Disney World.
Robin ready for Disney!
Waiting for the shuttle to Epcot. Someone is very excited. We met the Dubs that night at Epcot since it was open later than the Magic Kingdom. Against my gut intuition, I rode the Mission Space ride with Richard and Trey and was sick all through the next day. Vertigo stinks. The rain started.
Day 2 we hit Hollywood Studios. Yes, more rain. Although we were drenched to our skivvies, everyone still managed to have a good time. How can you not when you're with friends, anyway? The boys missed jedi training because of the rain, but we got to meet Buzz & Woody...
The Claw



Robin asked them, "Where's Perry?" and he meant it. We want Agent P!
We napped and re-grouped and then met up at Downtown Disney for dinner. A quick stop for legos.
I couldn't resist. Each child had an electronic device.
Day 3: Magic Kingdom. Still raining. Look at the face...waiting for Mickey to come out and the park to open.


Michelle with Griffin & Robin
Me with Myles


LOVE this "family" photo. I'd be happy to take Griff home with us. So cute.
Time to go catch that flight back to NOLA.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

September, Morrissey memoriam

Hello all. Wow, it has been a very eventful September and it is only a little more than half way over. Firstly, I am studying for the GRE and applying to grad school. I'm looking at an online program...an M.S. in Health & Human Performance. Standardized tests and me do not mesh, so Joe has been taking Robin out on the weekends so I can cram. Ugh.
More exciting big news is Robin's start of Kindergarten! It's a half day program with still plenty of playtime and next year we can just roll him into a full day Kinder. I love that R's school is 5 houses down and I get to walk him there and back in this beautiful sunny weather!
Here he is in his new classroom on the first day.
Our next big event was not a good one at all. My first baby, Morrissey, is now gone. Joe & I adopted Morrissey when she was a kitten in Key West. She was not always the heavy, diabetic kitty some of you knew. She would play all day with other kitties, when she would hear Joe's jeep or my mustang drive home, she ran as fast as she could from wherever she was to greet us. She chased many a lizard and loved to drink out of the sink and then let it fill up over her.




Joe named Morrissey before we even went to the Key West Animal Shelter. Lots of "The Smiths" listening at the Coast Guard Academy.


Being far away from family, we decided to get a second cat, Lex, to keep her company when we traveled. She was a good sport about his arrival and they grew to hang out together.
Joe, Morrissey & Lex
Morrissey and Lex at our Pumpkin carving party
And then baby Robinson was born. That brought lots of soft things to sleep on and in.
Morrissey and Robin hit it off from the start. Robin has always been very gentle with animals.



One of the last photos I have of her here in New Orleans
Morrissey died on Robin's 3rd day of school. He had some crying spells at home and at school. That day they had painted. Luckily he didn't bring this one home until Monday, when I was better equipped to handle it! This is a picture of Robin & Morrissey. The blue spots are her kitty pee paw prints.
A good husband knows when his family needs a pick-me-up! Joe suggested we go away for the weekend. I was having a hard time in the house without Morrissey meowing all the time. It was different and lonely without her. I also got out of my GRE studying for the weekend. We took a trip up to Biloxi. While the boys spent Saturday at the waterpark, I had 3 spa treatments at Imperial Casino's Spa. Yay for me! Sunday we lounged at the rooftop pool and then went to the outlets. Check out the huge tv!

Also these past two weeks, Robin has been taking swimming lessons at the new YMCA that opened nearby. He loves it! Here he is with Ms. Cheri.
Made extra eye pillows for my students.

My science kid loves the solar system. Every time we go to the library he inspects their model. Since he will also learn about this at school soon, I figured it was time to get his own.

Let's see, in addition to my grad school endeavors, I am now teaching yoga at the Y and Body & Spirit Athletic Club. I've just begun a Group Fitness Instructor Training which involves one meeting and 3 classes a week. I'm excited to know more about fitness to share with others, but can't see myself teaching Zumba or Step Aerobics!