Destrehan Plantation

Barataria National Preserve

Parasols Bar

Yesterday we enjoyed some local cuisine and visited Parasols Bar, an Irish pub of sorts which was featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Dives, and Drive-Ins. This one classifies as a dive; it was pretty rough looking. But Guy said they had killer po boys and muffalattas so we had to try it out! Our friend, Dustin, tagged along and we all enjoyed ourselves. Dustin and Jackie got roast beef po boys and I got half a muffalatta. Jackie and I split some cheesy fries with gravy. It was all very delicious! Just ignore those bullet-shaped holes in the door as you walk in.

Later last night Dustin and his wife, Rachel, came over and we watch the National Championship game together and enjoyed my first ever king cake! It was delicious, as well.

So New Orleans definitely has it's downsides what with the crime running amuck and all but wowee, the food!

Christmas

Snow Day!

Halloween

Yesterday we completed our necessary end-of-week tests in Spelling, Reading, and Math and then we spent the rest of school time crafting and doing Halloween activities.

Here Keeleigh is making a glue ghost. You just put down some wax paper and squirt glue into a ghost shape. We used hot glue so that it would dry quickly. If you use white glue you need to let it dry at least over night. After the glue went down, we added black paper from the hole puncher for the eyes and boo-mouth. Once the glue is all dry you just peel your ghost up!

We also made a spider bracelet with wiggle eyes and a whole patch of paper jack-o-lanterns for our door. here Jathan and I are cutting out pumpkins...

Isn't he so cute? This is how he has to sit if he's awake during school or craft time--right in my lap at the table amongst all the action.

Keeleigh got to do some more crafts at the Trunk-r-Treat we went to.

Our neighbor, Melissa, decorated her mom and dad's trunk as a country home. On the left is Jessica (1st floor neighbor), Stuti (Keeleigh's best friend from the 2nd floor) and Melissa who live directly beside us to the right. And then there's Keeleigh carrying her candy bag which, believe it or not, was FULL of candy before the night was over!

Jathan was absolutely amazed at all of the decorations and people dressed up. He wandered from car to car making people laugh. The cutest thing all night was when he saw the gold coins on the ground around the pirate's treasure chest which was full of candy. He gasped and pointed in amazement and bypassed the candy to grab a coin!

There were several blow-up bounce houses and slides. This one was Keeleigh's favorite and I let her slide down with Jathan once.

They made it! But I don't think Jathan saw a thing...his hat was over his eyes the whole time!

Daddy spent most of the night socializing; he is the biggest talker I've ever seen and never seems to meet a stranger! He did finally sit down and cuddle with his little spider eventually, though.

And here's Keeleigh getting wild going down the slide!

When we got home they dumped out all the candy and there were 207 pieces in all! They divided it all up, kindly bestowing all the M&Ms on Jathan.

Jathan ate lots and lots of M&Ms and one orange sucker and then gratefully headed to bed!

Keeleigh spent the night with Stuti (and hopefully didn't drive her parents up the wall on a sugar high!) and Jackie and I stayed up as late as we could watching Ghost Hunters Live. Sadly we were tuckered out as well and barely saw 10 p.m.! Oh, we're getting old!
It was a very nice, safe and sugar-filled Halloween full of crafts and friends. Just the way I like it!

Trunk-r-Treat and Vote for Cookies!

Last night I took the kids to Trunk-r-Treat at First Baptist New Orleans. Keeleigh dressed up as a cheetah girl, literally...

And Jathan was a spider.

They really enjoyed themselves playing on the bounce houses and getting candy!

Last night Jackie and I did our patriotic duty...in our pajamas! We received our absentee ballots in the mail and got right to filling them out so that we could send them back today. Keeleigh was totally impressed with the teeny tiny pencils they send you to fill the ballot out with. She had to use it for school today. Until she got tired of trying to hold a teeny tiny pencil, that is!


Today has been an as-usual day. School went well this morning and thankfully Jathan finally decided to take his morning nap about an hour late. Tomorrow is Halloween so we are just going to do our necessary end of week tests (math, spelling, reading) and I have fun and games planned for the rest of school time.

This afternoon I took the time to make some cookies from scratch! They are officially called Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk cookies but I just call them awesome.

Here's the recipe if you'd like to give them a try.

Ingredients:
2/3 coup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salk
1 6 oz. package Craisins Sweetened Dried Cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

Directions:
Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together in a medium mising bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in Craisins and white chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Make approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.