We Kicked Gustav's BUTT!

Our friendly neighborhood superwomen Farrell, Kathleen and Logan, Liz, Emily and Elle, and Quinn.

After the kids headed to school, me and several of my fellow neighborhood superwomen took to the streets clearing debris and piling trash and branches left from the recent hurricanes. After about 3 hours of work, we were very proud to pose behind our mountain range of branches, fences posts and bags and bags of leaves and misc debris. We made a few other monster piles, but this one, this was our crowning glory.

So, enjoy. As you can see, we were exhausted and very proud at our feat.

Huntie loves Ms. Ordway's Class

Huntie attended Ms. Christine Ordway's 3rd grade class at Clayton during our Hurricane evacuation.


I was so impressed with the patience and respect the faculty and staff offered the students. I was also impressed that the children were encouraged to bring bottles of water to class to keep at their desks to promote good hydration, and in turn, good learning. Huntie was thrilled to have me at lunch with her one day, as I was thrilled to even have the option. It was truly refreshing to be in a noisy lunchroom with kids being kids. It was remarkable to me how well they listened and were attentive during learning time since they were allowed to be kids during other times.


Huntie made friends so quickly. Some of her classmates prepared her a goodbye lunch in the counselor's office for her last day of school there - poster, party hats and all.



Huntie and Michael both rotated through art, PE and music classes each day. Loved it. And, like Michael, Huntie had a rough time leaving. When I picked her up from school her last day, before she even had the car door shut the tears began to flow. What a rich experience.

Michael Loves Ms. Kane's Class

Michael truly loved his short time in Ms. Heather Kane's kindergarten class at Clayton Elementary in Austin. He enjoyed a week and a half there during our evacuation from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

He pretty much loved every minute of it and thought he was in Disneyland every day. The first day he come home from school there he said to Kevin, "I got to run on the cement!! I even got to run in the STREET!" Running on the cement and having playground equipment were such amazingly novel ideas to the poor boy.


His last day at Clayton I wanted to take a picture of him with Ms. Kane and his class. He wouldn't let me! He wouldn't even get near her - he was too hurt and sad to be leaving. :( He later recovered just enough to take a couple shots with his teacher and his new buddies. It was the best evacuation EVER!


I got to come to lunch with Michael! That was the coolest. I could tell that he felt like a king having his mommy there with him.

Michael and I got to make a presentation about Louisiana to his classmates too! His grandma drew his a coloring page to share and he told his class about Mardi Gras, alligators, cypress trees and crawfish. We made beignets to share with them and passed out Mardi Gras beads (which, thankfully, must have snuck into Kevin's trunk for our evacuation.

Michael's artwork even got posted in the school hall. Check out those amazing pasta-filled vases!

My Dream House

Huntie and Michael made me a house out of blocks tonight - one that flies, complete with bowling alley, swimming pool and TWO "custodians." It's totally my dream house. Check out the grand tour, conducted by the master architects themselves:


Michael quickly discovered grandpa was quite a pro at stacking blocks. Quite a pro indeed.

I think this night, with grandpa reading to Huntie (just like I remember him reading to me and my brothers and sisters) ignited Huntie's hunger for reading. Huntie is like Kevin and can devour a book in just hours. But before this trip to Austin she didn't have much interest in reading to herself. This visit, her grandpa took the time to read chapter books to her and whet her appetite and imagination. She reads like there's no tomorrow now. It's a gift she got from her father, and thanks to her grandpa she's learned to enjoy it. I love it!

Kevin on NPR

Kevin called into his buddies at NPR to get the word out about the current state of Terrebonne Parish. Even though national media had all but dropped the stories relating to Gustav, so much was still going on at ground zero. Kevin told Liane Hansen at NPR the picture inside the parish:

"Weekend Edition Sunday, September 7, 2008 · Host Liane Hansen speaks with Kevin Voisin, Vice President of Marketing at Motivatit Seafoods in Houma Louisiana. The company was hit hard by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, and now the Houma area is reeling in the aftermath of Gustav."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94118805

In Texas, Gustav and Ike were just Names

Not only did we get to see Kevin kick his time goal's butt during his triathlon in Austin, we also did a little cousin and grandparent bonding.

In fact, the day Ike was passing over Austin, Uncle John and grandpa took the cousins to the park for sweet kite-flyin. Take THAT hurricane Ike.





This picture PROVES that Enoch is the coolest kids EVER! I saw him do this each time we went to the park. He plants his head firmly in the gravel and bulldozes paths through the rocks. What a fantastic idea!! He must love the feel of gravel through his scalp or just the sheer joy of knowing he's dirtying his hair all the way to his brain in a matter of moments. Whatever it is - complete genius.



Notice my little, sweet, princess Elle catching the vision. Ahhh, I sense greatness.



Little Sister was so patient with Elle, who insisted on decking her out in Mardi Gras beads and leading her around the house - more than once.



Grandpa secretly wrote grandma this profound sentiment with left behind sidewalk chalk. I think Elle appropriately celebrates its great worth with her rejoicing twirls ON TOP of the symbol.

To quote RobertA, and Gnarles Barkley, "I love Mary" too.




Grandma was a sewing MACHINE! OK, not literally. She sweetly sewed Ellie an "Ellie Doll" as a gift for her birthday complete with wink and wearing a PINK Dora dress (all Very Elle characteristics as her 2nd birthday approaches).



Grandma also graciously sewed all the crazy matching pajama pants I so wisely thought we needed to make. Arien and I cut them out and mom sewed them ALL up. In one afternoon. SEVEN sets. Amazing.

Thanks Shanibobbins!!

Aunt Shannon sent us a love package from Washington to ease our minds from the worries of hurricane Gustav. Loaded with M&Ms, popcorn, baby bottle pops, authentic Korean cookies, gummy candies and more, we were more than comforted through our ordeal. Thanks Aunt Shannon and Uncle Sam!!

Huntie graciously shared a lick of her baby bottle pop with Ellie, something she soon regretted as Elle wouldn't relinquish the candy into Huntie's possession after the said lick was licked. There was evidence of a struggle - see below.

Holy Gustav Batman!

Our house just after Hurricane Gustav, Sept 2008.

Our nieghbors' backyard (s).


Our friend's backyard. Yikes!



Intersection by our house - San Antonio and St Charles.

The Gathering Place in downtown Houma. We had grandpa's birthday party here last year.


Kevin's trunk, stockpiled for the ride back into town. The kids and I are still in Austin. Huntie and Michael are attending school here and are loving every minute of it. We plan to come back once the power is on and school is back in session.