New Orleans Take Two

Mark and I spent a few days in New Orleans last week while Mimi kept the kiddos. I've always known that M would like New Orleans if I could just get him there!! But he has had zero desire to go to New Orleans, especially since Katrina. But when I was in New Orleans this summer with my mom and sisters, I discovered that New Orleans had a WWII Museum. I knew I could lure Mark to New Orleans with the WWII Museum! It worked!! And he liked it!! And I don't just mean the museum! He really, genuinely liked New Orleans!

We ate, and drank, and walked, and toured, and ate, and drank, and walked some more! It was a much needed break for us! And we can't thank Mimi enough for taking care of the kids! I KNOW the kids had fun and I am certain that they weren't ready for us to come home. M and I aren't even sure if the kids went to school while we were gone. My neighbor was supposed to take and pick up Sunshine from school every day. I asked her is Sunshine even went to school while Mimi was here, and her only response was, "You'll have to ask Mimi." Hmmmmm.

When I called Mimi on Friday to remind her to read with AAA's class that afternoon, she said, "We are on our way." "Who is we?", I asked. Oops! Busted! "Um, Hannah is with me. I had to read to her class too." So I asked, "Oh - and then you checked her out after lunch?" "Um, no. We ate lunch at home", she replied. Then I asked to speak to Sunshine. I asked Sunshine if Mimi or my neighbor, Miss Ashley, took her to school. "Mimi checked me in", she replied. Well you only get checked in if you're late to school. So like I said...I'm pretty sure the kids weren't ready for us to come home!

By the way, the WWII Museum was awesome! Truly. I highly recommend it, although I must warn you that it is very depressing. But I think it's important that we all understand as best we can the sacrifices that those men and women made for our freedom. It's almost more than I can comprehend. Most of the patrons there were well over the age of 65. There were a few men there, some in wheelcahirs, with badges that read "WWII Vet". I can't wait til my children are old enough for me to take them there. They have no idea how much our freedom cost. It's humbling, to say the least.