Implosion

For a month or so Eben and I have been watching videos on YouTube of imploding buildings. So, it was a treat when we found out there would be an implosion just down the street from us. This was a Veterans retirement home that was right on the beach and uninhabitable since Katrina. They imploded it and will be rebuilding a new one. We barely made it in time and didn't get quite as close as we would have liked but we were only a block or so from the site.

Here's one someone recorded and put on YouTube:

Tyler: a star!

Tyler's been on a roll lately. We went to the Bob the Builder show at Lynn Meadows Discovery Center and she was selected to come on stage:





Then, at a Halloween costume contest, Tyler won first place in her age group. She had some stiff competion, the other kids had little acts prepared and we hadn't come ready for that - but she looked so precious as Dorothy!

Mama takes a vacation!

Last weekend I left all three kids with Scott for the first time and went on a 4-night cruise to Cozumel with my mom and sister. We went on a Carnival ship that ports in Mobile, AL. It was a fun cruise - the ship is Carnival's smallest and oldest ship and although you could definitely tell that was the case, we had great food and lots of relaxing time. We enjoyed a horseback riding excursion in Cozumel and had really yummy mexican food. My thanks goes out to my mom who took us on the cruise as our Christmas gift. It was so fun to spend good time with her and my sister - it was a first for us and something we'd decided we need to do often!

Also my thanks goes out to Nona for coming for a couple days while I was gone to help Scott out since he was balancing all his regular work and three kids! She did a great job of keeping the fed and entertained while also doing all sorts of housework and laundry! It was such a treat to come home to a really clean house!

Finally, Scott ... he singlehandedly broke Tate of his mommy-attachment issues! He did a great job with all the kids but most appreciated was the fact that when I came home Tate had learned how to entertain himself! Daily I've been reminded of what a great dad he is and the fact that having another person around with different ideas and perspectives is really valuable!

Here are some more pics from our cruise and after we got home ...

Cats!

No, not the Broadway production you're thinking of. However, we've had enough cats around our house lately to put on our own production. Let me preface this by saying, Scott and I are not "cat people". But, in August we had a sweet cat show up who was so skinny we couldn't help but start feeding her. We named her Cleopatra and even though she stayed outdoors she quickly became a "pet" to our kids. She would let Tate carry her around upside down and tried to sneak into the house whenever possible. We ended up loving her so much, we found her a wonderful home ... with my parents in Orlando! She made the trip down with my dad and very quickly adjusted to being a domesticated cat.


Then, about two weeks after she'd left, an identical looking boy cat showed up. I'm convinced he's Cleo's brother. He now comes and goes as he pleases.

Then, the night before I left for my cruise, I found this precious kitten meowing by the fence in our front yard.


We took her to the Humane Society the next day but she was too little to be fixed so they couldn't adopt her out. We took her back and fortunately found a home for her with new long-term volunteers who live at the Village in Houma, LA.

So, for now, no more new cats - but, if you're interested in one, I should have some more before too long!

Good Moyning!

One of my favorite things about Eben lately is the fact that he says the letter "r" like a "y". So, girls are goys, and my favorite is that when he wakes up and after his nap he says, "Good Moyning!"

Also, for the first time last week Eben started playing with his friends. This is so different from Tyler who just as she was turning two was asking for her friends when they were apart and playing great dramas out with them when they were together. For Eben, he's spent the last year with the same group of boys but never seemed to care if and when he saw them. But the last couple times we've been together, this same group of boys have been chasing and playing together all over the playground. It's so fun to see!

Fall?

This week we've been tricked into believing it might be Fall. Today the high will be 82 degrees. The "Fall" part is that in the morning it dips below 60 degrees. Living somewhere like this, you forget that in parts of the country it's beginning to snow or at least get cold.

Really though, it's been so lovely this week. Finally we've been able to go outside without being miserable. The kids are playing outside again, we're visiting parks - I love it!

Cakes

So apparently every fall I will be elbow deep in flour and sprinkles. With all these birthdays lumped together I've been so busy in the kitchen baking and, more time consuming, decorating.

For Scott and Tate's birthdays, Tyler and I picked a Golf cake. I think this was one of the best looking birthday cakes/cupcakes I've ever made but really it was pretty easy. We did it in an afternoon and managed to keep it a secret until Scott saw a picture of it online! Argh!







Then, Tyler asked to do a "girl cupcake" and a "boy cupcake" for her class party. So, we did butterflies for the girls and turtles for the boys. Both were fun but neither turned out exactly as I was picturing in my head. Regardless, the kids thought they were great and ate all the little decorations more than the actual cupcake.





Somehow I've gotten myself into making these elaborate (for me, anyway) cakes for everyone's birthdays. I really do enjoy doing it - it's a labor of love for me. Anyway, I don't think I ever put Eben's cake on here that we did for his party back in July. I thought this one was really cute.

Birthdays!

Within five days of eachother, Scott turned 31, Tate turned 1 and Tyler turned 6. Scott and I celebrated his b-day with a date at Trapani's Eatery in Bay St. Louis where we had incredible steaks. Then, with my brother and sister-in-law visiting, we had cake in honor of Scott and Tate's birthdays. Tyler turned six a couple days later and we were happy to have my dad in town to help celebrate. We had gifts and dinner out but Tyler was sick so her school party had to wait until later in the week. Then, at school, we did cupcakes and favor bags for all her classmates. So, now we have about nine months until the next birthday. Whew!