We're still here!

Hello?  Is this thing on?  I know that most of my regular readers are probably getting nervous that the rapture came and only the Pourciau family was taken, but you can all breathe a sigh of relief now because that has not been the reason for our prolonged blog silence.  The true reason that we have not posted since our flurry of NYC posts can be contributed to a combination of factors.  One was that I accidentally gave my mother-in-law her camera back.  Most of the photography I do for the blog is done with her awesome Nikon, but we ended up leaving not only it but also my cheesy Canon point and shoot at the in-law's house and were depending only on phones for our photography needs for most of the summer.  Another reason is that we were too busy squeezing every last ounce of fun out of our last few weeks of summer vacation, then I was busy going to workshops and getting my classroom ready, and then we were trying to settle into our school-time routine for a couple of weeks.  There was also a slight issue with syncing my phone and a computer update, but I am wasting too much time making excuses and need to just get on with the post, so here goes.

We had a fabulous summer, because life is always fabulous when you get to spend time with the two most wonderful little girls on the planet, am I right?  We spent lots of time at the library, where Stella and Cille enjoyed a puppet show one day.  This is Stella's look right after petting the possum puppet.  I'm not really sure what emotion her face is displaying.  You be the judge...

The girls also attended a princess party at the library, and I took a picture of the display at the library about the event.  Notice that in the group photos Stella is the only one truly posing like a princess.  The photo on top features princess hands and the one on bottom her patented curtsy.  Can we say melodramatic?

Both girls got in their dentist appointments before summer was over.  This was probably Stella's 5th or 6th dentist appointment, and went on record as the FIRST time she did not shed a tear.  She still was a little anxious about the cleaning...

Luckily our friends Sadie and Talia were staying with us that day and were the perfect support team to get Stella through the visit...

They were so good that they all got prizes before we left!

We also went to the Children's Museum one rainy day.  Check this old blog post for pictures from Stella's first trip to the Children's Museum.  Cille loved the toddler play area...

Cille was so nervous about Stella's driving that she couldn't bear to look...

Stella tried her hand at drafting.  Maybe Pawpaw can get her a job one day...

Cille is way ahead on her prewriting skills...

Cille experienced the joy of Oreo cookies...favorite snack of milk-allergic kids everywhere...

Stella also went to dance camp with Mrs. Danielle and her friends Molly, Lauren, and Julia.  When it was time for their performance, Cille wanted a piece of the spotlight, too...

We had food and fun at Chuck E. Cheese's...

Stella LOVES posing with characters.  Thank-you, Disney...

Cille was disinterested in the roller coaster simulator...

But she had lots of calls that she needed to make...

Sometime after I took this picture I read the sign that said not to put heavy objects on the glass.  Oh, well...

We had such a great time with Chuck E. that we went back with Mawmaw and Pawpaw a few days later...

More summer fun blog posts coming soon!

NYC from my iPhone

For our final NYC post, I would like to share about 75 photos that I took on my phone while we were there. No, seriously, there are really that many pictures in this post. If you follow me on Twitter you may have already seen some of these, and if you are thinking this is just too many pictures, you should be thankful that I pared it down from the 280 that I actually took. You're welcome.

Stella and Mawmaw had fun on the plane ride up...

Cille was totally exhausted by the time we got there...(thanks for the precious shirt, Mrs. Katie!)

Practically perfect and ready for Mary Poppins on Broadway...(the first Broadway show for ALL of us)

This was my first impression of a New York City street.  See the Chrysler building in the background?

Oh. My. GOSH.  Soooooo excited!!!!!!

Anything can happen if you let it!

This screen was up before the show started...

The very ornate and beautiful theatre...

Father-daughter time at Poppins! (sorry I didn't fix your eyes, Damon)

Sucking her thumb and waiting for her train...

An overloaded stroller...

Cille and I had a blast hanging out in the lobby while Stella and the grandparents went to the Bears' show...

Cille is not getting stuffed into lockers already at age one.  She likes to play in the bathroom cabinets so I thought she might enjoy climbing into a locker, too.  I was right...

Stella and Daddy in front of the Shops at Columbus Circle in the Time Warner Building.  Enchanted fans, you may recognize this place as Robert's office building in the movie...

Who needs a napkin when you have Damon?

He's very thorough...

Carnegie Hall...undergoing renovations...

Radio City Music Hall...

Self explanatory...

I thought the information on this plaque was just fascinating...

Can you imagine?  Hopefully it doesn't come to this again...

See the Chrysler building peeking out from behind the MetLife one?

The Empire State Building from the Top of the Rock...

Light room...

The skating rink at Rockefeller Center...closed for the summer, obviously...

Tuckered out...

Saks 5th Ave!  This is for you, Jen! Remember our LC recruit who was so familiar with this store she felt the need to leave out the last two syllables?

St. Patrick's Cathedral...

The Rockefeller building and Atlas...

One of the 5th Avenue signs...

This guy had rats all over him.  He also wanted you to pay to take your picture with him, but that mess doesn't fly in Louisiana so we snapped this sucker for free.  That's how we roll.  Street performers beware...

The ball from Times Square...

How nice of the NYPD...

Cille was a little overwhelmed by Times Square...

The coolest ferris wheel ever...

We rode in the firetruck car and Cille and Mawmaw and Pawpaw rode in the My Little Pony car...

Rawr....

Lady Lego Liberty...

The guy from Candyland pointing the way into the REAL candyland at Toys 'R Us...

Really, Toys 'R Us?  How about "Guests whose size..."

In our firetruck...

Late night ice cream at Mickey D's.  This McDonald's was the site of Stella's first New York performance.  She sang "Honey, Honey" from Mamma Mia while she was climbing the stairs to the bathroom and got everyone's attention...

A self-portrait taken during our carriage ride in Central Park.  If the picture looks a little blurry it is because Stella spilled grape juice onto the lense of my phone the week before we went on the trip...

Damon can now check "jog through Central Park" off of his bucket list...

I can't remember what this was called but it is a famous sunbathing hangout in Central Park...

We were told this was the bridge Prince Edward leaps off of in Enchanted...

Stella feeding Scooby Doo a carrot...

He surprised her a little...

Have you seen my one coquette?

You want a juicy, sweet caramel apple maybe?

Biting the poisoned apple...

Prince Edward and Nathaniel totally stand on this in the movie!

Columbus Circle...

Underneath Columbus Circle...(we have pictures like this that were taken in the London subway years before we had kids...awwww...that seems like a different lifetime!)

Making their own fun in the subway...

I accidentally snapped this but I think it came out pretty cool...

Thanks for clearing that up...

Skyline from aboard the ferry to the Statue of Liberty...

This was the water that I was terrified I was going to drop my phone into...

BLIMPS!

Street performers...

They took too long collecting money before their grand finale so we lost interest and just left...

Wait a minute...

According to Damon the guy in the background of this picture is some famous chef from TV.  Whatev...

We had a fantastic time in NYC and can't wait to go again! Special thanks to Mawmaw and Pawpaw for going with us and making the trip so special! We love you!