The Changing of the Keys

With many mixed emotions (not really, it just sounds sentimental), we parted ways today with my little green (or blue, depending on the lighting) pickup truck. It has been a wonderful 13 years for me. It has been a very reliable vehicle and we have certainly gotten our money out of it. But, like all things, eventually we have to move on. Now that I have Pontias (affectionately named by the kids....it's a Honda Pilot...pretty clever!), it was time to give the pickup a new owner--Cody Nick! We brought the truck to Poppa's today where Cody was there to claim his new (gently-used...alright, old beat-up) ride. We spent a few minutes going over the features (qwerks) of the truck and then he got to take it for a stroll down the driveway. I can't really consider it a gift because it's not in the greatest shape and has the potential for future breakdown. But, it's wheels! And I remember being that age and would have done anything for my own car. I can only hope that it brings Cody the same joy that it brought me over the last thirteen years.

A Matter of Perspective

Most people are very focused on Gustav today. I do know that it is coming this way and it will probably be a big deal. We have prepared flashlights, water, and canned meat (chicken, not spam!). We do have a plan of attack (thanks to the Maders.)
With that being said, let's stop and celebrate today. God is so good! Dado is not going to work on Monday! Gigi was released from the hospital today! Cody Nick is home from school for an extended weekend (maybe even a week)! We have an exciting new V.P. candidate! We have a beautiful family that is full of spirit and love! Let us all remember to be cautious but hopeful. God is good!

Gus' Way, I Mean Gus' Day

Today was a very special day for Gus. Today was St. Augustine's feast day! It was stated last night that Gracie got to go to the park AND eat at Chick-Fil-A AND eat ice cream on her day. We were unaware that they were keeping tabs or that they would remember the feast days. Remembering is the point, so we went along with the party.

This morning all the kids got to eat donuts for breakfast. This is usually reserved for camping trips and is always a big hit. It was a happy surprise for them. They told everyone they saw that they got donuts for breakfast.

Morning mass was next on the list and everyone (Gracie) was much better today. I think they knew a lot could be at stake today. We even got to stay for the novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. When we stepped out the kids went wild. Dado came by to tell us "Hi" and give us an update on Gigi. Gus found eight mushrooms growing on the church grounds and was very impressed by them. We took them home and got to dissect them. Another opportunity to get in an extra botany lesson in this week. The boys journaled and Gus was excited that he had led the lesson by finding the mushrooms.

Gus chose to eat at Taco Bell for lunch so we stopped on the way to Opelousas. We got to go check on Gigi. The kids questioned the wires and beeps and buttons on the beds. We told Gus that one button would make the bed go forward and he laughed thinking it was going to hit the wall. They were very pleased that Gigi looked well and were happy to hear that she was being well nourished. Gigi said the food was really good! She makes a much better patient than mom.;-) Thanks to Grandma Dee for spending the day and the night with Gigi. We are blessed that our parents get along so fabulously.

Gus continued to be thoughtful in his requests. He asked for a special tea. Today we had hazelnut coco and white chocolate covered pretzels. The topic was St Augustine! Gus is always pleased to tell me that St. Augustine did bad things before he became good. He loves to say that he read bad books and said bad words. This is always said with very big eyes as if to say "can you believe that!" He was not impressed when Gracie said he hit people too. He let us know that he had never read anything about him hitting anyone. Can we all believe that Gracie would say this just to get his goat!!!!

The day was coming to a close but the requests were not. We had pizza (Digiorno) and watched Wheel Of Fortune. Gus used to watch this as a baby at Gigi's. We watch it only when we get to catch the news and the T.V. is not turned off right after. Tonight it was a reasonable request.

Gracie was in bed for seven-thirty so Gus and Mom got to play a couple of hand of Zigity (thanks to the Bayards) before bed. The boys were happy to go to bed late (eight) and Mom was happy to have a nice phone conversation with Aunt Michele without any interruption.

All this and a Hurricane too! Gus is felling very proud today.

Whats Been Going On

Today we were able to get up and make morning mass. Although it was not Gracie's best effort, the rest of the clan was trying hard not to be distracted by her. A big favorite with the kids is the stop at Dado's office after mass. They were unbuckled and at the door before I could get the little ones out of their seats. Dado says that he likes us to stop by, but I wonder what everyone else thinks when the door opens and the heard comes marching though. I keep bringing them because they really do a good job. The older four always go to sit in the waiting area and wait for a saltine cracker. Dado also treats them to a little T.V. (not Fox News!)

After lunch today, the older kids were treated to some silly time with Gigi. They were so excited to see her today. They all wanted to show her one of their projects ans they were buzzing all around her. After a short visit it was time for a little TCBY. Wednesday is, as everyone should know now, 99 cent waffle cones. They are getting adventurous and today choose something more than Vanilla or chocolate. Today's choice was Cotton Candy. Gigi brought them back just at the end of nap time. We had just enough time to finish sculpting before Dado made it home. Today's scripture was Acts 13:13-52. Gus made a pew for the Synagogue and he put Paul at a lectern with his hands up because "that's what it said." He got to do it all by himself because the others wanted playdough instead of clay. I hope we still enjoy this project in the months to come because we really are having fun with it right now.

Sorry it must have focused on the basket:-(

Homeschooling

We know that we have made the right decisions for our family when this is what comes out of our child's mouth...

Beedle: "Chuckie Cheese says where kids can be a kid. Kids can not always be kids, but brothers can always be brothers?"

Mom: "Yes, your brothers will always be your brothers."

Beedle: "Good!"

Along with reading, writing, and arithmetic we are very proud of what our kids are learning about themselves and the world around them.

Food!

Now that James is six months old, he had a chance to sample the fine delicacies of the over-six-months-old world...

Today's delicacy was avacado! Interesting choice for a first meal. He seemed to like it at first, but eventually his angry tastebuds woke up.

James @ 6 months

Today James is officially six months old! Wow, how time flies! It has been a wonderful half-year for our family and we could not imagine what life would be like without him. Here is a look back

at how he got here...

Swimming at LeeLee's

We were very blessed today to be invited to LeeLee's house to spend a day at the pool. The kids have had a few opportunities to swim this summer and today we spent just about the entire day in the pool. Prune hands for everyone!

It was a big celebration as LeeLee was having friends and family over to celebrate Micah's 2nd birthday and the recent birth of sweet little Malia (many had not seen her yet).

We made the trek to LeeLee's house in Brusly late Saturday morning, arriving just before noon. The kids could barely contain themselves and made a beeline straight to the pool. And for them, it was like aquatic Disneyworld--there were more water toys, water guns and floatation devices than they knew what to do with. The kids took a brief break for lunch (hot dogs, sausage and chips) and didn't waste any time getting back into the pool (and, no, we did not require them to wait 45 minutes after eating). In addition to the Thomas family that we know well, the kids got the opportunity to swim and play with some other kids, friends and family of LeeLee. And of course there were several adults (including Dad, Mr. Coby and LeeLee) who were young at heart and had a lot of fun playing games with the kids such as water-gun fights, splash contests and jet-ski raft races.


















Gracie especially enjoyed riding on the rafts. She wasn't feeling her best today so she enjoyed the activities that required the least amount of exerted energy. Beedle was the happiest today playing in the shallow end of the pool. He found two toy snakes and created a screenplay that we are certain will make the big screen. One of his snakes was named Polite, who as you can imagine, was very polite and was a genuinely good-natured snake. Polite had a boyfriend named Lyle. Lyle was loyal, but a bit adventurous. He was a little too curious and got lost at the bottom of the pool. Polite was very sad, but Beedle told Polite not to worry. He would get his Dad to swim to the bottom of the pool and save Lyle. Beedle's promise held true and Polite was reunited with Lyle and they lived happily ever after. You can not buy the kind of wonderful imagination that Beedle has! When he was got bored of the snake saga, he joined Dad in a water-gun duel against Gus, Grant and Mr. Coby, which could only be described as a gunfight at the OK Corral, only with water guns and less casualties. I must say I think I had more fun than the kids although they seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves as well.



















I was very proud of not only how well the kids played, especially with kids they'd never met before, but for how much more comfortable they've become in the water. Gus had no problem jumping off the diving board into the deep water. He got off a few cannonballs and even rolled off the diving board head-first. I was very proud of his fearlessness. Gracie wasn't feeling good so she didn't spend a lot of time in the water. But when she was in there, it all came back to her. Beedle, again, is making strides, and he keeps persevering. Even James put his feet in the water. We know it won't be too long before he gets in the pool to join his friends and family.

We took another break to celebrate Micah's 2nd birthday. There were two cakes (one of which Micah's finger had an affinity for) and plenty of singing. God Bless Micah on his upcoming birthday!

The kids got back into the water and stayed there until the weather forced them out (thunder and rain). It was perfect timing as it was starting to get a little late. The kids took their baths, dressed in their Underoos and pajamas, said their good-byes, and we headed back home. We made a brief stop at Sonic with the Thomas family to get some dinner before getting back onto I-10 west. A little sunburned, but certainly satisfied, the kids dozed off remembering the great fun they had at LeeLee's. Thank you Coby and Kessie for inviting us to be with your family today. And a very special thank you to you, LeeLee and Mr. Mark, for treating us like family and having us over for a day of great fun and memories. God bless you!

Tea Time

We started another family tradition today. Today we had our first tea time. The boys were really excited about it, especially Beedle. Fridays after nap we will be having tea and a special treat. Today that meant chai latte and apple jack cookies. I am excited about starting our weekend a little early and treating ourselves. We are going to learn about the church during tea. It will be good for Dad and I to be reminded of the different traditions and customs that the church teaches. I was suppose to use our green napkins today but I have given them all away in one basket of goodies or another. The idea is to use napkins that correlate with the colors of the church so that the kids recognize the significance of the priests vestments. Hopefully before the year ends we will have some china cups and proper napkins. For today we used what we had on hand. Beedle was so excited about tea that he wanted to tell everyone about it. It is always great to see the kids excited about what we are doing.
Their sculpture this week was Acts 13:5-12: God sent dust down to blind the magician who was wooing the people. It was a good chance to reiterate the illusion of magic. Gus has been practicing some tricks that John Brown showed him. The kids were excited to get to sculpt a magician. I had to laugh when Gus told me that the stars were dust because he knows that it was "star dust" that God sent. Sculpting has definitely given me a clearer picture of their interpretations. It is a great visual of everything they know coming together with what they are trying to learn.

God Is Good...

All the time! Thank you Lord for a great and blessed day. I was so proud of all my children today. We got to start the day with Mass. All six kids were so great and cooperative. We were even able to stay for a novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. How great is our God! Our family is counting all our blessings. The kids are doing well in school and having fun. They are healthy and growing well. We have great family and friends that are there for each other. The kids have great community that some parents only pray about. We are also blessed with a comfortable house and a new vehicle for Carey. May I also add, we are very well fed! Sometimes in life all you can say is "God is Good!"
Carey would like to add that the satellite guy comes to hook up the HD tomorrow before the Saints game!

Happy Birthday GiGi!

Today was officially GiGi's 60th birthday. To celebrate, we had her and Nanny Wanda over for some jambalaya (one of her favorite dishes) and a birthday pie. It was a very enjoyable evening. On behalf of our whole family, we wish GiGi the happiest of birthdays!

Humbled and Listening

Okay, so I needed to heed Aunt Michele's warning. Last Thursday I decided to make her famous and very yummy HoHo cake. It is sooo good. So she warned me that she has killed a few mixers in her time making the THICK icing. Well, I used my eight-dollar mixer that I have had for the last seven years. I guess it surprises no one but me that the mixer died. So fast forward to this week. Today we were doing our nature study on hummingbirds. We were talking about flowers in general and read/looked at a book about the New York Botanical Garden. (We are doing a Monday night football geography study and New York was our focus this week.) So we decided to have a little fun and make some flower cookies. Everyone put on their aprons and we went to work. The kids got out the ingredients and we started to mix them. The mixer made about two rounds and then stopped turning. After fighting with it for ten minutes the kids gave up and went to take naps. The good news is that I had two hours to finishing mixing by hand. The end result was nice and even though they did not get to help, the kids were happy to eat the cookies. So, for those who know me, this is a good time to tell me what you have been wanting to get through to me. I am humbled and will listen, at least for the next couple of days!

Annie, Thanks for the Practice...

Conversation this morning...
Mom: "It is fruit snack time."
Gracie: "I want a leprechaun."
Mom: "Do you want to build a Leprechaun with the Legos?"
Gracie: "No, I want to eat a leprechaun."
Mom: "Do you mean a nectarine?"
Gracie looking at me as if to say of course, that is what I said:"Yes"

Thank you Annie for years of practice. I am a better mom because of you. This conversation could have lasted all day but I was able to get it down to seconds because of lots of practice.

Remembering Poppa Chopin

It's hard to believe it's been nine years since Dad passed away. So much has happened in nine years--both of his children got married and he now has six grandchildren. And that's just a smidgen of what's happened since then. Dad was a person who loved life and showed it in the way he loved his family and friends. To celebrate his life, the Chopins, the Dupuys, GiGi and Nanny Wanda traveled to visit his gravesite. While there, we spent time sharing some of our fondest memories of Dad. Cassie said one of her fondest memories of Dad was playing "Simon Says" and "Father, May I" before the bus came to pick us up in the mornings. I shared that one of my best memories with Dad was playing tennis at Girard Park on early Saturday and Sunday mornings and then heading over to Mr. Cook for breakfast (I can still remember what we would order).

And although the kiddos never got to meet their Poppa Chopin in person, we all agree that they

innately know him. We find it amazing that sometimes the kids will just casually mention him in conversation, like he's a part of the family. And he is, but it's just strange because they've never heard his voice, they've never had a big bear hug from him, and they've certainly never been spoiled rotten by him (but GiGi is taking care of that just fine), yet he is a part of our family. GiGi has always told the kids that every time they see a penny on the ground, that it is a sign from Poppa Chopin that he loves them dearly. The kids also like to let balloons go up into the sky because they want to send them to Poppa Chopin to let him know that they love him.

I miss Dad often and I know that the kids would miss him too. I often wonder what it would be like if he was still walking the earth, especially for him to have the chance to be a part of our wedding and the birth of his grandchildren. I think he would absolutely adore his daughter-in-law and be extremely proud of her. And I'd like to think he would be a little proud of me, too. The one thing I always appreciated about Dad is that I never had to worry about whether or not he was proud of me or if he loved me--he always told me! So Dad, on this anniversary of your departure from this life, I hope to honor you by saying I love you, I miss you, and I thank you for giving me life and raising me the best you could. Enjoy your grandkids! You deserved it!

Surprise!!! Happy 60th Birthday, GiGi!!!

SHHHHHH!!!! It's a surprise!!!

Camella "Young at Heart" Chopin walked into a surprise 60th birthday party held at our house Saturday afternoon. And amazingly enough, she had NO idea...

It was a complete shock to her! She was led to believe that we, the Chopins, the Dupuys, Nanny Wanda and herself, were going to New Iberia to stay at a hotel, just to get away for the evening and celebrate her birthday. But it turns out we had something a little bit different in store for her. Instead she was treated to a sea of family and friends who braved the elements (torrential rain) to show their love for her. And, as always, to have a little fun...

As you can see by Uncle Charlie, the theme of the party was "Young at Heart"--a way to celebrate GiGi's youthfulness. We had encouraged people to come dressed up as infants or young kids. Some of the popular items worn were diapers, bibs, pacifiers and beanie caps. The prize for best dressed was Sandra Cormier who came dressed as a clown--in full costume! After GiGi got a chance to tell everyone hello, she was asked to sit down for a special video. Mom was able to put together a video of the life of GiGi, with the help of family and friends who donated pictures (Great job, Mom)! GiGi watched in wonder as she saw her life replayed on TV...

After the "stroll down Memory Lane", everyone partaked in the food that was prepared by Mom and Dad, which included delicious snacks made by Mom, such as white-chocolate pretzel sticks and homemade spinach dip, and brisket sandwiches (thank you Cajun Power!) made by Dad. Everyone seemed to enjoy the spread.

Of course, a birthday wouldn't be a celebration without cake! This was about the most amazing cake we'd ever seen. It was like one of those cakes you see on Ace of Cakes or something. And the taste--absolutely delicious!

The rest of the afternoon was spent reminiscing and reminding each other how blessed we all are to have Camella "GiGi"/"Young at Heart" Chopin in our lives. On, behalf of all of us, we love you so dearly and we hope you have another 60 years on this earth (if anyone could do it, it would be you!).

Pauline Scripture Study

Today we were able to get in a great school day. Eeah and James were as cooperative as all the older kiddos. The kids started with their new chores this week. Every year we upgrade everyone and they get to do more important chores than they did the year before. The kids are most excited that they now all get to brush their teeth by themselves in the morning. (Dado helps them at night so they don't get any sugar bugs.) Everyone worked hard this morning so that we could start school at eight thirty. The two babies went down for their naps and school continued. I had to wake them up for lunch. The highlight of school today was our new sculpture project. We started a Pauline scripture study this year. We are grateful for Coleen for putting it together. Today was our first attempt at sculpting the scripture. We will do this each week as we move through the bible. I was proud of the kids for this representation of Acts 13:1-3. They wanted to borrow Mrs. Kessie's idea of keeping Saul a different color. I was proud of their work and was intrigued to see how they made each person so uniquely. They did not try to make them the same size. Some had BIG heads, some were fat, and some barely had legs. What insight kids bring. What a wonderful reminder of each of our uniqueness. How proud I am of all these kiddos. Thank you Eeah for the great gifts you bring to our little classroom.

Thank you Mrs. Kessie for sharing your time and energy with us today. We were all happy to get some play time in after Beedle's appointment today. God was good to get us in and out of the doctors office in record time. Although the boys felt very special to play legoes at the table, and James enjoyed a visit with Noonie, Gracie was most impressed with Zoe's dress up clothes. Mom thought getting in a little adult conversation was an unexpected gift. Gracie cried for Zoe to come back with us to eat at our house and stay over. My boys never ask for anyone to come and stay at our house! Gracie will definitely be our social butterfly.

After a fun visit with our friends we got to enjoy some family time. Gracie quickly cheered up and was happy to play with her cousin Emma. This is the two of them playing peek-a-boo. We are thankful for Gigi for always finding time for family. We all got together at B.J.'s for pizza. The boys were happy to sit far far away from the monster video game. Because it was unusually empty for their Monday night special, the kids got to play and have free reign over the place. We definitely had a full and enjoyable day. Thanks for making a Monday a fun day.

Sunday @ Poppa & Grandma Dee's

After making it to 9am mass, the Chopin clan made their way to Eunice to spend the day with Poppa & Grandma Dee. We feasted (as always) on some good old rice and gravy and some fresh vegetables. Gut-busting, but delicious! We also celebrated Capri's birthday with a scrumptious banana-nut cake--her favorite. I could see why! After lunch, Gus and I played Grandma Dee and Nanna in Sequence, a very fun game. After Gus and I dominated (we're both trying to learn to win with humility--trying!!!), we went outside to play with Gracie and Beedle. After a few trips around the yard in the wheel barrow, several rounds of hide-and-go-seek, and about a hundred tosses of the baseball, we decided to break out the Ladderball game. Poppa was intrigued so he came outside to challenge Gus.

After a back-and-forth battle for the ages, full of tosses of skill, but mostly luck, the grandson prevailed over the grandfather. But, when you get to spend a beautiful day having fun with your family, there are no losers.