Thanksgiving with Abuelita Christina

We enjoyed having Abuelita Christina visit us overThanksgiving holiday. Ninito and Magda loved having their grandmother read books to them and take them out for breakfast and beignets. Abuelita Christina got to be there for Magda's first word "agua" (besides mama, papa and bye bye) and the day after, a second word "Nena" (her brother's nickname for her). Here are a few photos.

Japan Fest, City Park

The kids were mesmerized by the drummers at Japan Fest on November 10th. They sat completely still for 2 ten minute songs. By the third song, they were up and moving around. Both Ninito and Magdalena love music. This morning Tavo was playing the tamborine and singing and Magda was dancing. His song went something like this: "Habia un animal. Habia un caballo. Habia un pato. Habia un ..." (There was an animal. There was a horse. There was a duck. There was a ...." etc.

Zoo Pics

We are enjoying the cooler temperatures and spending as much time outdoors as possible. Here are the kids at the zoo, checking out the giraffes. Notice Nena's shoes...they are from her Tia Cynthia and she gets all kinds of compliments on them. Everyone wants to know where to buy some! And Tavo finally outgrew his favorite shoes (Saints clogs) and kept taking them off.

Christmas in November

We had an early Christmas celebration with Grandma & Grandpa McDonald, since we will be travelling to NEPAL over the holidays! Here are some shots of the kids opening presents. Sometimes the boxes and packaging are even better than the toys. . .

Halloween Trick or Treatin'

Magdalena and Tavo had several trick or treatin' adventures, and got to celebrate this fun holiday with Grandma and Grandpa McDonald. On October 29th, we went to the Not-so-scary Halloween party for toddlers at the public library. Tavo was a Native American and Magdalena a pumpkin. These were their hot weather costumes. By Halloween Day, the weather had changed and was quite a bit cooler. Magdalena was a turtle and Tavo a bat. In the morning, we trick or treated at the Farmer's Market, getting treats such as pumpkins, apples, satsumas and popsicles. In the evening, we trick or treated with Benicio and other friends in a neighborhood not far from our house. Magda loved it, especially when we let her walk. She got lots of comments about how cute she looked. Tavo was really excited about getting candy. Ten days later, he is still carrying around his pumpkin, not quite wanting Halloween to end.

Pumpkin Patch

On October 25, we went with our friends Claudia and Benicio to a pumpkin patch about an hour's drive from New Orleans. It was a gorgeous day and there were so many different activities for the kids. Besides the pumpkin patch itself, there was a petting zoo, a moon bounce, tire swings shaped like horses, tractor riding toys, pumpkin painting, and old wagons to climb on. I had my hands full chasing around Magdalena and Tavo, who often like to run in different directions. Magdalena is quite the speed walker. And she loves to walk/run. When we carry her, she will do the sign in sign language for "down" to let us know she prefers to walk.

Halloween Parades

Halloween festivities begin the weekend before Halloween in New Orleans. This past Saturday, we caught two Halloween parades. The 6 to 9 parade passes right by our house, and is a fun parade with marching bands, mariachis, lots of costumes and candy. The other is a Mardi Gras style parade in the French Quarter. Tavo knows what candy is this year, but somehow forgot about his loot from the first parade. He hid behind the couch and ate the smaller loot from the second parade in one sitting. Magdalena was in a daze for both parades and has been having fun all week with beads from the parades.

Gentilly Fest

We braved the rainy weather to go to Gentilly Fest, a neighborhood festival with some of Ninito's favorite things: fire trucks and ponies. We also enjoyed music from the Rebirth Brass Band. The photo of Ninito standing next to the pony is the smile he makes when you ask him to smile for a picture. (October 10-11, 2009)

Fun at the Children's Museum

The Children's Museum is almost a weekly outing for us. This trip was a little different as Curious George was there. Tavo gave him five and a hug, while Magdalena was a little scared and crawled away. The museum also has a new exhibit about architecture and construction.

Cute Boy & Cute Girl

Playing Together

Ninito and Magda play together more and more every day. Here are some shots of some fun times. In the second photo, cornstarch, water and food coloring provided them with hours of entertainment. As you can see, they are both fascinated with the toilet, Tavo loves to flush the toilet (and every once in awhile we get him to go potty in it before he flushes it!) and Magda loves to unroll the toilet paper.

Nena Walking!

Magdalena, or "Nena" as her brother calls her, has gone from taking her first steps a few weeks before her birthday, to walking long distances. Here are some photos from September 5th, when she still needed some help.

More of Magdalena's 1st Birthday Photos

Magdalena got to dive into another cupcake the next day, at a little birthday celebration for her at her playgroup.

Magdalena's First Birthday

On September 1st, Magdalena turned 1 year old. We had a fun celebration with our friends Claudia and Benicio, with pumpkin and angel food cupcakes and ice cream. Magdalena was in good spirits the whole day (despite having gotten shots at the doctor's!) and was very into her cupcakes and the bows on the presents.