Christmas Weekend

Brr.

It was a white Christmas, and then some. In the days leading up to the holiday, the temperature was in the negative digits, with a windchill in the -30s. So. Cold. And so drafty. I swear I could feel the wind on my cheek even as I was sitting on the living room couch. There was ice on the inside of multiple windows, so that’s not as far-fetched as it seems. 

The snow was following by drifting, delaying Mom and Dad’s arrival from Christmas Eve til Christmas Day. I was disappointed, of course, but it was absolutely the right call. Many if not all of the counties they drive through were Level 1 and 2 snow emergencies. By Sunday, they said the roads were mostly fine.

It was special that they even came for the holiday! The last time they visited our house for Christmas was when we lived in New York and Edith was only a month old — it was the only year in all our time there that we didn’t return to Ohio in December. So it was 10 years ago … and even that visit started on Dec. 26! So we were excited to host again, even if the visit was shortened from two days to one.

The day was filled with our few traditions: presents at 7 a.m., sausage gravy and biscuits for brunch and lasagna for supper — the latter we started during Covid, so three years now. Much better than turkey or ham! With my parents here, we even imported one of our families traditions: Bingo.

Today was spent investigating our gifts and visiting with Mom and Dad before they left in the afternoon. The snow is expected to start melting in a couple of days with temperatures reaching into the 50s, so we might even be able to enjoy the rest of the kids’ winter vacation outdoors!

Louisiana Swamp Tour

It was our last full day in New Orleans, and we spent it with alligators.

A 25-minute drive outside the city was Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours. It was finally a beautiful day -- 70+ degrees and sunny -- and we saw about 10 gators sunning themselves in the swamp during our 90-minute pontoon boat ride. (It was certainly better than the day before, which the guide said turned up between zero and five alligators depending on the time of the tour.) The gators were all sizes, and one was gigantic, even larger than me!

We returned to the city in the early afternoon and spent the rest of the day walking around the French Quarter picking up a few souvenirs. We took a last stroll along the Mississippi River and to Jackson Square Park, where Paul was called upon to give a magician a $20 bill that he wrote his name on. It later appeared inside a lemon. And of course the kids got to swim in the hotel pool one last time, and they convinced us to get beignets one last time, too.

The next day was Thanksgiving, and we were in the car by 7:15 a.m. But first I watched the sun rise over the river from our 18th story window, where we also could see the riverboat we rode on Monday, along with the occasional cruise ship or container ship.

We intended to stop for the night in Chattanooga, but we got such an early start that we chugged all the way home, arriving sometime before midnight. Overall we drove 990 miles that day, and 2,440 miles over the entire trip. And by "we" I really mean Paul -- he was behind the wheel the entire time.

What a way to spend Thanksgiving -- supper at the Waffle House! But I hope the trip will be memorable for the kids for more than that reason alone. I know it will be for me.

A Rainy Day at a Gulf Coast Beach

It definitely wasn't beach weather -- gray, drizzly and maybe 60 degrees tops. But on our second full day in New Orleans we took off for a day on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

In a little over an hour we were in Pass Christian, and the kids wanted to stop at the first beach we saw. We relented when we realized that rain was forecasted soon. We never got more than a few drops, but no matter. It was too cold for swimsuits, but Paul and the kids made sandcastles and collected shells for an hour or so. I was perfectly content in the car with a good book, watching them from the warmth of the vehicle. (I'm not a beach girl even under ideal weather conditions!) I did manage to take a peek at their creations and dip a finger into the salty water before we took off.

We ate a late lunch at Pirate's Cove for poboys -- a sandwich Edith is now a fan of thanks to her love of fried shrimp. It was probably my favorite meal of the week.

We drove a bit further down the coast to Gulfport to take in the views and beautiful mansions before turning around and heading back to the city. It was a delightful day at the beach and an easy trip from New Orleans, despite the disappointing weather!

Turning 10 in New Orleans

What a 10th birthday for Edith! We planned a day for her to remember in New Orleans last month.

First up, a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi. Lunch was also on the boat and included a variety of classics -- jambalaya, red beans and rice, sausage, fish, bread pudding and sweet tea. It was cold when we boarded and we spent the first half of the cruise indoors, but it was warm in the sun for the last half, so we explored the boat and the views. Edith and I liked walking around the boat. Paul and Atticus enjoyed the live jazz band.

After that we walked to Jackson Square Park, visited St. Louis Cathedral and tried the kids' patience as we browsed the French Market and nearby shops. Then it was off to what Edith really wanted to do on her birthday -- swim in the hotel's indoor pool.

We chose a supper destination that I though Edith would enjoy, and she approved -- Dat Dog. The kids were pleased with their regular ol' hot dogs, while I got an alligator dog, and Paul ordered a crawfish one.

And when you turn 10 in the Big Easy, you get birthday beignets at Cafe du Monde -- that my rule, anyway. We got three order of three and had three leftover. They are big! The kids were thrilled with them, along with the mess made by the mounds of powdered sugar. 

We walked down Bourbon Street on the way back to the hotel, so now the kids know firsthand why it's one of the craziest streets in the country. We didn't go inside any storefronts, but how many 10-year-olds can say they spent their birthday on Bourbon Street?