At the Camp

We were invited to join Mimi and GiGi at the camp in Lake Author.  It was so relaxing and so much fun... we pretty much lived in our swim suits and spent almost every waking moment outside either playing on the swing, throwing rocks in the water, swimming, or doing crafts on the back porch.  It was so refreshing to get away.  Here are a few pictures of our too few carefree days at the camp..

The tire swing was a huge hit with Ella -- she would pretend it was a horse trying to buck her off!

Katie liked the stick-on-a-rope -- she would pretend she was in a flying trapeze artist in the circus!

Ella and Katie in front of a giant crawfish!  I had some delicious fried frog legs at this restaurant -- yum, yum!  I don't think I've had frog legs since I moved away from Oklahoma!

Going crabbing! 

You know it's vacation when you have candy for breakfast!!

Evidence of all the fun we were having -- VERY dirty fingernails!

Paw Paw Bill getting the crab traps ready -- I especially like the 'no mooring' sign that we are moored to.

The girls checking their chicken legs for crabs. 

(Oh my! what a funny sentence!)

The view from the backyard of the camp.  So very peaceful....

The girls played at the neighbor's house.  They have a passel of grandkids and this sign was hanging in their play room...  I especially like #5!

Katie woke up super early (I mean EARLY!) one morning and couldn't get back to sleep.  Did I mention that the camp is really just one big room -- by day it is a living room and at night it becomes every one's bedroom.  We had I think 10 people sleeping at the camp and Katie was one of the first to awaken.  Aunt Emily offered to take her outside to watch the sunrise with her -- I think to give all the other sleepers  a little peace and quiet.  Katie loved having the special attention though.  Afterwards, this is the picture Katie drew of the sunrise she watched.

Daddy Goes Back to Work

After nearly of year of having Daddy home with the girls, it's time for him head back to work.  He immediately had a work trip to Montgomery, AL, and was gone for almost 2 weeks.  They were crazy missing him, so we did a crazy/silly art project (stamps).   I took photos and then texted them to Bill.  It was a sweet way to let the girls tell Daddy how much they missed having him around. 

Katie with her stamping page.

Ella with hers.

The next thing I know, Katie has gotten a hold of the pink sticky pad and is making an "I miss Daddy" constructioni project that takes up nearly the entire kitchen table...

A close-up view.

July 4th on the Mighty Mississippi

We celebrated Independence Day this year with Bill's cousins Adrianne, Rett, and their little boogies, Madeline and Joseph -- we swam, ate yummy burgers, and then went to the levee to watch the fireworks.  I didn't take many photos for some reason, but Bill managed to snap these two.

That's me with the girls... Katie, Ella, and Maddie.

and Uncle Rett with JoJo.

NOLA Arts Market

I took the girls to the Arts Market -- a definite MUST for anyone visiting NOLA! It's very low-key, friendly, and so interesting to see all the different artists and their work. They even have a children's performance and an art project (the girls made maracas by adding rice and beans to old plastic water bottles) and great food booths -- oh, and the Friends of New Orleans Library people are there with $1 children's books -- we picked up a few Magic Treehouse books, which are a big hit with the girls.  Overall, a great outing! I didn't take many photos because it was hot and my subjects were not very cooperative...

I did manage this one -- the girls with this giant poodle wearing sunglasses and pink bows!

And this one of the crazy house we saw on the way to the market... very original painting scheme!  You can see the girls holding the maracas they made.

An Evening at the Circus

Mommy and the girls went to the circus - we had a craft and dinner before the show.

Here is Katie the Elephant!

and Ella the Elephant!

And here are the girls with one of the clowns.

To Grandma and Granddad's House We Go

We made several trips to Oklahoma early this summer.... here are a few snapshots from a couple of our trips.

It takes almost 12 hours to get to Atoka from New Orleans.... in Katie and Ella time, that is 6 movies. Just to have something new to watch, I bought the girls the new Alice in Wonderland, which they really, really like (Mom too!) except for the eyeball part. Katie and I both have a hard time with the mean dog creature who gets his eye plucked out by the little mouse -- very GROSS! This is Katie during that part of the movie.... she takes off her headphones and puts her gwaugy (her special blanket) over her head until it's over. I think it's a pretty smart/effective coping mechanism!

This is the pretty flower bush in Grandma's front yard. The girls wanted to take a picture with it.

This is Katie.

And, this is Ella -- striking a pose, I might add!

This is Ella with Gigi's (Grandma's dog) puppies. The girls were in love with these puppies and were begging for one as we were leaving... I have a feeling my no-dog-days are numbered.

The turtle that lives in grandma's front flower bed... we saw him several times crossing the driveway.

Grandma's roses - the pink ones were Katie's favorite.

The toad we found in the backyard.

And the beautiful rose that looks like a sunset.

The biggest accomplishment while we were staying in Oklahoma is that Katie learned to swim in Aunt Lynda's swimming pool!  I took some video, but am having trouble getting is to work.  Hopefully I'll be able to add it later.  However, wanted to document the official beginning of Katie's swimming.  I'm so proud of her.  Ella is not far behind, but hasn't gotten it just yet.  She's still a little afraid to put her head completely under water -- doesn't like the feeling of having water in her ears.  Can't blame her really -- it IS a yucky feeling!

A Poem of Love

An original poem made up by Katie and Ella while playing together this morning...


A Poem of Love

Hugs and Kisses
X's and O's
On your cheeks and on your nose.