Family Work, Family Play

We started a new project this June. Well, what's new, right?

I had been having a playground kit that I bought on clearance on a do-it-yourself website since January. The old playground definitely had issues, but was still safe.

Lance finally agreed to look at it. I got the plans out and various books that had some cool ideas. Lance reviewed the plans, took a look at the books, and then got out the plans again. This time he got out the ruler and liquid paper too. I raised my eyebrows a little, but Lance always comes up with really neat ideas, so I let him do.

We set a start date and decided it would take no more than a week to disassemble the old one and build the new one. Well, we started Memorial Day weekend, and due to excessive amounts of rain and various add-ons, we completed the playground last week.

The new playground now features two children's swings, one cooperative swing, an infant swing and a five foot cypress porch swing. One slide is a 7 foot tubular slide and the other is a bumpy straight slide (if that makes sense!). There are two towers connected with a rickety bridge hand-netted by Lance. The larger tower has different levels for climbing and also Les Barres de Prison with a door that does not lock (for those brothers and sisters that might like to do away with a pesky sibling). At the top level is a surprise which I won't ruin with a picture, you'll just have to come see for yourself. The playground is shaded except for about 5 hours in the heat of the day. We have plans for landscaping and more shade trees, but that will be more in the fall.

We have also raised some Peking ducks and white geese for the pond. The fish are just waiting for someone to come toss some bait into the water. The fence is going up for the sheep (and possibly a donkey). However, Farmer Kelly lost several of her vegetable plants due to poor drainage and too much rain. I'll just try again later. Another summer project that I started is a beautiful quilt for Camille. My friend, Sandy, shared an easy pattern with me. I must say it is coming out awfully nice for the poor sewing skills that I possess.

Nickel is having his first birthday next week. He thinks he's big stuff. He has two bottom teeth, but still no top teeth. He hasn't begun to walk yet. Lance blames the exersaucer that he was in as a smaller baby. I'm actually okay with him not walking yet, since I can about imagine what other things he would be getting into.

We finished up all of our recitals, baseball/softball season, and most of the summer camps. Heidi still has culture camp over at the Jean Lafitte Center in town. Matthew attended the past two years, but is now too old. Heidi is very much looking forward to it. We're also doing a short course in early American history, which is kind of fun. The kids were frustrated at first for doing "schoolwork" over the summer, but then they got interested. We recently learned about Columbus' four voyages across the Atlantic. Yesterday, I heard Alain talking about the "treacherous" game he was playing! Next week, we'll get into the Native American Indians and their territories in North and Central America.

Life has been interesting to say the least. We're looking forward to the rest of the summer. Every day is a new and welcome challenge. Hopefully, it stays interesting and not too "treacherous"!

Boudin-making, cracklin cooking, crawfish boil, duck tape & Faquetigue 2007

We all had a wonderful time this Mardi Gras season, thanks to all of our guests staying with us. It wouldn't be half as fun if we didn't have such a great group of people!

Boudin making looked like an experience with Shane's apron getting a little too close to the fire!
Most of you will notice that I had to edit this one! Thanks to our Arkansas friends for making Shane stand out more!


I think this was probably the best batch of boudin yet. The cracklins were excellent too!


The crawfish were perfect. Lance boiled approximately 225 lbs. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and the music. We only had about a pound of peeled tails left (for Lance's crawfish omelet in bed Thursday morning after Mardi Gras).

Duct tape testing was a success. WD40 did not further the cause. The final round of testing almost failed, but in the end it held up after several hours of trials! A caution sign was posted and notice was given. Beta testers for the Duct Tape Council were much appreciated.

Le Deuxieme Faquetigue Mardi Gras run went off with a bang this year. Lance was the first to catch a chicken.

Matthew and his friend, Gabe, also ran the courir. Unfortunately, neither of them caught a chicken, maybe next time. They enjoyed it so much that they both want to run again next year.

There was a pig chase at the halfway point.
He was greased and ready. Le cochon gave a nice run the first go-round. But as most of us know, pigs really don't fly, so he didn't put up much of a fight the next time. He's fine now, and we will certainly enjoy cooking and eating him for the weekend of the etouffee cook-off. Here are some of the pictures from various people. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did.



















Next year, Lance says I get to run, so y'all better look out! Although I'm not sure I will be able to provide the entertainment post-party like Lance did! I'm done for now. It's time to grab a beer and hop in the hot tub!

C'est tous finis!

Family & Other Pics

We recently went to the Missippi coast to check out the damage one year after Katrina. The one on the left was taken on the beach in Waveland. There are lots of signs on many portions with "Beach Closed" because of the debris still under the water.

The water was very clear and shallow in Gulfport, so we were able to swim just a little.

New Orleans is slowly, but surely, recovering as well. Wasn't that Saints home opener at the newly renovated Superdome something else! I don't know about y'all, but Lance and I felt a little emotional seeing it. Amazingly, the Saints pulled off the win, and didn't even wilt in the last quarter. We were impressed with the strategy of the coach and execution of the team.

On to the next topic of the day.... Friends have been asking for more pictures of Nickel (as Heidi calls him). He is currently almost three months old.

"Who does he look like?" we are constantly asked. Well, the hair really got us. He was the first baby in the family with hair. Unfortunately, the poor darlin is starting to lose it (although he still seems to have more than his daddy!).

I look at the pictures now and I see Camille's smile, Matthews nose, Alain's eyes, and Heidi's mischeviousnous (uh oh). But he's a real sweetie. Whoever he resembles, he is certainly loved.

Matthew, our world traveler, is currently gone on a cruise with his grandparents. I told him the other day that he was sure lucky he was a homeschooler and able to take advantage of these opportunities. We talked to Paw Paw last night on the phone, and Matthew had already read his entire leisure (as opposed to dedicated schoolwork) book (300 page eighth grade reading material). We miss him terribly. He's such a good big brother. He really takes care of his younger siblings.

Heidi is having her ninth birthday this weekend. Her latest interests are photography, fashion and puppies. She's the dog whisperer. She just found a stray beagle wandering the grounds. Naturally, she was the only one able to pet it. With all of the animals around, she still wants to keep it. I'm surprised, because recently she told me she didn't want anymore pigeons, because she would have to feed them (one of her chores).

Alain must be right-brained, because he is really excelling in math. He spent two weeks at the start of the school year working with his daddy every day. Now, he actually looks forward to his schoolwork.
Alain can't wait to go back to the beach. He's not satisfied with our upcoming vacation to the east coast, he wants sand. When Al was a baby, he would sit in the sand box and eat fistfuls of sand! I guess some loves never die.

Camille is still our little hurricane. She's excited because she now has her own "practice box" with colors, water paints, scissors, glue, puzzles & preschool workbooks. At least once a day, she tells me she needs to practice and heads off to her table. I'm actually pretty impressed with her fine motor skills! Her favorite pasttimes are playing Barbies with her big sister and swimming.

Lance is keeping busy over at Lakeview. You'll have to talk to him about progress over there. Things are still coming along here too. It's just more infrastructure so ya can't see it.

We recently talked to some of our evacuee/friends. Unfortunately, two of them have passed away due to a long illness and a heat stroke. Our prayers are with these families. Everyone else is doing well. We still remember them in our prayers, and hope you will too.

Just as an aside, I'd like you to meet my mom. She is responsible for a lot of my obnoxious personality! (I had to get this picture in somewhere!)

I haven't been doing many new and exciting things lately. My reading has even slowed to a crawl. I did pick up a nice cross stitch and put in approximately three stitches. I haven't been crocheting much either. I am trying to organize my life and those of the kids, but I haven't truly dedicated myself to it yet. Hopefully, I'll get it together one day. Until then, I hope you were able to understand the ramblings of a sleep-deprived, homeschool mom of five (that doesn't seem possible to me!).

Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Alert

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is advising hikers, hunters, fishermen, golfers and tourist in general to take extra precautions and keep alert for alligators while in the wild.

They advise people to wear noise-producing devices such as little bells on their shoes or clothing to alert but not startle the alligators unexpectedly. They also advise the carrying of pepper spray in case of an encounter with an alligator.

It is also a good idea to watch for fresh signs of alligator activity. People should learn to recognize the difference between small young alligator droppings and large adult alligator droppings.

Young alligator droppings are small and contain fish bones and possibly bird feathers. Adult alligator droppings have little bells in them and smell like pepper spray.

For those of you who think we have gators roaming freely in our backyards, I thought you might enjoy this joke!