Home Depot Kids Workshop

Watch out world, I have a hammer and I know how to use it!

Hmm.....what can I clobber next?

She did a great job of hammering and getting the nail all the way through.

The first Saturday of every month Home Depot sponsors a Kid do-it yourself-workshop. Its a great activity in which the stores gives the kids an orange apron and a free kit and you take it to the kids workshop complete with kid size tools and hammer away. Michael was working, so mom got the challenge of taking Madelyn to make my Mother's day gift. She had so much fun! The most fascinating thing--Hammering! The kid was obsessed and I am lucky that I didn't lose a finger. That month''s kit was a wheelbarrow and then they got to choose and plant a flower in a pot and use the wheelbarrow to hold the pot--too precious! I was a little leery, because let's face it, Michael is the analytical and logical person of the family and well I am more of let's try and see what we get approach. But I felt better when I saw other parents turning the directions and trying to figure out where part C 17 went. If I can do it.... I mean Madelyn then anyone can do it. In the end Madelyn was so proud of herself and her wheelbarrow. She earn a certificate of completion and a pin for her apron. She looked so cute that the manager took her picture and its now proudly displayed on the community brag board.

Rough Riders Game

Madelyn's first experience with Cotton Candy

I wish that this picture turned out better, but I just love her big blue eyes and smile!

Madelyn was taking pictures of the fireworks--a surreal approach

For Michael's birthday I surprised him with tickets behind home plate to the Frisco's Rough Rider's game. They were playing the Corpus Christie Hooks on a cool Friday night and it made for a great evening of baseball. This was also Madelyn's first baseball game and she had a blast. For the first three innings she was actually into the game. She would shout "Swing Batter" and "Strike", and she learned the classic "Take me out to the Ball Game" song and one, two, three strikes, you're out of here. For the fourth inning she discovered the sweetness of Cotton Candy. Daddy, AKA "Sucker" let her have her first taste of the sticky pink stuff. No surprise she loved it and kept asking for more. That lead to a sugar hype for innings, 5, 6, 7, and 8. I took her on a walk around the diamond and in the process heard, " Hey Miss Tosi, wait up". An old student (obviously older, because he used my maiden name) of mine was working at the stadium and it was fun to hear where your past student are and what they are doing. After he left, Madelyn wanted to know why that man kept calling Miss Tosi? Tried to explain it, but I don't think she got it...my name is mommy Harris. But if you ask her Daddy's name its Michael David. She knows I have a first name, but when I ask her to spell it she always spells out M-O-M.

Behind first base they have a playground, but its literally a three story slide and it was packed with kids that were triple the height requirement and had no parental supervision, but Madelyn was determined to climb and go down one of the slides. I tried to get a picture of her but I think the camera didn't like the dusk time sky and it confused the flash and made the pictures very grainy and dark. But we finally made the loop and back to see daddy for the most exciting part--FIREWORKS!

They were close up, great and set to music; and Madelyn loved the fireworks and danced the entire time during the display! She wants to know when we get to see more. What a great way to finish the night and oh yeah, the RRs won! We will definitely be coming back for more games when the weather cools off.

Madelyn's First Dental Visit

Look at that pretty smile!


Madelyn liked to bite "Mr. Thirsty"


Thumper and Sun Glasses..Check!


She looks so big!

Madelyn had her first dental visit with Dr. Ebrahimi. She did great and no cavities!! I was a little worried about not being there with her, since Michael took her on his day off and I was at school. Daddy did a superb job keeping her clam. Plus it really helped that Madelyn has been there plenty of times with with me and knew Dr. E very well. It worked out that my appointment was the day before, so Dr. E took Madelyn on a dry run of what to expect the next morning.

Lounging Laundry Basket

Madelyn getting comfy watching Go Diego Go.
I guess her table and chairs were just to hard for her taste.



How many uses can you come up with for a laundry basket?

Don't Eat The Cookie

I work with some fabulous teachers at Hebron and one day Suellen brought me a box from the Chocolate Angel (delicious bakery) and said this is for your Little Angel. Knowing that Madelyn would be excited to eat a purple butterfly cookie, I showed her the box as I was picking her after school. Thrilled to see this adorable cookie she tried to tear into the box right then, but I told her she had to wait till we got home so she wouldn't make a mess in the car. (Don't feel too bad for her it was only a two minute drive to the house) As we drove home she would repeat the directions "I can't eat the cookie until we get home....right?" and asked about ten times if we were home yet. So as I get her out of her car seat, I see the butterfly cookie in the box, but it was missing its head and antenna. I probably shouldn't have asked, but I did, "what happened to the butterfly's head?"

She replied with "Mom, you said I couldn't eat the cookie, I only the ate the head of the butterfly-- its made of frosting! You didn't say I could not eat the frosting." I stand corrected, don't eat the cookie or the frosting until we get home.

Easter Morning Pictures

Our family picture at church.


Madelyn and Grammie

Did you know that the Easter Bunny brings you more goodies when grandparents during Easter! Hmm I wonder how that happens? The Easter Bunny hid Madelyn's basket up in her climbing slide...silly wabbit.

I love this age when they are still surprised to find goodies stuffed in every egg.

I think the bow might have been bigger than her head...

This past Easter my mom flew in from San Antonio and our new neighbors from across the street all joined us in celebrating our Savior's Resurrection at Prestonwood. It was so much fun to have our family and friends together for fellowship and for a delicious meal. Despite all the sugary yummies from the cute furry bunny, my heart delights knowing that Madelyn is starting to grasp the true meaning of Easter, "that Jesus and rose again so that I can go to heaven." Pretty good start for a three year old.

Caserones, Fort Worth Train & Kaden

Check out her devious smile! Watch out Grammie she is plotting a surprise attack.




Madelyn and Grammie together on the Train.

Kaden and Madelyn

My mom flew in for Easter Weekend and to kick off her visit we took Madelyn on the Fort Worth Zoo train. We knew better than to actually go to the zoo on Good Friday, especially because we saw people parking in the overflow parking for the over parking. People where standing in line for a two hour wait just to get into the zoo. Crazy!! But we had more fun riding the train into Fort Worth's downtown parks and along the Trinity River. To Madelyn's amusement Grammie brought along several dozen caserones or confetti eggs. She thought the idea of mashing an egg shell on someones head was amusing yet alone comical when she saw the specks of confetti raining down on people's heads. She had so much fun cracking the caserones, she couldn't conceal her squeals of delight when she was attempting surprise attacks.

At the end of the day we got a surprise visit from one of old and dear college friends, April & Matt and their precious kiddos Kaden and Aubrey. Madelyn and Kaden became good buddies last year when we visited the Woolards in North Carolina. I just can't get over how cute they are together.

Easter Bunny Fun

That silly Wabbit sure did find a plethora of eggs!

Madelyn and our neighbor Allie collecting all the eggs they could find.

Each year Stonebridge Ranch, our neighborhood association has a big Easter Bunny meet N' greet and egg hunt for the kids. This year our little hippity hoppity bunny had fun collecting loads of eggs and treats and even voluntarily went up to the Easter Bunny and took a picture. This is a huge step, since she has really never been fond of large bobbled head animals parading around in costume. We especially loved the cooler weather and wished that it would have lasted longer.

Sweet Silly Dancing Fun

Madelyn has really enjoyed her dance class and all the little friends she has made at the Little Gym. Its so fun to watch her "dance". She is by far the youngest girl in the group, but she has made huge strides. This is the first time that I am not in the class participating with her, so she has learned to stay with Ms. Michelle and is starting to grasp the mechanics of the basic dance steps. I know that she really enjoys it, because she wants to me to dance with her at home and when I get the step wrong, she is ready to show me how its done.

Disney on Ice

Our Princess eagerly awaiting the start of the show.

Madelyn all smiles and hugs for her daddy.

We couldn't leave with out getting the Flounder Hat that conveniently came with a bag of Cotton Candy. Madelyn stickily enjoyed her first taste of the fluffy treat.

After our whirlwind tour of the South we topped off the week with the Disney on Ice show. Madelyn had seen the commercials on TV and was very excited to see all her Princesses. To her delight she was very pleased with the performance, she sat between us and BELTED out all the lyrics to music, danced and clapped the whole time. The lady in front of us kept laughing at her and commented how enthralled she was with Ariel and Tinkerbell..obvious favorites! When the show was over she wanted to know when we could go back. It was well worth the money!

Ghost and Cemetery Tour

The "official" tomb of Marie Laveau, the high priestess of Voodoo. Notice the gifts left for her in front and the many triple Xs that have been written on the tomb by her followers after she has fulfilled a request they have asked of her.

The tomb at the back of the same cemetery where many of Laveau's followers believe she is actually entombed. It, too, has gifts and triple X's on it, left by those who have visited and/or asked her spirit for favors.

Shadow of a statue of Jesus that is cast on the back of St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest church in Louisiana. One of the stops on the tour was to look for a known "ghost" in a building directly across the square from where this photo was taken.

Picture take of the LaLaurie House. The story includes several slaves that were tortured and experimented on by Madame LaLaurie and her physician husband. There have been many stories of encounters and sightings at this house (currently owned by Nicholas Cage who doesn't answer questions about the home or it's history). Notice the "orb" in the left upper corner. This is just outside the boarded window leading to the room where the tortured slaves were kept. This "orb" is not present in the three other photos we took of the house from the same location. We were told that ghosts may take the form of orbs....

The Beauregard-Keyes House in New Orleans, the haunted site of a blood mafia massacre. It is said you can smell fresh gun powder in the garden and hear gunfire coming from the garden while you are in the home.

Alleyway next to St. Louis Cathedral. Notice the small canal in the middle of the alley that provided early water/sewage drainage. It is said that on some nights you can see the ghost of a priest entering the church from Jackson Square.

Michael's mom is a huge fan of Ghost Hunters on the Travel Channel and has seen most of the episodes, so while we were in New Orleans, she wanted to take a ghost and cemetery tour of the French Quarter. The French Quarter tour was a walking night tour that included several interesting stops along the way with stories that included the tourguide's own experience with a "spirit" at Jean Lafitte's blacksmith shop, now a popular bar. The tour also included a hotel where children can be heard running and playing in the hall at night, a story very much like the experience Michael's cousin's wife had during a recent stay at the hotel. A hotel that once served as a hospital during the Civil War was also on the tour with several of our tour companions photographing "orbs" on the outside of the hotel. Make your own decisions about what is or what is not there, but are you willing to spend a night in one of these hotels on your next visit?

New Orelans City Tour

St. Jackson's Cathedral in the heart of the French Quarter

The new Pipe Organ that was just installed after Hurricane Katrina

Altar

Close up of one the Alfresco paintings

Ceiling al frescoes

Looking from the back of the church

Me., Judy and Maddie taking in the scenery.

Cruising down the Might Mississippi River on the Natchez Queen

Madelyn and Mommy

Madelyn and Ninny relaxing on the upper deck

Mesmerized by the Paddle Wheel

Site of the 1814 Battle of New Orleans, where Andrew Jackson became a war hero and later President of the US.

Domino Sugar Refinery. You can smell the sweet sugary scent from a distance. Look close at the shovel, thats processed white sugar being unload from flat bed boats that brings the sugar up the river from nearby plantations.

All giggles and smiles about being on the boat

Sun bathing beauty

Michael taking in the scenery-- it hot got two hours later

The only naval base that is spilt in two iun the US by the MS River

Ninth Ward Levy-- you can tell from the lighter color gravel where the Corp of Engineers has filled in the breech.

Madelyn and all her silly faces

The Paddle Wheel completely captured her attention for the majority of the trip.

The Natchez Queen

On the ferry crossing the Mississippi River

The large vault is for the local order of Catholic priest

Jesus welcomes visitors to cemetery #3

Louisiana state law states that a tomb can not be open for one year and one day from the burial of the last occupant. When the tomb is needed again, then vault is opened and the remains are then swept into a burlap bag and left in the back of the vault.

If your vault is not available due to prior occupants use, you can temporarily rent these small brick oven like vaults, until your family vault is ready. The body is placed in the chambers and because the vaults are above ground due to a high water table, the chambers acts like a slow cook oven reaching daily temperatures of 160 degrees, speeds up the decaying process of the remains.

The long rows of vaults

St. Jackson's Square view from the Natchez Queen

By day, by boat, and by night we saw most of New Orleans in one day. We started out very early on a the ferry to catch a bus tour of the city to ensure we hit all the major highlights including the numerous cemeteries scattered about the city. I loved seeing how different controlling countries (French, Spanish, and US) through out the history of New Orleans left their mark either architecturally, linguistically, or ethnically upon the city. The blending of food, music and building of old and new made for a great day of sight seeing and an even bigger appreciation for the early settlers who turned the bayou into the Crescent City. It was my first trip to the Big Easy, and although I did not see the city prior to Hurricane Katrina, I am still amazed how much damage the city endure from this massive surge from Mother Nature. You can tell the city is making a valiant effort in cleaning up and rebuilding the city, but the large areas of dissolute destruction remain everywhere. There will beautiful building and homes rebuilt or renovated and then in the middle, are areas dilapidated homes and piles of debris that floated to its remaining position. Whole sections of towns wiped down to nothing but fields of concrete slabs and then civilization again. What remained was charming, intriguing and thoroughly Southern. We ended the city tour with lunch in the French Quarter before we board the Natchez Queen for an afternoon paddle boat tour of the Mighty Mississippi. And to top off the evening we had dinner at a nice restaurant in the French Quarter before embarking upon a Ghost and Cemetery tour.