Play Doh

As a child, not only could I not play with Play-doh, there was no way I could even own it. As a matter of fact, if I got it for a holiday or birthday present, it was always returned.

I think that explains my exaspiration when Justin asks to play with his collection of colored, sticky dough.

So, the other night, he had seven cans spread over the kitchen table. One time he asked me to help clean his hands because the "yellow is wetter and stickier" that the rest. When I cleaned his hands it was like yellow glue. Good stuff.

Anyway, it is now time to clean up for the night. Red comes up, no problem...in the can, top on, back in the box. Blue...same thing. Green, purple, orange....no problem. Last is the yellow.

Terrible....sticky, residue on the table, sticking to my fingers.

Justin says, as I begin to get exasperated, "Sorry, dad. I am really sorry." He pauses and then says, "It's not really my fault, though. It's play doh's fault that it is sticking."

True. He's learning fast.

The real fault lies with whomever purchased "Rose Art Fun Dough" in lieu of the Playskool Play Doh. Generic may be fine for medicine or Crocs from Payless Shoes...not for the "fun dough".

New Shoes

Just this weekend we were talking about Kate getting Crocs. Be careful what you wish for! This color will go woith everything.

Visit to Hattiesburg (Part Two)

For the rest of the afternoon, we walked around, visited with some folks and tracked the LSU/Auburn score, too. Then we made our way to the stadium to watch the impressive Golden Eagles spank the Wolfpack.

Visit to Hattiesburg (Part One)

On Saturday, Jennifer, Justin, Mary Beth, Steve and I went to Hattiesburg to see Southern Miss play Nort Carolina State.

When we got there, we were able to meet Caryn and Ian Fitzgerald for lunch at the PowerHouse Restaurant on campus. That place is amazing.....sports-themed and first class.

After lunch Mary Beth and Steve went to Chesterfield's for the LSU/Auburn game and we walked through the new Union/Bookstore. It is hard to believe this in on Southern Miss' campus. Nothing I can type can do the facility justice.

Kate: P.U.P. List

In anticipation of our trip to Hattiesburg for the Southern Miss game, Kate was placed on the P.U.P. (Physically unable to Perform) list. Her Aunt Jodi volunteered to stay with her. Good thing, she was asleep in her bed right around kickoff.

Take a look at the picture. Kate was not happy when she got the news she didn't make the travel squad. But, it didn't affect her "Breakfast of Champions" which includes yogurt (with M&Ms) and goldfish.

Kate's Play Date with Celia

Kate and her friend, Celia, got together again on Friday. Celia's mom is Jennifer's friend, Natalie. When I got home around 5:00, our air conditioner (which was not working) had not yet been completely fixed. Apparently the babies were hot. They were wearing diapers and eating popsicles.

Justin Compretta

A little background is required for this photo.

During college, when eating in The Commons with our beloved friend Brenan Compretta, you couldn't help but notice Brenan's selectivity in eating. Not so much in the types of things he ate, but more in his perceived quality of each bite. Let me explain. Take a roll. The "top" was regarded at too hard. So he would peel that off. It wasn't enough to put it to the side, either. He wanted it away from other food. It often was placed beyond the plate and tray. Yes, this is as ridiculous as it seems. Crusts and coatings were often peeled away.

Fast forward to last night. We had chinese food and Justin requested "fried shrimp". So, I bought his sweet and sour shirmp....hold the sweet and sour. At first he thought the tempura batter was a case. So, he started peeling it off. Then, Jennifer told him they were fried. He held up a piece of batter and asked, "This is fried." He still wasn't fond and kept peeling, then discarding the "fried" outside of his plate. I responded with, "Are the shrimp good, Compretta." He responded with "Compretta? Who's Compretta?" Please note the umbrella in his drink, the pieces of "fried" and the napkin. What's worse is you can barely see the back end of his fork in the bottom left-hand corner. It didn't get much use.

Another note. As soon as he gets home he discards his uniform. Hence the shirtless guy at the dinner table. Totally ridiculous. All joking aside, based on the little rash he developed in the first week of school, he might be allergic to oxford fabric.

Soul Sistah

A lot of the time I refer to Kate as Soul Sistah (Sister). Not sure where that came from. Maybe the "sister" part is because she is Justin's sister. The "soul" part comes from her having a lot of personality and spunk. Well, as an equal-opportunity blogger, it wouldn't be fair to simply tell of Sistah's endearing moments. She has her share of challenging times, too. To put it bluntly, we are a little scared of this character in a classroom in 11 months.

Anyway, two of Kate's latest stories. Both funny. One that explains why school should be interesting. The other is flat out ridiculous.

First, Kate went with Gunny (Jennifer's mom) to the Library for a toddler library class. They read books, sang songs, etc. Kate basically sat there the majority of the time looking at the other kids like they had lost their minds. As if she was "too cool" for that...until, that is, they gave her a bell. The bell was cool enough for Kate to participate.

Next, and far worse, Kate has a temper. It is a combination of genetics and reflux. If things go bad for her, they tend to get really bad for everyone. With that in mind and her full mouth of teeth, she has resorted to biting when she gets corrected or removed from a situation where she is misbehaving. Last week , the same Gunny was leaving after watching Kate all day long. Kate didn't want her to go and pitched a fit while they were waving bye outside. Jennifer went to pick her up and Kate tried to communicate her displeasure by penetrating her mother's skin with her teeth. Jennifer moved. So Kate pursued the next closest thing she could bite....which happened to be the exterior stucco on the house. When she turned around, she had a confused look on her face, as if the thing she tried to bite wasn't a good idea. Considering stucco is part metal lath and part cementitious product its a wonder her teeth didn't break. Considering the fact that she didn't realize that would hurt before she bit, you will again see why schooling is a concern.

We love her! She is away tonight., though and the house is not the same. Kate is sleeping over at Nana and Papa Roy's. Jennifer, Justin and I celebrated with Five Happiness.

Superdome Visit

We got to go to the recently repaired Superdome to run on the new field. It helps having a grandfater with access to the building. Justin got to run on the grass, throw and catch passes. Kate enjoyed it, too.

The picture of Justin sitting "criss-cross applesauce" is one of my all-time favorites. It looks like the kind of picture you see in an album in 20 years and remember exactly where you were.

Ducks!

On Saturday we stopped in Slidell to see my cousin Sparky's new baby, Reed, and to visit with my grandparents for a little while. While we were at their house, a momma duck and her eight ducklings came by. Kate loves "Kacks" as she likes to call them. Maw Maw and Gramps also have a Bird of Paradise plant that has prospered post-Katrina.

Friday Night at St. Paul's

On Friday night we went to St. Paul's for the football game against Holy Cross. A couple of firsts for us. It was the first time we ever tailgated before a HIGH SCHOOL football game. That was a lot of fun as much of Jennifer's family was there. Her nephew, Casey, is a freshman on the St. Paul's team. Also, we saw Heath, Katey, Margo & Luke. Katey's youngets brother, Patrick, is a senior on the team. Second, we sat on the St. Paul's side...not the Holy Cross side. I have never done that and admittedly, it was weird. That being said, what a great Friday Night atmosphere. That was the place to be in Covington. There had to be 5,000 people in the stands and walking around.

A couple of pics from the game. Gunny and Pappy brought some chocolate football cookies. As you can tell, Luke Wahden really liked the cookie. Justin is getting more into football and enjoyed the game. But, he and Kate were tired before we left. Five days of school are draining Justin. The third picture is of Kate, sitting on the track, with the field and lights behind her. She was not interested in sitting in the stands. So, she and I walked from side to side for some of the 2nd and all of the 3rd quarters. Something tells me that picture will have more meaning one day when Jennifer and I have to chaperone her at the St. Paul's games.

St. Paul's won a very entertaining game. They should have a very good season.

Labor Day Weekend

The Labor Day weekend didn't start off too good. Stomach viruses for Jennifer, Justin & I. Knock on wood, Kate has been sparred thus far.

We were able to rally. On Sunday we made a visit to one of the many Covington/Mandeville strip malls and Sunday we went to the recently re-opened Beau Rivage with Nana, Papa Roy and Nanie.

A couple of good quotes from Justin:

(while talking about the different kinds of animals in the water with his mother)
"Speaking of killer whales, what exactly do those whales kill?"

and

(while talking about dogs)
"Mom, you and dad say Bach (our dog) is a cat. How did a cat have an egg that became a dog?"

Okay, let me comment on that last one. No idea where the concept of a dog or cat coming from an "egg" came from. Maybe a little too much Animal Planet. To add a little background, as well. Our lovely schnauzer, Bach, was very small at birth and was fed/raised for six weeks (until that glorious day when we picked him up) with the the people's cats, not their dogs. If you have met Bach you will know the dog would not have survived with dogs. We have obviously relayed this story to Justin and he took it that a cat actually gave birth to a dog.