Home again

We're back home again after our visit to New Orleans last week. Mom had some stuff going on for work and a company party, so we all went on the trip. We had a good time, but as always, it's good to be home. Natalie and Owen were pretty well-behaved while at Mom's office. They did enjoy running up and down the hallways and yelling. Fortunately, everyone was pretty easy going about it. (That's what New Orleans is all about!) We ate a lot of good food - too much probably. And we went to the zoo, which we all enjoyed. Natalie and Owen rode the carousel - Nat rode it twice! We visited Tulane to check out the new student union and other recent additions/renovations. The rain on Saturday kept us from doing too many outdoor activities. Natalie and Owen were very good on both plane rides. The snow was kind enough to hold off until we were back home, and since then it's snowed everyday. Now it's time to get ready for Natalie's big birthday later this week!

In other news, we have made the decision to move back to Houston. Ike was offered an excellent job opportunity, and we've decided it's the best thing for us. We are very excited, although not so excited about the stress of the upcoming move!

Snow!

We finally had real snowfall (more than some flurries here and there) starting last week, and we've had some everyday since then. Not enough at one time to get out and play, but Natalie and Owen have still been excited. It's even become a ploy to get Natalie to sleep at night: "If you hurry and go to sleep, it'll be morning and we can see if there's more snow!" It's been cold too - winter came all of a sudden (as we knew it would - it had been too mild!). So we've been hanging around here for the most part. It's been nice to snuggle up on the sofa with a blanket - Natalie has even napped! Mom and Dad had a babysitter on Sat night - it sure is nice to go out to eat and not deal with Owen throwing food or his pacifier and Natalie climbing around in her seat and going potty every five minutes. Natalie and Owen really enjoy each other - they play well together (although Natalie occasionally gets frustrated with Owen banging and throwing things). She does enjoy Owen's naptime, because that's when she gets to do her crafts (whether it's playing with play doh, or painting on her "art weasel." And Natalie is always sure to give Owen and hug and kiss at bedtime. She's a great big sister!

Anniversary and Ballet

Tuesday was Mom and Dad's 8th wedding anniversary. Time flies! Natalie made sure to tell everyone at school that it was Mommy and Daddy's "'versary." The teachers got a kick out of that. We had a normal evening at home - some kids needed some baths!! We went into Manhattan on Saturday. We went to a photography exhibit and went for lunch. Natalie is always excited to go into the City, and there were still some Christmas decorations up, so Natalie and Owen both enjoyed those. Natalie started ballet last week, and she now informs everyone that she's a ballerina, like Angelina. She even listens to ballerina music at night (classical music). Owen continues to work on his pitching arm - he can really throw!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2007! We had a good weekend - Grandma Laura and Grandpa Roger came to visit. Last week Mom & Dad took vacation and enjoyed some leisurely time around the house. Grandma and Grandpa arrived on Friday afternoon. We had a great time during their visit - we celebrated Christmas (again!!!) - and got a lot of nice stuff (we need an addition to house all of the toys from this Christmas!), and we had a fun New Year's celebration. Aunt Karen came out to stay while Grandma and Grandpa were in town, and it was nice for Mom & Dad to have some help watching Natalie and Owen. New Year's Eve we watched the Bears (lose) and then rang in 2007. In typical boy fashion, Owen fell into the table a couple of times, had his first bloody nose, and now has a nice forehead bruise. We had a hard time getting Natalie to sleep all weekend, and now she is exhausted. Grandma and Grandpa left yesterday, and now it is back to the normal schedule.