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.