All things Cajun.

So excited about our upcoming trip!  We are going to Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.

In the meantime I am trying to teach Gabe (and occasionally Joe, when he's around!) about all things Cajun.  Yesterday we read this story called "Why Alligator Hates Dog."

Today we read one called There Was an Ol' Cajun, a Cajun version of the story about the old woman who swallowed the fly.  "There was an ol' Cajun who swallowed a gnat."  And every other page says, "Why he did dat?"  Ha.

We watched the Scooby movie about the zombies in the swamp ...

I made a CD of every song I could think of that had anything to do with Louisiana.

And today we started reading Locked in Time.  Trying to skip over the boring/girly parts and then explain everything I read, after I read it.

Someone is going to need another bribe to be pleasant on vacation.

Dad brought some okra home from the farm today ... gumbo!

These little projects add some spice to our everyday life ...

I'll probably be writing a lot more about this subject during the next two weeks!

Pool day again!

 

Today we managed to get to the pool with all the kids!

Max LOVES the baby pool!

Buddy came and got in too.

This is the face Max makes when I ask him to smile.  He kept saying, "Nice to meet you, Mama!"

Nathan's first time in the pool!

He wouldn't let go of Clari for a little while, but soon became much more enthusiastic.

Maya in her pink goggles.

The kids never want to leave!

A book for Grandpa?

We've been wanting to make a memory book for Grandpa for a long time.  (This is my grandpa's family, and he is the handsome guy at the top right.)

So if anyone has pictures of Grandpa, I'd like to get them from you!  (Here he is with his first two sons, my dad and Ricky.)

I will take them online, on CDs or DVDs, or physical copies, any way I can get them.  (Grandpa with me and Wendy.  Don't I look like Max?  Wendy looks like Luke ...)

Grandpa as the principal of our elementary school.  (Hula girl = me, pumpkin = Wendy, witch = Angie Rex, Snoopy = Kim Clink, Princess Leia = Tara Tollefsbol, Angel = Patti Bilski)

Grandpa with Brian and me.

After I get all the pictures together, I will put them up online or hand out CDs ...

... and then everyone can submit stories and memories with the photos as prompts.

Hopefully that will work, and maybe this could be done by Christmas.  (Grandpa with Dan!)

Booked that lakeside cabin this morning.  I love having new adventures!

Max's schedule is starting to slip a bit.  He's trying to stay up a bit later ...

And as a result, he does not want to wake up in the morning, or from naps!

Upcoming.

Max likes watching Gabe's Raging Blast video game so much that I have to call Gabe to come turn it on and leave it in auto mode, even when he doesn't feel like playing.

When Max wants to see this video game, he says he wants to "watch a mooby."

Lately he gets whiny when I try to take him out for his evening playtime.

Maybe because it's so hot!

Dan took a test today to determine his political leanings.  Here's his result.  Mine was pretty close, left and libertarian, but a little less so than his scores, at x = -3.62 and y = -4.67.  If anyone else takes this test I'm curious to see your results:  http://www.politicalcompass.org/test ... it was kinda fun.

So, I made some calls about our vacation today!

I booked us a swamp tour!

... and I'm in the process of reserving us a cabin for two nights.  I think it's going to be this one!

Trying to get Gabe psyched for this vacation.  We'll watch the Scooby swamp movie again, and I want to read him the book I read as a teenager ...

Which is the first time I decided I liked the name Gabe (after a character in the book).  It may be above his head, though, or otherwise too girly.  Requested it from the library though.

So, fun things are on the horizon for us!  Not as fun:  My ovarian surveillance is coming up in about a week and a half.  But I am choosing to look at that as a test that I'm preparing for by eating right, exercising, and praying (and still being too young for that, hopefully).  Hope to keep passing these tests.

Pole barn.

The guys went up to Brenham today to build a pole barn.

Clearing brush.

Marking the spot.

Farmer Brad (of Home Sweet Farm) helped dig the holes.

Once this shelter goes up, there will be a place to park our camper so folks can spend the night up there.

Brian, having tons of fun as usual.

Hammering.  (At this point I'm just guessing what's going on in these photos since I wasn't there.)

Up go the poles.

A dark picture of Daddy.

Max is still a bit grumpy today!  Not sure why ...

After his nap we discovered a wasp flying around the room.  Max called it a bee, and he told me it bit his butt.  (Not sure why he said that!)  

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In this video I was trying to get him to repeat the cute thing he said about the "bee," but he was intent on getting me to put his pants on him (and getting a bit irked with me)!