We were very excited to head to New Orleans to meet with Uncle Ryan and Aunt Mary for some family fun.
We haven't seen them since they moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, so we jumped at the chance for a few nights at an Airbnb in NOLA over spring break. We headed out on St. Patty's Day, and Potatoes did GREAT in the car.
While we may live across the country, Potatoes knows family when he sees them!
There was zero need for him to warm up to his aunt and uncle. He immediately threw his feet up to chill with Mary, and got Ryan to wrestle with him.
The trip consisted of lots of memorable experiences:
We started our first day walking to the street car. On the way, we ran into this guy!
On the sidewalk!
He must have been a pet, because he was there again the next morning.
Only in New Orleans.
Xander got to ride the street car!
He got to see how the seats flip around, learned to keep his hands (and head) inside the car, he got to stand in a packed car, and loved getting to pull the cord to tell the driver we were ready to get off.
It was a great ride to Bourbon Street for some lunch and back, leaving us all tired and ready to be back at the house.
Our Airbnb had a great back porch area
Perfect for our morning coffee
And mayhem, of course
Staying at an Airbnb also allowed us to cook at home some
Potatoes playing with potatoes
This corner was his favorite spot to eat, and he was usually able to talk Uncle Ryan into joining him
I brought the tent Gammie gave us for Potatoes to sleep in
While he didn't nap a single day we were there, he slept great every night in his dino tent
Audubon park was a perfect place to enjoy the outdoors
The ducks let him get so close
So, we thought a peacock in the sidewalk was pretty unusual, until we ran into this guy at Audubon park. At first, we thought his leg was broken, but the closer we looked, the best we could discern is he has a leg growing out of his back....
No naps meant this guy often fell asleep on the go...
This is the first time in a very long time I have gotten to hold my sleeping baby. I was not complaining!
I failed to get pictures of all the amazing NOLA cuisine we ate. Meals were often trying with a napless toddler, but we indulged in all the Cajun must haves.
Unfortunately, the wait for beignets was more than he could endure, so he insisted on eating mustard packets while we waited...
Of course he loved them once the beignets arrived, but there was too much powdered sugar for a camera shot.
We really enjoyed a play date with some of Mary's college friends and their two kids. We had a blast with their stomp rocket, their ride along Thomas the Train, and going to the nearby park with them.
Aunt Mary shot one of the rockets straight into a tree! Luckily, it came back down without anyone having to climb on the banister with the broom.
On our last day, Ryan and Mary both got to catch up with people from when they lived in NOLA while Xander and I ventured to the Louisiana Children's Museum.
He rarely slowed down enough for a decent picture and insisted on playing in every single exhibit in the expansive museum. He loved the little grocery store and the little restaurant, as well as all the marble tracks, train tracks, and dump trucks. There was so much to explore, I would definitely go back when we visit next.
I was fighting allergies and a terrible cold for much of the trip, and Potatoes was fighting against naps. We are so blessed with how patient and loving Uncle Ryan and Aunt Mary are. This was a trip I will never forget!
As soon as we got home, Xander started telling Daniel about Rrrrrrrrryan (not to be confused with BRyan) and Mary. He told about the peacock, the street car, and instructed daddy on how to pretend to be a bull like Rrrrrrryan showed him.
We are already looking forward to the next time we can all get together!
Love you guys!
