"I do" and Dippin' Dots

I had to go to Houston last weekend for a social studies conference, so the whole family came along with me. Other than trying to find creative places to change an infant in the middle of nowhere, we had a really good time -- fun Aunt Katie came down from Baylor to see Lucy, Andrew finally got to eat at Chuy's (so maybe he'll stop talking about it now for at least one more year), and we got to visit with our favorite Houston residents, the Nick family! Alpa, Jonathon, & 9-mo-old Aiden met up with us downtown for lunch and some afternoon fun at the Houston Aquarium. I think it was Aiden's first "play date" with another baby, and he and Lucy were equally enthralled with smiling at each other and trying to hold hands. Very, very cute!

Lucy fell asleep on the thrilling Shark Adventure train and missed out on the carousel ride but I think Aiden really enjoyed it! We laughed a lot at the expressions on our littles ones faces as they watched the colorful creatures swim around the tanks, but... I think the award for the funniest sight went to the newly married couple parading around the Aquarium grounds (in ballgown/veil & tux) posing for photo ops and buying popcorn and ice cream from the outdoor vendors. I really can't explain the full weirdness of this scene, but Alpa & I had a good giggle fest over it. Thanks for the Texas-sized hospitality, y'all!


P.S. The highlight of the conference for me was an award-winning documentary about the historic Faubourg Treme district of New Orleans co-produced by Winton Marsalis. I thought the film did an amazing job of capturing the real spirit of the city and the soul of its people, and I highly recommend checking it out if you get the chance!

In the hood

Getting all bundled up to go to school in the morning. Brrr...

Belated Boo!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Lucy fell asleep before the trick-or-treaters finally began making their rounds, so she didn't get to show off her cuteness. Fortunately Mommy snapped some shots of her getting into the Halloween spirit in various ensembles (we were officially supposed to be a teddy bear). Click on the arrow to enjoy!

Boogie and Pop Pop

Lucy had a great visit with Andrew's dad (Pop Pop) and stepmom Linda (Boogie) last weekend. We got to talk politics while drinking some wine [makes everything go down a little easier!], witness Lucy's new tricks of rolling over and shoving her feet into her mouth, do a little shopping, watch some college football and enjoy a few good meals together. What more can you ask for? We're so glad they were able to make the trip down from Shreveport -- Lucy's a lucky girl to have so many fun grandparents!

Are you sure I'm supposed to eat this?

Lucy got her first taste of rice cereal this weekend, and it was a hoot! She alternated between: looking at us like "Is this really okay?" while scrunching up her face, and seeming excited that somebody finally decided to feed her some real food! Luckily we caught some of it on video (sorry about the blurriness from the camera being in compression mode -- we're still figuring this video thing out!) while Boogie and Pop Pop were here to witness the big event. I think she likes the taste, but is still unsure of the texture and the whole spoon idea.

Yes, we can

"...To all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow."

~from President-elect Obama's election night acceptance speech

And now, a word from Lucy...