Going Home: Day Two

Ted had a hard time keeping his head in the street car. Clearly he couldn't read this:




These two loved the street car ride. They were impressed I rode it the entire first year we lived in NOLA, because we didn't have a car.

Our church building right on St. Charles.

"Mmmm Cafe Du Monde. More powdered sugar please!"

We went to the insectarium. It was AWESOME. I especially loved this display.


This is inside the Zen garden. They have a large number of butterflies. Lulu was v. patient waiting for a butterfly to land on her. After waiting for about 15 minutes the nice entomologist picked one up for her and put it on her arm.

"I ate a bug."

Later that night we got a sitter for the kids and headed out to another favorite restaurant with Phil and Marcelle. I was mildly horrified when I found out how much a babysitter cost in New Orleans. Yikes.

It was a great day except for the heated words exchanged at the streetcar stop when herds of people jumped in front of us and didn't recognize that it might NOT be polite to butt in front of the two woman traveling with two strollers and three small kids that waited at the stop for over 20 minutes at the front of the line. Stupid tourist.

Going Home: Day One

Few places give me a general sense of peace like New Orleans. I'm not saying that the trip wasn't crazy, or that it wasn't hot and sticky, or that there weren't a ridiculous number of tourist, but I am saying that at the end of the day I always feel like I've come home.

I took advantage of the long weekend and made the drive to New Orleans with just little old me and my two littles. Adam was on call for the bulk of the weekend so he missed all the excitement. On the way in, we stopped in Baton Rouge to pick up this lovely lady.

Love this lady. It was nice to spend the last bit of the drive chatting with her. We had a lot to talk about. We were lucky to have her around the whole weekend, as well as her awesome British fiancee. We always stay with our friend Livy and her family.

Side note:
Years ago the three of us, along with two more, took yearly trips to reconnect and regroup. Unfortunately grad school, fellowships, lack of funds, and lots of bebes have put the kibosh on our trips. However we came to the agreement that our dream vacation would happen in 2 years. We are headed to the Bay of Fundy to see the puffins. The reasons are too long to explain, but we have been dreaming about this trip for nearly 10 years.

The next morning we opted for pastries from La Boulangerie to start the day. If you ever go to NOLA this is the best french bakery in the city. It is always on my list. After breakfast we headed to the zoo. New Orleans has an AMAZING zoo. When Adam and I lived there we had a zoo membership and went nearly every week.

When I get with my girlfriends I swear we sound like this flock of flamingos.

Ain't it the truth. It gives me an eerie feeling to read this quote.

Ted was an awesome climber. He and Lulu did it a handful of times. Each time they would walk all the way to the end of the long corridor and Ted would turn around and run full speed back. Maniac.

Whenever you go to New Orleans a good rock in a porch rocking chair is a must.

This is in the Louisiana Bayou section of the zoo. We actually attended Adam's cadaver ball at the end of his first year of medical school. The party is in honor of all the individuals that donated their bodies to the anatomy lab.

Best way to cool off on a hot day: Hansen's Sno Balls. It was a long line, but totally worth the wait. Many might argue that their sno ball shop is the best, but I stand firm in my decision!

Dinner: I was hoping for a Domilise's Po-Boy but they were closed. Frankie and Johnny Po-Boys was a happy alternative. Delicious.

Homeward Bound

I just bought my ticket. After a little prompting from a friend I'm headed to the great state of Utah for a short trip. Very excited. I'll be bringing the kids with me (the horror of two kids on a plane, one of which is completely crazy didn't deter me). I'm anxious to see family that I haven't seen since July and a hear a little music. It will be awfully short, but just enough to quench my thirst until I return for an extended stay in July.

HOME

After a long week of relaxing in Louisiana we are finally home. Completely stuffed and wishing we still lived there, but happy to finally slow down and sleep in our own beds. I have lots to write about, but first I need to wash and get my house in order. I also have several fabulous pieces of good mail to open.