Family Weekend in New Orleans

I am so behind on blogging.

My mom will call me out of the blue and meekly ask, "When are you going to blog again?"

Sorry mom...lots on the plate lately!

But here you go.

The fam met in New Orleans the first weekend of June for my birthday celebrations.

We spend the night at Harrah's Hotel (lovely) and shopped, went to aquarium, ate lots of yummy food, and some gambled...

We rode the street car to Superior Grill on Saturday.

It's the yummiest Mexican around these parts.
The boys had so much fun on the streetcar.

Charlie kept leaning his big head out the window and getting smacked in the face with tree branches.

He loved it.

Who knew?
Someone was looking for his mama!

It was hot and steamy on the streetcar.

At least the breeze kept it semi-comfortable.
We hopped off the streetcar as soon as it got close to our hotel.

Then we all went to our rooms and showered.
Charlie and I waiting for the elevator.

Or as Charlie would say, "ellllelllator."
The cool lobby!
Charlie likes to push buttons on the ellellator.

He also has been known to push the "fire" "emergency" button.

He has been known to push it many, many times.
Jackson was pooped.

Too pooped to fight his brother to push the ellellator button.

That's pretty pooped in Jackson's book.
Mom and Jackson looking out the window at the boats going down the Mississippi river.

Lots to look at.

Loads of entertainment for little boys.


The MEN.

We came up to Mom and Steve's room before we went out to dinner and hung out for a little while.
We took pictures.

James and Mom :)
Mom and Beau :)
Typical Reyba picture.

Steve's eyes are closed.....shocker!

Cindra sticking her tongue out at her husband.
There we are!

I have to say, I've got a good lookin' husband :)
Lana was behind the camera on this one.

I almost got car sickness.

Yeah, the restaurant was only like 6 blocks away...

I am a wuss.

Steve is still squinty eyed.

Thanks for positioning your legs to the side, Mom.

We would have all had a peep show!!
Heading in to dinner.

Stomach feeling better.
Steve wearing mom's glasses so he can read the menu.

Ha.
There we are again...
I'd love to know what was going through his head right there.

Maybe something along the lines of...

"I think I shall give my wife another baby real soon."

Maybe not.


hmmm.

Don't know who Lana was calling here.

Steve's eyes shut tight.

Walking around after dinner.

We were stuffed.

We've got a comedian on our hands tonight!
Info about me:

If there are chocolate covered strawberries in my sight, they will be eaten.

by me.

I have no words...

Doesn't look like she does either.
I just ate a chocolate covered strawberry.

And unbeknownst to me, I had chocolate in my teeth.

Thanks to my bro and sis, I was quickly informed of that.

Sunday morning we got up and went to Ruth's Chris for brunch.

The boys were trying their best to behave. [actually, I don't know that that statement is even possible at their age]

Let's just say, it was going well for them.

Jackson was excited the butter dish was conveniently placed in front of him.
in a butter coma....
This little guy was really behaving!

He put his napkin in his lap and sat on his butt.

That's progress!

My handsome boys!

Jackson is just discovering that there is another butter dish on our side of the table...

After brunch we went back to Mom and Steve's room and sat around.

Mom "taught" the boys how to play chess.

If that's what you even want to call it.

Charlie was swiping the horsey pieces.

Jackson was confused and playing checkers.

My sister and me.

Then we packed up and drove back across the lake to home.

It was a fun weekend.

And we didn't even have to go far.

Thanks Mom and Steve!

Blackberry Pickin' with the Conrads

We drove out to Tim's house this morning with the Conrad Fam to let the kids pick some wild blackberries that grew alongside the road.

I had "stuffing my face with blackberry cobbler" on the brain.

Charlie had Mia on the brain.

Isn't she a doll???

Charlie likes Mia.

On our way out there, Charlie said, "Mommy, Mia wear a dress?"

oh help me....

Look at his little hand around her waist! Ha!

Another Conrad.

Trent Conrad, that is.

He had just gotten started.

[and he was eating all of his blackberries as he picked them...I watched him]

Momma Conrad.

as in, Marci.

She wore flip flops.

Wild blackberry bushes have LOTS of thorns.

We'll stop there.

Hey you two!

Get back here!

It's not everyday my kid gets to run wildly down a paved road.

[we were in the country!]

Jackson enjoyed picking blackberries.

Just look at that sweat on his brow!

It was h-o-t!

Another Conrad! Miss Emma!

It was prickly, hot, buggy, and sticky.

But we went home with enough blackberries to make a cobbler.

And that is exactly what I am about to do!

Happy Friday!

Thanks, Conrads :)

Jackson's no longer a preschooler and I'm 30 :/

I know what I'm asking for for Christmas this year. A telephoto lens for my camera.

Do you see those moms crouched down in the front? Yeah, no room for Jackson's mom.

Oh, did I mention we were in the second to LAST row of the sanctuary?

AND we got there at 6:40.....20 minutes before the "show" started!

Parents were crowding down front, blocking people's views from the back...

one Dad went up there in the middle of a song and told some people what he thought about that.

It wasn't James.

He's too nice to do that....I thought about doing it.

Anyways, Wednesday night was Jackson's school program.

We went to dinner for my birthday and headed to his school.

They sang some cute songs:

"What A Wonderful World"...

"When the Saints Go Marching In...

"Jesus Loves Me"...
"Who Did"

This last one took me back to VBS from my childhood at Beltline.

Love that song! We sang in in the car on the way home and Jackson just stared at me as I belted out, "Who did, who did, who did, who did, who did swallow Jo, Jo, Jo-nah???"

ha.

Since we couldn't get close ups of our little preschool graduate, we turned the camera on ourselves!
Ah, gotta love a thirty year old's crow's feet....

Never a close up again. :)
This is a classic Charlie move. We're in the [second to back row], and we clap after a song and Charlie screams, "Jashon!!!" and gives a thumbs up.
He loved our antics.

And sang every song with a huge smirk on his face...sweet boy.

the happy parentals.

I cried during his program.

and especially during his picture slideshow.

....I am now the proud owner of a Kindergardener.

[sob]

Did I mention that there was a PRECIOUS little baby boy in the pew in front of us?

My heart melted. I had a hard time focusing on my boy on stage because of this baby in front of me giving me googley eyes.

For 2.2 seconds I wanted another child. Until my sweet husband whispered in my ear.....sweet I-don't-think-so's.....

Aunt Lana and Charlie

Aunt Lana and special sauce....

Today was Jackson's last official day at preschool.

His teachers threw the kids and their families a brunch.

I wanted a nice pic of my boy, but the sun wasn't cooperating, as you can see.

Jackson and his best friend, Tristan.

They are inseparable!

Such a big boy.

I just hope he'll kick the whiney habit by fall.....

Jackson and Tristan swinging like monkeys

After we ate, we went out to the playground. Charlie thought he had died and went straight to Disney World. He was zipping all over the playground screaming, "Mommy! Look at me!", and trying out all of the fun playground toys.

He'll be going to this preschool next Fall two days a week!

I think this was his favorite!

Somehow he swindled two cute little girls to peddle the bikes [he doesn't know how yet],

[our bikes are in storage and he's had zero practice!].

Love his facial expressions!

The girls hopped off and Jackson and his friend hopped on. Charlie never moved from his bike. He was so cute.

My little monkey boy :)

This is Jackson's teacher, Mrs. Betty, that so kindly and graciously taught him how to read.

That's right.

My boy is reading.

Jackson wanted his pic taken with his friend, J.P., then out of nowhere Charlie's face appears in the frame. Oh well.

Happy summer!

Pray for me :)

Charlie and his balls....

I found this cute little man hanging out with his balls on the chair this afternoon.

He'd gathered all of them from around the house and put them in that chair. It took him a while to do it.

Then he crawled up on the chair and loved on his balls.

He took turns holding each of them.

Studying them.

Calling them out by name...

"coccer ball!"

"baseball!"

"phootball!"

"baketball!"

and then repeating that over again.

Ignoring the camera that was shoved in his face...

"Seriously mom! I'm trying to have a moment with my balls and you and your camera are ruining it!!"

Ok, just one pic..

He's such a cutie.

And then I walk away and he hurls each one of them at the back of my head.

I love you too, son.