Before and After

Before first hair cut...

After first hair cut...

There are still plenty of curls to go around. Just ask and he'll be glad to give you one!!!!

Same Song, Different Verse

New Orleans March 2008

Trey 10 months

New Orleans March 2011

Robb 21 months

Music, Bugs, and Food?

No we did not find any bugs in our food...this is my way of wrapping up our adventure in New Orleans.

Thankfully, it looks as if Will has passed his love of music onto our boys. Music is everywhere in New Orleans-on the streets and in the restaurants and hotels. Whenever we found music we stopped what we were doing and enjoyed the performance.

The Insectarium-any and every bug you would not want to see crawling, jumping, or flying around your house!!!!

And of course we got our fill of seafood while we were there and beignets and po' boys and gumbo and...

Trey and Robb Went Up the Hill

New Orleans City Park-just go, you will not regret it

I plan on spending more time there next time we go. Great playgrounds, Storyland, a fair-type rides area, a sculpture garden, the botanic gardens, a dog park, New Orleans Art Museum, and miles and miles of green space. I found our way there and I'm so glad I did. We spent most of our time at Storyland, which is a little gem of a playground taken from another time. Quoting from the website:

Climb aboard Captain Hook's pirate ship, journey with Pinocchio into the mouth of a whale or scamper up Jack 'n Jill's hill...Brimming with more than 25 larger-than-life storybook exhibits, this storybook fantasy play area is inhabited by sculpted characters created by New Orleans' finest Mardi Gras float makers.

I mean I could not describe it any better. In short, it was awesome. I hate to build it up too much; it is a surprisingly small area that they have fit all this fun into. Maybe it was just a really fun outing with my boys, maybe it was the background music-an Imagination Movers CD, or maybe it is really that spectacular. I'm not sure which one it was, but we sure did have a great time and we will be going when we are back in New Orleans.

We were welcomed by Humpty Dumpty sitting on the wall and an opened book.

Hello three little pigs.

Watch out!! Jack 'n Jill's hill is pretty steep (Trey was acting the rhyme out, Robb was really going that fast).

Wake Up, Sleeping Beauty

It was steep also...and wet from the rain the night before as we found out the hard way.

And there are almost 20 more areas to become part of your favorite stories. I cannot say enough good things about Storyland. Like I said, just go!!!!

Children's Museum of Louisanna

It is such a strange feeling going back to somewhere you haven't been since you were a child. Everything is familiar, yet different. I have not been to the Children's Museum in New Orleans in probably over 20 years--yikes that makes me sound so ancient!!!! Some of the old familiar things are there like the bubble room which the boys loved. We were even able to make a bubble around us by standing together in a huge tire filled with bubble juice which I remember doing with my dad.

And there was lots of stuff that I did not remember or most likely has changed in the last 20 years!!!! The boys had so much fun playing and exploring together. I highly recommend putting it on your itinerary when you visit the city.

PS Momma and Farrell, I did not notice a news desk to film the evening news:(

We Went on Down to the Audubon Zoo...

and they all ask'd for you. the monkeys ask'd, the tigers ask'd and the elephants ask'd me too...

Will could be heard singing this song every time we visited or talked about the zoo in New Orleans. No it is not one of his off the top of his head, made up songs. If the lyrics do not look familiar, google They All Ask'd For You by the Meters. He had plenty of opportunities to sing it to because we had such a fun time at the zoo.

From the elephant fountain when you walked in

to the peacock that roamed freely and closely might I add to guests

to Monkey mountain that had you climbing up the highest hill in New Orleans and climbing down a spider web (do not be too impressed, you would not believe the little bit of elevation of the highest hill in New Orleans!!!!)

all the way to the petting alligators in the swamp,

...we saw it all. I was highly impressed by their zoo. Since we come from a city that has one of the best zoo's in the country, I was not expecting much...I was wrong.

Show Me Your Shark Teeth

Watch out for this cute, little shark swimming in the pool this summer.

Robb will proudly display his not so scary pearly whites if you ask him to show you his shark teeth. For all those who know me well, you know how infatuated I am with sharks, and apparently I have passed this gene onto my boys.

The New Orleans Aquarium is the place to go if you happen to have this type of obsession. We actually visited the aquarium a few times since it was just about a ten minute walk from our hotel. We spent a lot of time watching the huge tank with the sharks but we also loved seeing the turtles, jellyfish, and alligators.

PS-You know where we will be in July...watching Shark Week with the Stockburgers of course!!!!