Happy Fall Y'all

October was a crazy busy month.  While this is my favorite time of year, the busyness from October to New Year makes the time fly by. October kicked of the crazy time with tons of fun. 

We went to New Orleans earlier this month with Uncle Donnie, CC and their gang.  Addison loves New Orleans - she's always asking to go.  She and Brandon left on Friday and visited the Audubon Zoo.  It was Addison's first visit and apparently it was so hot.

My little monkey at the Audubon Zoo

Abadie cousins at the Audubon Zoo

Addison got to enjoy her first streetcar ride.  We rode the St Charles line from Canal down through the Garden District, loved the beautiful homes and some even had Halloween decorations up.

Hamming it up at the streetcar stop

Addison's first streetcar ride

Obligatory stop at The Little Toy Stop in Jackson Square

We went to Boo at the Zoo at the BR Zoo on a Saturday morning before the LSU vs. Kentucky game.  It was hot and a mob scene.  I had this great idea that we would go early the first day and it wouldn't be so bad but I was mistaken. My other idea was to wear Addison out early in the morning so she would nap and enjoy the game - that idea worked!

Snow White in the Tiger Cage

"Momma, blue's my favorite color"

Check out that pose!

LSU vs. Kentucky

 

We also squeezed in a class field trip to the fire station - I wasn't able to make it but Brandon chaperoned and snapped a pic of the class - sweet group of littles!

ELC Olders #s at BR Fire Station #12

The Friday before Halloween, we made a trip to Ms. Heather's Pumpkin Patch in Hammond with several classmates.  It wasn't an official field trip but lots of friends joined us.  Addison had the best time on the "jumping pillow" - running, jumping, giggling.  There was a corn maze, hay maze, tube slide, face painting...so much fun. They also had a huge pail of corn that she and her classmates enjoyed - I mean seriously, I joked that we should get a galvanized tin bucket and some deer feed for the back yard, she didn't want to get out.

Addison and her buddy Christian take it all in at arrival

Addison, Caroline and Isabel outside the corn maze

Jumping Pillow

Tube Slide

Bucket of corn

All Smiles here!

Pumpkin Carriage

Group Shot

 We tried to get the whole group to take a picture but it was like wrangling cats - this was the best we could do and still missing half of the group.  Bless their hearts, we would get a few together, then get a few more and the original few had already run off.  Gave me a whole new level of respect for her teachers!

Hay Maze

Addison and Kalli picked out their pumpkins

My little pumpkin

We trick or treated on sorority row for the first time - it was fun, hot and again a mob scene.  We stopped by the Delta Gamma house for a visit - decorated a cookie and caught some much needed a/c.  Once inside the house, Addison asked, "is this where you got married momma?"  I explained that I lived there in college but I'm not sure she understood.  She did want to go upstairs and look around but we refrained.  Then we headed back out to the row, it was so hot and so many people, but Addison had a good time and that's what is most important.

Rapunzel

Cookie decorating at the DG house

Homecoming decorations

Abby, Rapunzel and Elmo

Addison started dance class this year and they had a Halloween party for her dance class this week.  I forgot her costume but she reassured me it was okay because I could just go back home and get it - so, of course, I raced home to get it...the things we do!  She was sans costume for the class photo but had her Snow White dress for the rest of class and the "party".

Class Pic

Snow White in dance class

 For Halloween, we went to a pre trick or treat party at a neighbors home then hit the houses around the neighborhood.  It was such a good time.  Addison loved going door to door and getting "more candy".  Our neighbors were very generous!  We had to empty her treat bag in the wagon twice because it was so heavy she couldn't carry it.  Thankfully it was a wonderfully chilly night which was a nice change.  After trick or treating, we came home and watched It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.  Such a good night.

Neighborhood kids - notice my little Rapunzel late to the pic because she was playing so hard.

Rapunzel with the neighbor's kitty cat jack-o-lantern

I almost forgot - this happened in October too!  LSU beat #3 Ole Miss.  It was a crazy game and such a fun win.  Brandon was so disappointed that fans stormed the field.  He was just sitting in his seat saying "caliber teams don't storm the field when they win" over and over again.  ESPN Gameday was also on campus that day + homecoming + the win = a ridiculous ride home that took us over two hours! 

Tigers Win, Tigers Win

Here's hoping your fall kickoff was tons of fun too!

The Abadies

Back To School - Yes Day 2014

My friend Brooke shared the joy of yes day and it seemed like big fun to me. Essentially, you pick a day and whatever the kiddos ask for (within reason) they get to do. Addison is a little young to really know what to ask for but she's always taking about going back to New Orleans so that was the plan. I took the day off of work for our mommy-daughter play date! We invited our friends Ashley and Micah to join us and a good time was had by all!

We headed out early that morning and went straight to the Louisiana Children's Museum. We had never been and I wasn't sure what to expect, it was a good time! The Louisiana Children’s Museum is located in the Warehouse Museum District between Magazine and Tchoupitoulas Streets, just four blocks from the Morial Convention Center. Apparently, you're not in NOLA unless you're in the Quarter because Addison asked all morning when we were going to New Orleans. 

They had a section of different types of architecture in New Orleans - this is Addison inside one of the homes. They had a little kitchenette inside with a tea set so that was big fun. 

Addison and Micah on the street car. 

General store - Addison had fun gathering items off the shelves then ringing the bell a lot...I mean she really rang that bell, a lot! Here she is with a sack of flour, ringing the bell.

Here's the New Orleans she knows and loves - Jackson Square and St Louis Cathedral, or as she calls it "Tiana's Castle". Please note the sassy hand on hip, this kid! We usually spend most of our time in the quarter - Jackson Square, French Market, etc. so this familiar site perked her up. 

She spent some time cooking and setting the table in the little kitchen area. It surprised me how gender stereotyped Addison and Micah's play choices were - she in the kitchen and he at the train table. 

We got a bite to eat at Warehouse Grill around the corner, then headed to City Park, with the goal of making a trip to Carousel Gardens - only to discover they were not open on Wednesday. So, we suffered through the heat next door at Story Land. Micah immediately beelined to the pirate ship from Peter Pan - he is a Jake and the Neverland Pirates fan and immediately named the ship "Bucky". 

They ran around like kids who are not bothered by the heat while Ashley and I melted. It was so hot but at least it is shaded. 

Pinocchio and the whale

Jack and Jill slide

Fire breathing dragon slide - this was a big hit for both of them. 

The last time we came, Addison was too small to slide on her own - it's a very high slide - so I had to slide with her. It was kinda scary up there. She had no problems this trip, she went again and again and again. 

Hey diddle diddle...the cow jumped over the moon. 

Rapunzel

After our near heat stroke, we headed around the corner to Morning Call for frozen coffee, milk and beignets. 

This was my first trip to Morning Call and I was disappointed the beignets came sans sugar. Of course, there was powdered sugar at the table but I need them to be drenched in sugar as soon as the come out of the hot oil. It just wasn't the same and I didn't feel like I could get enough sugar on them. Ashley and I joked about taking the top of the powdered sugar and just pouring it on - that would have worked!

Sad little beignet without sugar - the kids didn't seem to mind and only took a little sprinkle. Ashley and I were disappointed and wondered how they belonged to us, as we couldn't get enough sugar. 

 

After soaking up the a/c, we decided to call it a day. On the way to the car, Addison insisted on visiting the water fountain - since it's our "yes day", she went ahead and checked it out then asked a million questions about it and wanted her picture snapped. 

Addison and Micah crashed before we even made it out of town and napped most of the way home. The day was quite the success. I'm looking forward to many more mommy-daughter dates in the summers to come. 

 

Addison turns three!

It's hard to believe Addison is three. I mean, seriously? Where has the time gone. We celebrated her birthday on Wednesday at home with a birthday muffin for breakfast and opening a gift.

 I bought her the Frozen soundtrack as she is completely obsessed. We listen to a few songs I downloaded on iTunes but decided its was time to give her her own cd so she can listen to it all she wants. She was pretty stoked!

We had cupcakes at school and celebrated with a group of three year olds rendition of happy birthday to you. I bought little "two bite" cupcakes at Whole Foods as it was the only store open at 9pm Tuesday night when I finally had the chance to go to the store. Of course, Addison asked for another cupcake after finishing her first one in class. 

I was lucky enough to bring her home following her afternoon snack at school and we hung out at home while I finished work, discussing our options for dinner until daddy came home. I, as usual, didn't feel like cooking and can always be convinced to go out. Addison announced with certainty that she wanted salad, pizza and ice cream for dinner. She's been telling everyone who asked that she wanted ice cream for her birthday gift so I couldn't resist ice cream for her birthday dinner. We had dinner at Johnny's Pizza then dessert at Yogurtland. She selected birthday cake batter flavored yogurt with strawberries and blackberries topping. She shared with her daddy, he's her best friend. 

I feel extremely blessed to be her mommy and can not believe she is already three. She's my heart!