Kite Festival

Port Allen (across the river from downtown Baton Rouge) has a kite festival each year. It's a free event with music, food, and activities for kids.  Not only can you bring your own kite and fly it, but you can purchase kites at the festival.  There are also professional kite fliers there who fly kites in a separate section.

 

One of the kids activities was racing with a parachute on your back.  I think it was a lot harder than they thought it would be. 

 

 

 

The kites below are in the professional section and are all parafoils.

 

Eva and Emily each brought a kite that they caught in a parade.  Eva's was a parafoil, and Emily's was a regular kite, but it had no tail.  Emily's never flew, but Eva's did great...for a while. It was flying perfectly until I left to get Emily a kite, came back and Eva's was no longer flying.  So, then I was off to get her a kite.

 Parafoil we brought.

 

 Eva's new kite.

 

Emily's new kite flew great, but it hit the ground one too many times and a part came unstitched. I just need to sew it up and it should be fine. I think we'll bring these to Grand Isle in July to fly at the beach. 

It was a perfect kite flying day: very windy, 70 degrees and sunny.

Wisteria

This year is the first year to really have our wisteria blooming. Last year we got a few from one of our trees, but none on the other. We knew one was purple, but as it turns out, the other is pink (we got them at different times/places). We've never seen a pink wisteria, so it's pretty neat to have both. 

 

 Up close purple.

 Whole tree purple.

 Up close pink.

Whole tree pink.

Blooms!

Our warm winter has brought our blooms early!

 

 Lorapetulum - flowers all year long.

 Indian Hawthorne

 Azalea - that color!

 Another azalea

 Sweet olive - smells awesome!

 Meyer lemon tree - tons of blooms - do you see the lizard to the left of the flower?

Wisteria - smells awesome!

Shamrock 5K

We did our first family race last weekend.   Eva and I ran while David ran/walked and Emily walked with friends.   The weather was fine at first, but started drizzling during the race and continued until after we left. 

 

 Family pic before.

 Sisters before.

 Emily's walking crew.

This was Eva's first race, and she did great. It was her first (race or practice) where she did not stop at all.  Her time was 29:16 which left her in 2nd place for ages 14 and under. There was a discrepancy with the timing company. They listed an additional age group, 11 and under, where Eva placed first. They were only handing medals out for 14 and under, so she did not get the medal.  She was very upset after seeing 1st next to her name, but got over it eventually.

 Eva and I sprinting at the finish. Notice both of our feet are off the ground!

 Emily cruising in.

 

 Eva and me after the race.

 First 5k medal!

Friends!

David ran 2 miles, his most since his surgery. His time was 30:33 and placed 7th in his age group. Not bad considering he walked a mile.  Emily walked an 18 minute mile pace and came in 7th in her age group, which was the same age group as Eva, lol.  My time was 29:18, 6th place in my age group. I ran with Eva the whole time to make sure she didn't lose pace. 

Next race:  April 16 in the Chick-fil-a Race Series. This race gives medals for first, second and third place in each age group.  Let's keep our fingers crossed she can get a medal that day.

Daddy-Daughter Date Night

Chick-fil-a does lots of activities for kids throughout the year. This was our first time participating in any of them, and it was pretty cute. This was daddy-daughter date night. David parked in a parking lot in a nearby Holiday Inn. There, the girls could get some lip gloss and eye shadow, if they wanted (mine did not).

 

They then took a limo to Chick-fil-a where they were brought to their table (reservations required!). 

 

 

 In the limo!

 

 

The tables had tablecloths and they were waited on instead of ordering at the counter like usual.

 

 The table!

 

 

They all got masks and the girls got flowers (not pictured).

 

I think they all had a good time, and we'll try another activity there again. Plus, mama got a quiet evening alone (with Phoebe). Two thumbs up!

Policeman's Ball

One of our friends was given 10 tickets (a table) to the Hammond Policeman's Ball which was this past Saturday. We all got dressed up and had a great night out. I'm only showing 2 pictures as most of them are pretty silly.

 

The gang!

Winter Formal

The winter formal was this past Friday at Eva's school. Dances are only for grades 5-8, so Emily cannot attend. 

 

 

 Eva before the dance.

 

The girls got ready together before the dance. We got a couple of high school girls to do hair and make up.  They had food and drink beforehand also. After, they had a sleepover at one of the girls' house. 

 



 The BFFs before the dance.

 

 

The whole group. This was also the sleepover group.

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras came early this year, but the weather was perfect!  We spent the Sunday before Mardi Gras on Napoleon Ave with our group to see Okeanos, Mid City, Thoth, and finally, Bacchus.  It's a long, full day, but we all enjoy it.

 

Love this!

 

The girls love Marissa!

Face painting!

 

Aunt Michelle and Uncle Charlie met us!

 

 

We all love Marissa!

Cheese!

 

No idea.

 

 

 Sometimes we all need a nap, esp if you've been out holding the spot since 4am.

 

Mardi Gras day we set up camp at a restaurant on St Charles Ave right on the parade route. The cost included food all day, bathrooms, and a place to get out of the killer wind.  Plus, it had a great balcony to view the parades.

She caught her own 'Black Baby"

 

 

It was a fun time, and we brought home 3 coconuts. The girls caught 4, but gave one to a friend as she was the only one who did not catch her own coconut.  I think we'll give Mardi Gras day a break for now. I just don't enjoy the parades or the day as much as other parade days.

Braces!

Before:

 

After:

What a cutie!