update...

so we did evacuate for gustav. we loaded the car (and orum's truck) with lots of junk and headed home...stayed a week and came back to things/life as usual. no damage, just no food in the fridge. i'm so happy that we're not having to do it all over again for ike...let's home it stays that way! it's too exhausting!

in other news...what would/should you do?

Renee came home from school today (they have been a whole 8 days since starting) and said that the two little girls that were her friends, "changed their minds and that they decided that they didn't like her anymore" WHAT! it's pre-k! i'm in shock that this is starting so early! i remember being friends with everyone until about the 2nd grade, when my friend and i decided that we just didn't like some other girl for some random reason. too bad renee isn't the one to just make her own group! i think it's becuase she's too naive. maybe these girls have older siblings...but what do you do? she doesn't want to make new friends she just wants to play with those two, who knows why!?

just our luck...

we've been in new orleans for only a couple of weeks, and already a possible hurricane. leaving is not a problem-we'll just drive home. we were already planning to do that, but now the question is, "what do we take?" the house we moved into was raised 3 more feet, so if things were to play out like katrina it supposedly wouldn't flood, but then again...you never know.

so what would you take if you had to evacuate? we obviously can't take everything, but i know i can't fit everything i love into the car either...ahhh...hopefully some good news will come from the weather people tomorrow.

So I am supposed to answer a quesionaire and choose 7 brilliant bloggers...since jessi claims that i am one myself. although, i am posting this 2 weeks after hers...

A. Attached or single? Attached, currently to elijah...day and night!
B. Best friend? well i have lots, but right now i spend most of my time with my 4 year old...that is until she starts school all day, everyday next week! so sad!
C. Cake or pie? yes, please.
D. Day of choice? anyday that the kids let me sleep in!
E. Essential item? my phone
F. Favorite color? lemongrass green
G. Gummy bears or worms? bears
H. Hometown? West Monroe, LA
I. Indulgence? cute kids clothes!
J. January or July? July...it's my birthday month!!
L. Life isn’t complete without? family
M. Marriage date? 10 May 2003 (orum take note)
N. Number of brothers & sisters? one sister...Heather
O. Oranges or apples? apples
P. Phobias? heights/high things..like those massive bridges that have the metal frame overhead...i have to put the visor down so i can't see all that
Q. Quotes? "mommy, i'm hungry" -elijah frequently used when not hungry...like bedtime, but it does sound so cute!
R. Reasons to smile? christmas decorations and sweet baby things!
S. Season of choice? spring
T. Tag seven peeps! erica, rachel, margaret,"kim hales", "kim rane",emily, kate (sorry kim's...i think you will always those kims to me! love you both!)
U. Unknown fact about me? i'm ecstatic to have a dryer again! the outlet to plug up the dryer at our last house never got installed (that's another story), so i would wash and then take them to my mom's house to dry...love that i can wash and dry so many clothes all in one day! almost erases my disappointment to find that i'm in a house without a dishwasher yet again! (also a story for another day)
V. Vegetable? corn W. Worst habits? eating out
X. X-ray or ultrasound? ultrasound
Y. Your favorite food? currently rolly polly, with exta honey mustard!
Z. Zodiac sign? Leo (i think)

i say hello to early mornings...

Renee has started school! yesterday (as in tuesday) was her first day (half went tues and half today for a half day) all the girls go tomorrow for an entire day! first i have to say she is SO excited, but i'm a little sad first because it's all day! (8-3) and it starts at 8am! although, i'm not alone with my early morning grogginess...yesterday started at 8:30 and apparently that 8am sunshine is just too bright for my little night owl!

tonight we started bedtime at 7, i don't think she was sleeping before 9! and they have pictures on the first day, so hopefully her little eyes won't be too purple! don't they realize that some of us have to get used to waking so early...? and i don't think a 45 min rest time is going to help much, but maybe she will start falling asleep sooner once the exaustion sets in...who knows?

i love their cute little uniforms, but now we have even fewer days to wear all of her cute outfits! i have already started to hide the ones i'm not so fond of, which happen to be the ones she always wants to wear, so that she must always wear one of her absoulte cutest when she has the chance! why is it that kids always pick the random pieces of clothing to be their favorite? for the past few days she has wanted to wear either her "tennis outfit" which is too small or something else that totally doesn't match!? her new closet has a rod on the bottom that she can reach. picking out her clothes has now reached a new level...anyway, renee likes the dresses too, but hates the fact that she must wear the matching bloomers! she has been on a bloomer revolt for the past 2 years...oh well, she'll deal! too bad her monogramed ones weren't ready in time for pictures--the uniform store sent them to baton rouge and they are still there! so much for the 2 week turnaround. everyone has to have their name monogramed on their collar, which i guess is actually so helpful! when i went to pick her up i was able to talk to her new friends and call them by name.

to celebrate her first full day of school, we decided to make treats! they looked so easy...i actually got the credit for making them for a birthday party, but if anyone saw these the truth would be known! i have decided to leaving all intense baking projects to erica--her first attempt turned out perfectly! these were actually supposed to be on a stick, but all but 4 fell through/off, but i think maybe having them on a plate has helped hide the ginormous flaws! i'm hoping that the rest of the little girls will be as easy to impress as renee...especially when it comes to treats!

and not to leave elijah out, here are few pictures from before the move...why did i think elijah+paint was a good idea? he busted the sqeezable black paint pen and then proceeded to paint with his hands...he didn't like the mess at first, but once he noticed the camera he thought it was fabulous! at which point he wanted to run around and be crazy, but was promptly put in the tub!

we're here...

well we've actually been here for a week, but i just got the internet set up...

the kids are happy and are adjusting well. orum started school, well mandatory orientation which included a condensed class, last friday...real class starts on monday. which i'm sure will the beginning of ghost daddy considering that he's only made it home 2 nights the past week before bedtime and that was without real classes...

there are defintely some differences...here are our top 10

1. preschool admissions is just like on the movies...intense...iq tests, tours, applications, teacher recommendations, and more...Renee is in school now..she has recieved an official acceptance letter and starts on tuesday.

2. everyone here has dogs...including the previous tenants, and i don't mean cute little purse dogs...big nasty hairy dogs! after a week of cleaning i'm still finding dog hair when i sweep and mop. it has been my mission to obliterate it...and after 10 rounds of mopping you would think it was gone, but not the case...

3. there is one target 20 minutes away...not a super target, but it does have its own perks...its connected to a mall, and it's 2 stories! i didn't know that there was such a thing!

there are 2 options for going up/down the elevator or the escalator, which also includes one for buggies in the center. the kids love to watch it! there is also a convienent parking garage for the rainy days, which have been almost everyday...

4. we found rolly polly today...although they need to be schooled in "extra honey mustard"

5. you soon become immune to sirens...its usually just an ambulance. we do live next to a direct route to several hospitals...

6. you must lock your house...as many of you know i didn't even have a key to my last house! the back door was always unlocked. we now have a deadbolt on each door and they stay locked at all times...noone has tried to come in yet, but there are plenty of little feet around here that have tried to escape.

7. there are a shortage of trash cans--apparently a neighbbor has already stolen one of our 2 and had claimed it by writing their number on it with pink fingernail polish...they can have it. surely, we don't have enough trash to fill up 2 cans a week!?

8. the zoo has "swimming hole"-- i found it disgusting, but the kids being the good listeners they were that day escaped out of the stroller and dove it...fully dressed! i had extra clothes for elijah, but renee had to ride home naked...

9. buy milk whenever you see it...the grocery store/walmart is also 20 minutes away, so my goal is to not run out of milk...there's no "orum pick some milk up on your way home."

10. the iphone does not always give accurate directions...i'm begining to think that maybe the city has a deal with them to take you over the river whenever possible to collect the toll to get back across...does anyone else think it's so weird that there's only a toll on one side of the bridge? we were trying to go to the aquarium, which i knew was downtown, but i followed my map instead of my instinct...it took up across the river and to the ferry boat, what? paid toll to get back across...

11. same day cable hook-up! you just go to cox and pick up a box, hook it up and it works! no waiting for the usually creepy cable man to come do it for you! (i know that was 11, but i was so happy to not miss the olympics while waiting for him to come!)

i still have a couple of boxes to unpack--which are all piled in the laundry room. i'll post some picures of the house soon...