[Nicolas] Cooker Baby

we took nicolas to oxford (ms) for my 21st high school reunion party this weekend and to visit grandma and grandpa. the reunion was at sardis lake, so nicolas got to play on a really fun playground and then go for a little dip in the water afterward. i know the water doesn't look that inviting, but it felt great and we had a great time:

our little guy is sick again. he caught another cold and has been miserable the past couple days, coughing and all congested. :( At least we had some fun making cookies earlier this past week: first we mix: now they're ready: and finally, we eat: unfortunately we didn't have the camera in his room a few minutes later for bedtime. people have told me the link between sugar and hyperactivity is a myth, but i have witnessed this link first hand, and it is real. he was bouncing off the walls for the next 30 minutes. we couldn't stop laughing long enough to grab the camera. maybe we'll catch it next time.

Nicolas is doing great. continuing to amuse us, really enjoying preschool a few days a week now, and throwing a couple tantrums every now and then. he helped me make some cookies tonight and mary took some pics and video - so we'll try to get some of that up soon. until then, here's what a typical early morning can be like with him - this was taken almost a month ago:

Happy Father's Day! (he's holding the card he got me, with Garfield on it - he doesn't know who Garfield is, but he likes him) ---------------- while he was sick earlier this week mary decided to get nicolas a harmonica to cheer him up a bit. he loved it, and still plays it sometimes when he wakes up from naps or before bedtime. he also likes to sit on our front steps here and play it after dinner. here's his first time with it: and his second time, a few minutes later:

this was taken a few days ago while he was still feeling bad, but nicolas is almost all better now. he went to school on thursday while mary and i worked from home and fought off the same cold he had earlier this week. we're still fighting it, but hope to be better soon so we can all enjoy the weekend. the louisiana seafood festival, creole tomato festival (the 25th annual, actually), and cajun and zydeco festival are all happening today through sunday - all in the french quarter, right next to each other. and the brand new Audubon Insectarium just opened today, also in the french quarter - what kid doesn't love bugs?

my parents came down this weekend to bring us some stuff from our home in nashville and spend some time with nicolas. on friday evening we walked over to city park and nicolas wanted to play on the playground for a bit. as we got closer to it though, we heard trumpets and drums, and saw a 9-piece brass band practicing just on the other side of the bayou that runs through the park. nicolas decided he could play on the playground another day, and walked over to see the band. there was a tuba, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, a saxophone, snare and bass drum, and a cornet player, and they were working through a collection of popular new orleans brass band songs. we all sat on the footbridge and watched the band while nicolas danced back and forth to the music. it was a beautiful way to end the day and one more affirmation that we made the right decision to come back here. where else in the world are you going to see something like that? the next morning, my parents treated nicolas to a reading of

nicolas took his first streetcar ride this past friday, and he really enjoyed it. we rode the canal streetcar from a vietnamese restaurant on Carrollton to the end of the line at City Park and the New Orleans Museum of Art. He wanted to stay on and go back down the line, but it was getting late so we pushed him back home in the stroller.