Let's Go Fly a Kite

Last Saturday was really windy, so Stella and I picked up a kite. We had a great time flying it together while singing "Let's Go Fly a Kite" from Mary Poppins. There aren't any pictures of the kite's inaugural flight, since Mommy was minding a kite, Stella, and a baby duck at the same time, and felt unable to add a camera to the mix. I did manage to catch some shots of Stella and Daddy flying the kite one afternoon this past week. They started out with Daddy manning the kite...Took a small break for a snack with friends...
And then Stella took the reins...
Then she took a break to show Baby Bird where her food was...
A girl, her kite, and her duck. It's a beautiful thing...

Jesus Loves Me

For some reason, all her best performances happen in the bathtub!

Cowgirl Stella and the Puppy Parade

Last Sunday, we took Stella to the Krewe of Arfus Pet Parade at Zephyr Field. This fun outing was all Daddy's idea, so Mommy cannot take any credit on this one, Miss Jen. When we arrived, the first pets that we saw parading were actually ponies instead of puppies. Stella told us that she wanted to ride the horsey. "Yeah, right," I thought. I was sure that she would be too terrified to follow through, but after scrambling around and finding some actual cash for her pony ride (who knew they didn't take plastic?), we hoped for the best...Paying up...
Saddling up...
Yee-haw! In spite of the rather trepidatious look on her face, she really enjoyed her ride...
Casually gazing off into the distance like this is old news to her...
After seeing how much she enjoyed riding the pony, Daddy asked the Pony Tales crew to come to Stella's birthday party. Now our barnyard theme will be legit. After horsing around, Stella and MawMaw checked out some smaller varmints...
And got a friendly shake from a BIG dog...
By the time we left the parade, Stella was happy and exhausted, MawMaw and PawPaw were just happy, and Mommy and Daddy were sneezing. In spite of the allergens, a fun time was had by all.

Everything's Just Ducky

Last Friday, the Red Barn Farm Tour pulled out of LaPlace Elementary after a week-long visit. Before they left, they tried to find homes for some of their baby animals who were a little too big to take along to the next stop. I thought Stella would really enjoy a baby duck, and when I sent a student over to ask about pricing, she came back with 2 free ducks and a bag of feed. Here is Stella, bossing around her new pets... This is the closest that she ever got to actually picking one up...
They took to the water like....well, like ducks...How sweet!
Unfortunately, one duck did not make it past the first night. We were told that the ducks on the tour are frequently the victims of too much kiddie lovin'. I promise that Stella did not inflict any injuries on the poor beast, but I think he had just had too much before we got him. When I found him unresponsive in his box, I just told Stella that he did not feel good and quickly and quietly gave him a proper burial when she wasn't looking. She never even asked about him, so don't worry about her being traumatized for life. Duck #2 is apparently made of much stronger stuff because a week later, he is still thriving. I love how they both have their mouths open in this picture...
"Hey, Duck!" Stella named her duck "Baby Bird." She's so creative!
Stella loves her "Baby Bird" and he loves her. Mommy (a.k.a. "The Cage Cleaner") is hoping that the weather warms up soon and he finds an adoptive mother who has more feathers than Stella.

(little) New Orleans Lady

A couple of weekends ago we headed into the city for our second annual birthday party invitation photo shoot on the streetcar. If you want to see what Stella looked like riding the streetcar last year, check out this post. This year we were blessed with a beautiful Saturday and an early Mardi Gras, so the conditions were perfect for our needs. After Tab's senior pics, I discovered that the best place to hop the streetcar and get maximum photography studio use for your buck twenty-five is at the end of Canal Street near City Park. It's the end of the line and the cars wait there empty for a few minutes before going back the other direction. We are not yet unveiling "the one," (which is actually two, because we went with a folding card this year) but we wanted to share some of our favorites with you now...Soooo happy to be on "the choo-choo train, " as she called it...
I think this exhuberance was the result of blowing kisses to Daddy...
Yes, it looks like I was correct...
This one is blurry, but Damon loved it. I wonder why...
This was Stella's pose for the portion of the photo shoot during which the streetcar was actually moving...
Daddy tried to tickle out a few smiles...
But mostly, we got lots of index finger sucking...
Her shy smile...
Oh, no! She's going to get me!
"Stella's comin', Daddy!" She continues to refer to herself exclusively in the third person...
She told us afterward, "Riding that train was SO FUN!"
I love her eyes in this one...
Her Dr. Evil pose...
Blowing Mommy a kiss...
Serious shot...
In spite of the fact that Mommy took about 300 pictures and Daddy took about 5, I cannot claim credit for her invitation cover photo. It's coming soon to a mailbox near you, and I promise, it is fabulous! Get excited!

Too Much Monkey Business

When I was a small child, my father would often ask me, "Who do you love?" I always gave the obligatory answer expected of a child my age, "You, Daddy." His follow-up question would inevitably be, "Who are you going to marry?" Since this was before I knew that Damon existed, I would usually reply, "You, Daddy," to this question as well. One day, however, I stunned my father with another reply. I said one simple word: "Elvis." There was a pregnant pause and then cruel laughter. "You can't marry Elvis! Elvis is dead!" A million thoughts ran through my head: Huh? What?! Why had no one shared this information with me? And when did it happen, because I had just finished watching one of his movies and he looked healthy as a horse. I am sharing this intensely private tale of shattered dreams because it ties in with this blog's title: "Too Much Monkey Business." Remember that Elvis song? Well, I do, and when I think of Elvis I can't help but remember how my plans for matrimonial perfection ended in one bitter reality check. Now that I've shared my Debbie Downer moment of the day and we've all shed a tear in memory of the King, let's move on to someone who LOVES monkey business!

Stella recently had a chance to visit "Monkey Biz" in Baton Rouge with her Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw. I was there, too, but mostly took pictures and missed out on all the real fun. Here she is cheesing it up in what she dubbed "Stella's House"... See-saw time with Maw-Maw...
Does it look like she had fun?
Stella and Maw-Maw in the ball pit. Stella was really more interested in directing others on how to play in the balls than she was at playing in them herself...
Boldly going where few grandparents have gone before. Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw both explored the labyrinth of tunnels and slides with Stella.
"Ya want one?"
Driving along in her automobile, and of course, making car noises with her mouth...
Back in the ball pit with a new victim...
Enjoying the roller slide...
Paw-Paw liked it, too. I will let my readers guess which grandparent tried out this slide belly-first and skinned both their knees in the process...
Whee! Fun! Stella is the cheapest date ever. She likes to play on the riding toys, as long as they are not going. Maw-Maw ended up with a roll of quarters and a kid who would have been happier if all the machines were unplugged...
Stella had a great time monkeying around with her grandpa and grandma. I had a great time watching them act like contortionists, as well as pondering the weight limit of the play structure. Overall, Monkey Biz gets two thumbs up from the toddler set and the 50 and over crowd.

Little Boy Blue

In addition to singing her ABCs, Stella also likes to entertain us with nursery rhymes...