6.11.2013-6.17.2013

6.11.2013 :: I had such a fabulous time babysitting last week. Even though I do find myself getting a little restless towards the end of the day, I really do love hanging out with kiddos...especially when that hang out time = pool time. After a full week in and out of the water, I have a summery tan, a whole bunch of nose freckles, and I feel like my almost constant urge to dive and swim has been satiated...for now. P.S. this ballerina bathing suit is ridiculously adorable, right? 

6.12.2013 :: on Wednesday both little ladies successfully jumped off the diving board! Such an accomplishment (especially for the four year old who has a bit of a swimming phobia). We celebrated with some frozen yogurt: cake batter + gummy bears, m&m's, mike and ikes, and chocolate chips for the girls; tart + strawberries, blueberries, almonds, and chocolate chips for me. Even though the six year old was a tad on the grumpy side (at one point, I asked her to be patient and she replied with "*sigh*, I wasn't born to be patient...but I'll try." well, alright then) everyone was all smiles post-ice cream. 

6.13.2013 :: when I babysit for a full-day, I like to spend some afternoon-time crafting. Last week we finger-painted, made construction paper finger puppets and masks, and on Thursday, we made cupcakes. Edible crafts are the best crafts. Each kiddo was in charge of a few ingredients and we took turns mixing. The four year old even frosted half of the cupcakes once they were out of the oven (and topped them all with a hefty smattering of mickey mouse sprinkles), and both girls got to lick their respective spoon. I remember doing the same thing when I was little. It was (and is) the best part about baking with my mom.  

6.14.2013 :: on Friday, I drove back down to New Orleans, ready to spend some time with James. I missed that guy (and our bed! I have a back injury that flares up every now and again, and sleeping on a different mattress usually gets it all agitated). After a quick sushi dinner, we celebrated a low-key Chocolate Friday with some Hershey's and Scrubs in bed. 

6.15.2013 :: Saturday was such a great day. We spent the morning relaxing and going to the gym, and spent the night with friends at Ralph's on the Park. It was a delicious meal (too expensive...but yummy nonetheless), and it was so nice to spend some time with a great couple. They will actually be abroad at the same time we are, so we're hoping to do another dinner date soon...but this time in France! Ooh la la! After dinner, we headed home and curled up with some Netflix (Chasing Amy) and a super late bedtime. 

6.16.2013 :: on Sunday, after dance-cleaning the house to the Beach Boys Pandora, we went to our friend Glinky's for pizza and game night. We played The Settlers of Catan which (admittedly) sounds pretty dorky...but, guys. It was a lot of fun! James ended up winning the game, but we all were winners thanks to Glinky's amazing ice cream sandwiches. Homemade heath bar cookies + coffee ice cream. Heavenly. 

6.17.2013 :: Monday was for more dance-cleaning (this time to Otis Redding), iced coffee, and errands. I caught up on a bunch of e-mails, and James maybe slept for a couple of hours (lucky duck). He also surprised me with a new mixed c.d. featuring my new favorite songs: this one, this one, and this one. We ended our night with a major Scrubs binge and it was glorious. 

happiness is...

a snuggly little peanut on an early morning...

...and also a "dolphin" made out of clay. 

kids are just the best, ya know?

father's day

My dad is one of my all-time favorites. He is kind, funny, has excellent taste in music, and is one of the most encouraging people I know. He has always been my biggest cheerleader. And while I undoubtedly inherited his penchant for worrying, I can only hope that I inherited his selfless heart.

He is a family man through and through and would do absolutely anything for his children...

....even heat up water on the stove for our baby pool...because, man that water can be chilly. 

Love you so much, daddy! Happy father's day to you.

last weekend

Last weekend was a whole bunch of fun. Like a whole big bunch.

Aaaand here are lots of pictures and words to prove it!

On Friday night we went to see my sister-in-law’s sister get married. It was a beautiful wedding! The bride’s dress was to die for and the flowers were dreamy, too. We didn’t stay at the reception very late (and I hear we missed some major fun + karaoke!), but we did make sure to sneak off with a couple slices of cake. Congratulations again, Jenn and Bernabe! We’re so happy for y’all.

On Saturday morning, my brother Tom dropped my mom off at the airport and came over to our place to hang out. Now....James and I have been serious bums all summer long, so, when Tom showed up at about 10 til 8am....we were basically still asleep. But a trip to Fat Hen for coffee and food definitely helped us seize the day. I went with some bruleed grapefruit and a waffle. Tom got one of their signature womlets (waffle + fried chicken + eggs....you know), and James got a fancy eggs benedict. It was all seriously good and the coffee definitely helped with my sleepies.

After breakfast, James headed out to jiu jitzu class and Tom and I went downtown to explore a bit. Tom had never really walked around, so I took him to Jackson Square and all throughout the Quarter. As we made our way to the French Market we happened to find ourselves smack in the middle of the Creole Tomato Festival (New Orleans folks will celebrate pretty much anything). So we walked around and perused the booths, stopping to listen to some pretty fantastic music, and eventually made our way back to the car. It was a lot of fun showing Nola off a little bit!

That afternoon, we all went Uptown for some lunch and zoo time. We went with Tru Burger for lunch mostly because it was on the way to Audubon but also because it features some pretty great burgers and shakes. I got the patty melt and the Heath bar shake, and there’s nothing that beats a good patty melt + ice cream combo.

At the zoo we saw the main attractions: the elephants trunk-bathing themselves in the hot sun, the orangutans sharing a telephone book, the giraffes, and the most human-like gorilla I have ever seen. We also saw the sea lions and otters and so, so many alligators. It was packed and hot, but still a lot of fun. I just love that place.

On Sunday we made some semi-grown up parmesan chicken fingers and watched Shop Girl (Claire Danes! Steve Martin! Jason Schwartzman! I really enjoyed it. It is slow-moving and realistic, but very sweet) and Bernie (Jack Black! Shirley Maclaine! Matthew Mcconaughey! Not typical Jack Black funny, but we really liked it!). We also finished up our headboard (and by "we" I mostly mean James...I drilled one hole and sawed for about an inch and tightened bolts...but yeah, that's it. From idea to execution, James is the one to thank. He's awesome). We're really excited about having a bed-bed! Pictures to come. 

Basically, it was a great couple of days down here. Summer is wonderful. 

6.4.2013-6.10.2013

6.4.2013 :: we live right down the road from Juan’s Flying Burrito but just tried it for the first time last week. Yum. We ate lots and lots of chips + salsa, and I ordered an excellent/giant burrito (the veggie punk). On this same day, I got the last of my grades for spring semester. I am really happy with how they all turned out and even happier that I am now officially a 2L and I am so jazzed about it. Woooo!

6.5.2013 :: I snapped this one at the WWII Museum last week. I always love to see the French influences down here, and this was such a fun and colorful one. Speaking of French, James and I have been practicing our skills a little bit over these last few days. While neither of us is perfect I do believe we’ll be able to communicate over in Franceland. I’m nervous about it, but also really excited to improve!

6.6.2013 :: on Thursday night we went on a double date—out to sushi and then to see “Now You See Me.” Sushi was delicious (but isn’t it always?) and the movie was actually pretty good! I didn’t guess the twist, so that was fun, and it was definitely summery entertainment. James and I took these pictures before we left that night. He has some trouble being serious if you can’t tell.

6.7.2013 :: on Friday we did a packing test run. Everything fits and is comfortable! I can’t believe we are going to be living out of backpacks for a month....but I am seriously pumped about it. I got those shoes off of the Clymb for $15. $15!! We found Jim’s backpack on that site for a steal, as well. If you have any outdoors/hiking/traveling needs, I definitely recommend checking it out! We spent the rest of the day getting last minute things and getting Jameson an international driver’s permit. It all got super real after that.

6.8.2013 :: on Saturday morning I gave my little brother Tom a tour of the French Quarter. I loved this house we happened to stumble upon. Sure, it is a little old and ragged...but man does it have personality. Plus there’s a happy pink flamingo right there in the corner, and I’m always a fan of those guys. I had a lot of fun taking Tom around and showing off our city.

6.9.2013 :: Sunday is Game of Thrones day. Or at least it was (I can’t believe this season is already over!). We piled into bed with some gelato and two spoons and cheered for Tyrion and Khaleesi. And I said, “I hate Joffrey” about 1,000 times (even though he was only in like one scene last episode...that kid seriously gets under my skin. Yuck.). I can’t wait until next season!!

6.10.2013 :: I'm spending the week in Baton Rouge babysitting a couple cute munchkins (the same ones I nannied all last summer). We are having a blast. We watch cartoons, spend hours at the pool, and do all sorts of crafts. It is nice having a bit more of a schedule, and hanging out with kiddos again is the best. 

The World War II Museum

Yesterday, James and I visited the National World War II Museum. It was a truly incredible experience. If you ever find yourself in New Orleans for a few days, it is definitely worth a full day of exploration. The main exhibit brings you from pre-American involvement right through V-J Day with a particularly impressive section dedicated to D-Day.

a few of my favorite things from the exhibit: wartime posters, a comparison of the number of soldiers pre-war (using G.I. Joe figurines), and the two-minute oral history booths sprinkled throughout--those were fascinating.  

And while the exhibit was informative and interesting, the 4-D movie, "Beyond all Boundaries" is 1,000% worth the price of admission and then sum. It is about an hour long, so make sure you have the time to spare, but do not miss it. Seriously. It was one of the most moving things I've ever seen. Exhaustingly emotional, but I'm so glad that we saw it.

After the movie, we headed over to the Boeing Pavilion to look at some amazing planes and tanks, and then participated in Final Mission, a simulated submarine experience. James was in the Navy after high school and spent most of his time on a sub, so it was kind of interesting to get a peek at what that might have been like (even though it obviously wasn't exactly the same...you know with it being modeled after a 1940's era sub and all). One thing I liked most about this experience was that we were each assigned the "identity" of one of the men on board the U.S.S. Tang. It was, all in all, a very cool thing.

German air raid shelters...and me, mid-serious belly laugh. 

We topped our trip off with a stop at the American Sector, John Besh's restaurant attached to the museum. So good. I went with a strawberry shake plus a super well-seasoned burger. James got a Warhawk beer and a giant sloppy joe. Both came with homemade chips, and both were delicious.

Overall, this was one of my favorite things we've done in the city. And it was amazing to be there so close to the anniversary of D-Day, and to encounter the veterans who volunteer there and the others who were there to visit. It is so easy to forget history...all that happened before our time. It is so easy to just take things for granted. So much of the past seems unimaginable. But I am very thankful that museums like this exist...to keep the past alive a bit...to make sure we remember.

p.s. the museum is located in the arts (warehouse) district, and I really love that place. We're planning to have one more date night state-side and check this neighborhood out a little bit more.

5.28.2013-6.2.2013

5.28.2013 :: I have been ever-so-slightly under the weather since last Tuesday. Nothing earth-shattering, just not quite myself. This means, in part, that our house has been ever-so-slightly messy since last Tuesday and our meals have ever-so-slightly...not homemade. James brought home Bud's the other night and oh, onion rings. Thank you for being you.

5.29.2013 :: last Wednesday we went up to Baton Rouge so James could hang with his good friend Ryan (and meet/chat with David Sedaris. yeah. he's a lucky duck), and I could laze around with my mom. We watched all sorts of silly television, I took a 2 hour nap, and it was all kinds of lovely. So nice to have her in town these past few weeks.

5.30.2013 :: last Thursday, I had a meeting in the French Quarter. I was nervous about parking, so James gave me a ride and hung around while I schmoozed for a couple hours. Afterwards, we wandered a bit and stumbled into Chophouse for an impromptu date night. I really love that guy. He makes everything fun.

5.31.2013 :: on Friday we celebrated a friend's 25th at Mick's in Mid-City with beer and cupcakes (German Chocolate and Irish Car Bomb cupcakes, to be exact). Yum. Finding such a wonderful group of friends has been one of the biggest perks of grad school down here. I feel really lucky to be surrounded by such great people.

6.1.2013 :: hey, so libraries are kind of the greatest things. They just let you take fabulous movies and books...for free, guys. Its wonderful. This is the loot from our second trip of the season. Can you guess which three I selected and which three Jim selected? P.S. Young Adult? Meh. I was so excited about it because I love all other Diablo Cody fare (we both do), but then it wasn't so great. Mostly because of the ending...ok, *spoiler*...she's going to keep being a crappy, delusional person?!?! Lame.

6.2.2013 :: we are in the midst of building a headboard over here! Aaaand, at first it was way too tall...and now, well it is a smidge too wide. So, needless to say, it isn't quite ready for its big reveal. But we're excited about it! We love when we can find projects to work on together, and even though I'm pretty useless in the power tool arena, I'm pretty great at tightening bolts. So, you know. I'm useful, kind of.

6.2.2013 :: have you seen the new Haagen-Dazs gelato commercials? Love 'em. And those ads led to this guy finding his way into our grocery cart the other day. It is seriously delicious and great preparation/research for the Italy portion of our trip...right? The other night, we indulged with a few spoonfuls in bed while watching a French movie on Netflix and oh.my.gosh. I cannot wait to board that jet plane and be immersed in the real thing.