Father/Daughter Sweetheart Dance

Stella bounced back and was feeling much better by the time of the Father/Daughter Sweetheart Dance on February 23rd.  We had never heard of the dance, even though it has apparently been in existence for 21 years as a fundraiser for a local hospital.  Who knew?  Thankfully Elizabeth's nana knew, and she was kind enough to sponsor a table and invite Damon and Stella to be her guests at the event.  Here they are dressed up for their night out...

They both had a marvelous time.  Stella is already asking about attending next year, and Damon said they really got the royal treatment thanks to Ms. Charlene...

They were able to have professional pictures taken at the dance, so I'll try to post one as soon as they come in.  Stella also got a balloon corsage and even a t-shirt to commemorate her special evening with her one true love...

Damon wants to take both his sweethearts next year.  I am so thankful for the work God has done in my husband's life to make him the father that he is.  He genuinely cherishes all of our children, and lives out his love for them every day.

Throw Me Something, Ms. Tiffany!

It's Mardi Gras time in South Louisiana, so we started looking around for some family friendly parades to attend.  We didn't have to look far for our first one; my friend Tiffany is actually a member of the krewe that puts on the parade in Denham Springs, so at the last minute we decided to check it out.  Poor Stella was sick with strep throat, so she stayed with Mawmaw and Pawpaw while the rest of us and Elizabeth headed to the parade.  Here's Cille waiting for the parade to roll...

I packed a few snacks for the kids and I had no idea they would enjoy them so much.  Elizabeth gleefully told me about the Fruit by the Foot, "My mom used to get these for us, but then she stopped because she said they have too much sugar!" I think she was on her third one at that point.  Tiffany is an all-star mom and makes sure her kids eat super-healthy.  That is pretty much a downfall of Pourciau parenting; we'll feed our kids just about anything as long as they eat it.  Tiffany has inspired me to make the switch to grilled nugget kids' meals at Chick-Fil-A, though, so I'm taking baby steps to correct our poor diet...

Watts is usually making a face like this...

Me and my little buddy...

Cille enjoying a sugar-laden Fruit by the Foot...

Watts sooooo wanted to join the big boys playing ball nearby...

The one part of parenting I excel at is sunscreen application.  Here I am protecting Cille's skin.  She'll thank me later...

Sunblocked and ready to catch some beads...

Who needs a parade?  The kids had a blast playing with each other while they waited...

Want some sweet tea, Dad?

Cille and Elizabeth were "jumping into the crowd."  What crowd I have no idea, but they loved it...

Cille decided at the last minute that she had to potty before the parade, so I hiked about a half mile with her on my back to find a restroom, and ended up racing the front of the parade back to our spot.  Then the real fun began...

See the teddy bear in the air?

The kids were throw magnets...

Elizabeth practicing to join the band...

When we spotted Ms. Tiffany and Ms. Kristen we were so excited!

They had tons of good throws for us...

I think this is my favorite shot of Tiffany on the float because she looks like she is having so much fun...

How many pieces of gum are in the air?

We had a blast at the parade and will definitely be back for it again!  It was a perfect parade for families with young kids.  Having a few friends on the floats also makes for a nice experience.

Valentine's Day at Chez Pourciau

Valentine's Day...a time to be with the ones you love.  As the day approached, Damon and I wondered what we should do to mark the occasion.  To be honest, it kind of feels like a non-event now that we've celebrated 16 of them together.  Every day is our Valentine's Day, but I remember that it was a big deal to me as a kid so I wanted to do something special that our children would enjoy.  That's how Stella and I came up with a completely brilliant plan: we would invite Mawmaw and Pawpaw to our "restaurant" and let Stella and Cille play waitresses!  Chez Pourciau was born, and I must say, considering that it is the only invitation-only restaurant that I know of in Baton Rouge, it is pretty exclusive.  Here is the cutest wait staff this side of the Mason-Dixon...

Watts was our greeter and spent time chatting up the guests while they waited for their table...

The guests were told ahead of time that this is a very fancy place so they stepped up their normal Friday night wardrobe.  If you zoom in you might be able to read Pawpaw's menu...

Don't they look nice?  They were really good sports to play along...(especially considering that they had no idea what they would be eating for dinner until they got here!  I just told them the girls were helping me cook, which was probably pretty terrifying for them.)

The waitresses started them off in the lounge with a few cocktails...(a.k.a. water)...Cille was super excited to keep straws in her apron pocket to offer to the guests.  She said that is what real waitresses do...

Our best table at Chez Pourciau...(Hilariously this table actually belongs to the guests.  We borrowed it about 10 years ago and never returned it!)

We started them off on their own...

...but the famished wait staff soon joined their party...all that hard work really gives you an appetite...

The girls chose the flowers for the table and helped arrange them...

Eventually the head chef even joined the meal.  Our assistant Daddy had photographer and babysitting duties...

I forgot to take a picture of the cake before I cut it, but it was a pretty heart to begin with, I promise...

Watts wasn't so much concerned with the look as the taste...

Mean eyes...

We had so much fun celebrating Valentine's Day as a family.  One of my favorite things about my mother-in-law is how she can take a regular day and turn it into a special occasion.  She is always looking for a reason to celebrate and I hope that she has transferred a little of that zest for life to me.  I am so thankful that God fills our home with love, on Valentine's Day and every day.

Super Bowl Party

We invited a few friends and family members over to watch the Super Bowl with us, and it was tons of fun.  Nobody in Louisiana really cared much about the game this year, since the Saints weren't playing, but Damon is always looking for an excuse to have a party and this fit the bill.  Here are the big sisters, not watching the Super Bowl, but watching a movie instead...

 After their movie was over they had a little dance party...

In this next picture Stella is executing a favorite dance move from my childhood dancing in the living room days: the couch leap/leg extension.  What form!  What grace!

Meanwhile Watts was playing underneath the TV, probably just assuming everyone was watching his antics instead of the game...

 Eventually he took a seat...

 And later shared it with Pawpaw...

 The high chair really got a work out because we had three babies at the party...

The 1 year old club having a meeting...

After the halftime show the big girls put on a show of their own, singing and dancing to songs from Frozen in the living room...

 Move over, Bruno Mars...

I think they had a bigger audience than the football game...

They crack me up...

We had a great time eating junk food and playing with our friends.  Now we just have to find another excuse to have a party!