Team Carstens

Back when Fletcher had 2 good arms - last week.

Here are Fletcher and Mia enjoying some play time at the zoo last week.  See Fletcher there, with 2 good arms?  Swinging and acting all carefree?  Cute, huh?

Here is was yesterday - on the way home from the hospital.  After he had a cast put on because he fractured his elbow when he fell off a chair yesterday morning.  Still cute, huh?

Fletcher says, "HI!"

8:28

That's what time I walked into FedEx this evening to ship a package for work.  

They close at 8:30.  I left my house with ample time to spare and I still ran into roadblocks.  Literally.  I was driving the back way to Earhart Blvd. and I ran into a bunch of police cars; we'll call these the "po-po."  The po-po had their bright flashing lights on and there must've been 4 or 5 cars.  I slowly passed and checked out the scene - and no, no one was behind me so I wasn't rubber necking.  As I passed, I saw that they apprehended 5 guys and on the back of the bad guys' car were guns on the trunk.  Not hand guns.  Big guns.  I'm not very familiar with guns, so that's the best description I can give.  Big guns.  I think most people would be freaked out by the sight.  Not I.  You see, I live in New Orleans and see this stuff pretty regularly.   Besides, I was driving through the ghetto to take a short cut so I could make it to FedEx on time.

You know when you're in a rush to get somewhere and you suddenly notice all the effed up things people do or all the things that are wrong in life?  It's like your eyes are suddenly open and only because you are so acutely aware of the time and all your surroundings.  Let me tell you about some things I really noticed tonight:

• Pot holes.  They can really slow you down.

• My radar detector really DOES work.  That was a good investment.

• The light right before you get on Earhart takes 1 whole minute to go from red to green.

• My Land Rover can race an Audi station wagon, but can't win.  Especially going up hill.

• I use my blinker even when NO ONE else is around.  Never noticed that before.

• Some people come to a complete STOP to go over a speed bump.  Not necessary.

• The photo enforced light at S.Claiborne + Earhart really does work!  The car in front of me made it go off.  I stopped.

• The people at the Wendy's on S.Clearview cannot get an order right.  I ordered a #1 plain with cheese and a Barq's root beer.  Hey, after all the work I've done in the past week, I totally deserved a cheeseburger, right?  Well, thanks to the dumb fast food employees at Wendy's, I had a hamburger.  There's nothing more disappointing than getting home, getting comfy, opening up the bag, taking out the fries and opening up your sandwich to find out - it's WRONG!

• And I want to take this opportunity to remind drivers of a few common courtesies, some rules actually:

1. When you change lanes, use your blinker. You might know where you're going, 

but the person you just cut off,doesn't.

2. When you're driving on the freeway/highway/interstate and there is a merge lane with on-coming traffic, please get the hell out of the right lane.

3. The left lane is for passing.  If you're not passing, get the hell out of the way.

4. When you're in the left lane and you're not passing and the person behind you flashes you with their brights, it means GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY or speed up.  And if you're not paying attention to the person driving behind you, you shouldn't even be on the road.  Wake up!

5. When you're making a turn from one street onto another street, say a wide street with 3 lanes, like S. Claiborne - you DO not have to wait for all 3 lanes to be clear before you take a turn.  News flash:  you're SUPPOSED to turn into the lane closet to you, not farthest from you.  Again, if you can't make a turn into the first lane, you shouldn't be driving.

6. This goes without saying, but I am saying it anyway - please don't text while driving.  PULL the damn car over if you have to text that badly.

7. Talking on the phone while driving - if you can't talk on the phone AND maintain your speed, get the hell off the road because something is wrong with you. 

8. TV and driving - WTF?  You have to watch TV while driving?  Are you living in your car or something?

9. Smoking - and I see this a lot - please do not smoke while you have your kids in the car.  And if you have to, roll the damn windows down.

10. Parking - when someone puts on their blinker and has their car in reverse (as signified by the 2 white lights on the back of the car), it means they are going to parallel park - DO NOT pull up to the back of their car and honk your horn like they are blocking traffic.  Dumbass.  In my book, that's a standoff and I ain't moving, bitch.

Good night.

Fletcher's new favorite thing to do...

try to climb out of his crib.  Drat!

Happy Halloween!

Excuse me for posting a thousand pictures of Fletcher in his halloween costume, but I have to show off the fruits of my labor. It's just 1 day of wearing this costume.  That's it. 

From his school parade this morning:

  

             

 

Every party needs a DJ.

DJ Lance Rock, that is.  Or should I say, DJ Fletcher Rock.

Tomorrow is Halloween.  I feel like the past 2 weeks has been nothing but getting ready for tomorrow. Ok, not really.  I thought about his costume about 2 months ago, then stopped thinking about it.  About a month ago, my friend Brianne, came up with an idea and then it was decided.  

You can't buy a DJ Lance Rock costume, so I had to make one.  I bought a children's outfit pattern from Ebay (7 bucks) and Claire made the orange part of the costume.  She finished it about a week ago, but in typical Mary fashion, I waited until today to (1) see if it fit him, (2) cut out and apply the stripes + stars (3) figure out how I was going to make a boom box for him to carry around and (3) take some cute pics. :)

Here is a sneak peek from his "fitting" this morning.  I am working on finishing up the costume and am off to buy paint for his boom box.  Will post pics tomorrow of Fletcher in the final version of the costume.

   

Halloween is right around the corner...

ok, so it's like 5 days away.  Do you know how hard it is to think up a costume for your kid?  And me, being the type A personality that I am, has to have her kid in a non-store bought costume.  A costume that (a) either no one else will be wearing or (b) at least no other kid in his class of 12 will be wearing. Thanks to Claire, he now has a homemade costume.  I bought a pattern off E-Bay and I also bought glasses to go with it, but the glasses were way to big for my kid's 10th percentile head.  I ended up finding ones at the dollar store - for, you guessed it, $1.00.  So what if they are +3.50 strength reading glasses.  That just means my kid will be walking around cross-eyed all night.  It's alright, I'll be there to hold his little hand and guide him from door to door.  This actually works out in my favor as he won't be able to see the candy I am taking + eating from his stash.  Come on, give me credit, I am not THAT bad. We took the lenses out.  I can't wait until Halloween to post pics of him in his costume.  I still have a few finishing touches to add before it's ready and I also have to make him a prop that goes along with his costume.  Big shout out to my friend, Brianne, for coming up with the idea.

What else can I report?  Oh, we are selling our house and it's officially on the market.  So, if you know anyone who wants to live in the Uptown area of New Orleans, within walking distance of Audubon Park and near Tulane University - tell them to email me.  I just might have the house for them.

And of course, I cannot end this post without adding some recent (last Thursday) photos I took of my little boy.

  

Every Thursday, when Fletcher is home from school, we listen to music and dance around the house. Here he is, raising the roof...

 

4 Invites for the same day? A Halloween dilemma.

Halloween is fast approaching.  I've been wondering what we were going to do for Halloween.  Are we going to go trick or treating in our 'hood?  Should I throw a party?  No, because Fletcher's b-day party is the day after Halloween.  In the beginning of the week, I was thinking we wouldn't have anything to do and since Monday, we've been invited to 4 Halloween parties on Halloween night.  One of which is a wedding reception.  For a lebsian couple.  Who I can't even remember meeting.  What kind of a person am I who doesn't remember meeting a couple that found it in their hearts to invite us to their WEDDING reception?  I'm going to pull the mommy card on that one and blame it on baby brain.

Despite my hangover from last night (see post below), I AM going to get Fletcher invites designed TODAY and mailed out by tomorrow.  I am going to do this.  Despite the fact that we have a party to go this evening - I will get these things mailed out by tomorrow.  Despite the fact that I haven't even finished the guest list and need to cut like 20 people from it -  I WILL get these done.  

I've been telling myself this for the past 3 weeks and Fletcher's 2nd b-day party keeps getting pushed back.

This party WILL happen.

It's been HOT in New Orleans...

and I'm not just talking about the recent weather.  Thanks to Terri Cambise, event planner extraordinaire, who sent me the email about the New Orleans Firefighters 2009 Calendar party at Pat O's, some friends and I were able to go out last night and partake of mojitos, gumbo (cooked by fireman Mike, A.K.A.: Mr. September) and a silent auction to benefit the NOLA fire department.  I mean, who am I to say to no to such a great cause, right?

Thanks to Alesia for being the DD (designated driver).  Although, I think the responsibility fell on her by default since she's about 4 months pregnant (and looking like a hot momma, I must say).

I know Pat O's is known for their hurricanes, but I opted to drink mojitos last night because hurricanes usually knock me on my ass.  Well, I am sad to report, mojitos also knock me on my ass.  Or maybe it's that I am getting older (I will be celebrating my 5th - 29th birthday soon).  Or maybe it's that Pat O's makes their drinks a little stronger than what I am used to.  Yeah, we'll go with that last reason.  So the drinks were strong, I had 3 and I am nursing a hangover this morning.  And a terrible backache.

So here are some snapshots from last night (taken with a P+S for you photo ladies).  

Click on images to enlarge:

Amie, Fireman Greg, Me, Fireman Mike, Alesia, Captain David in the back there, and Tanya.

Fireman Alan and Tanya:

Me and Fireman Percy:

Fireman Greg, Me, Fireman Alan, Alesia, Amie and Fireman Percy:

Me, Fireman Greg and Alesia:

Fireman Gabriel and Tanya.  I'm pretty sure this was Tanya's favorite fireman.

Fletcher is Two

ok, so he was 2 on September 27.  i'm a bad blogger and we've been really busy.  in fact, we've been so busy that we haven't even had fletcher's b-day party, yet.  i haven't even sent out the invites.  i just decided, today, that we will have a halloween party for his b-day.  should be a good time.

September 27, 2006 - Fletcher at 5 mins old:

 

Fletcher 1 day old:

Fletcher, 2 years old:

Deal alert for baby + toddler shoes!!! Pediped...

From a site, shoot, I forgot which one:

Pediped rarely go on sale, but they're amazing shoes for babies and kids up to age 5. Take 40% off at Pediped.com with code ff2008. $5 flat-rate shipping or free two-day express shipping with three or more pairs. Ends 9/21.

Go shop for shoes!!

jewelry

jewelry.  random, right?

i belong to a photo board with pro + serious amateur photographers and one of the gals on the board was asking if anyone makes jewelry because she wants to get started with jewelry making as a hobby.  well, i told her i would post photos of some pieces i made a few years ago.  i started making jewelry in 2000 and sold quite a bit of my pieces,  but orders got out of hand and sucked the fun out of it for me and then i moved on to another venture.  so i busted out these pieces and photographed them for her and i figured, "what the hell, i'll post them on my blog."  i mean, i did already take the photos and all.

one of these days, i might get around to posting directions on how to make a simple necklace and earrings.  and the tools needed to get started.

for now...

click on images to enlarge.

  

  

Just a new Fletcher pic...

I was going to write an actual entry this evening, but I am just too tired.  I had some good material, too.  Like this weekend, in a parking lot, the car next to mine had stuffed animals on the dash and all along the rear.  What's up with that?  Do people really like stuffed animals that much that they feel the need to put them in their car?  I'm afraid to know what her house looks like.

fletcher sitting on our front porch:

And here is Fletcher trying to get his socks + shoes on...

Hurricane Gustav Evacuation

We ended up driving up to Marietta, Ga to visit with Chris + Jen - thanks guys; we had fun!  While there, we ended up going to a lakehouse about an hour or so north of Marietta and we had a fun + relaxing time.  Much wine was consumed; I think Jen said we drank about 5 bottles a night and we were there for 5 nights.  I was able to take some pics, but didn't carry my camera around much because I either didn't want it to get wet or I was too lazy :).  Thanks to Rawson + Fred for inviting us to their Tate lakehouse - the food was awesome (Fred is a chef), the kids were great (total of 7 kids there) and we are so thankful for the invite.  And Jen - your cooking + Chris' bbq'ing was so yummy.  Thanks again!!!

View photos HERE

  

3 years ago today...

hurricane katrina hit New Orleans and, as many of you know, we were here during the storm and stuck at Memorial Medical Center until Sept 2.  I remember it being so hot inside the hospital after the generators failed.  And smelly.  But it's a smell that I could never describe and it's a smell that I can never forget.  It smelled like death.  Like dead bodies.  It was almost a sweet smell, but not sweet in a good way.  It made me want to throw up.  It was about 120 degrees inside the hospital, no electricity, no cold water, no food, no bathrooms, no help.  I spent most of my time outside with our dogs, sitting on the 3rd floor of the parking garage, taking pictures of the water all around us.  Across the street from us was a building that had been empty before the storm and the day after was quickly filling up with people who didn't evacuate and people who were carrying guns.  I vividly remember the morning we were told we were getting out of there, I was sitting with my dogs by the stairs of garage, reading my book when all of a sudden a state trooper came running up beside me with a rifle (i think) and he was pointing it across the street, at the newly occupied building, and was yelling, "PUT YOUR F*#@ING GUNS DOWN NOW!"  

But they didn't put their guns down, they fired their guns right at us and I grabbed my dogs and ran the hell away from the state trooper.  That was pretty scary and I was glad we got out that day.  I still remember the anticipation of waiting to get into the boat.  The ER ramp was made into a boat dock.  The glass was shattered and we were standing at the edge of where the glass was and people were waiting for their turn to get into a boat.  A man and his son Joshua, from Arkansas drove down to volunteer and we got into their boat for what seemed like a long ride down Napoleon Avenue to St. Charles Avenue.  It started to rain and I was sitting in that boat, holding Taylor and Walter and the rain felt so good on my face.  I hadn't showered in many days and I was sitting there wondering when I would be able to take a shower and where this shower would be??  I totally remember that.  I also remember watching the big houses on Napoleon Avenue as our little boat passed them by; houses I had driven past a thousand times and never really SAW.  They were big and beautiful and many of them were flooded.  It was sad.  I wondered where the owners were and imagined what it would be like for them when they came back to see their house and belongings flooded.

When we got to St. Charles Avenue, we saw the Rite Aid being looted.  And also the Copeland's across the street.  I have to admit, I did partake in some oatmeal cookies that were liberated from the Rite Aid.  I am not sure who gave them to me, but I heard they were from Rite-Aid and someone was sharing and who was I to say, "No thanks." to a lovely looking oatmeal cookie?

So we waited in a very long line for hours.  We were within walking distance of our house on Upperline and Andy decided to walk back to the house to get some cash we had left behind and I remember yelling at him while he was about a block away, "Can you bring back my Burberry purse, I left it on the fireplace."

Total silence right after I yelled that.  I felt like a total brat screaming about my Burberry purse while people stood there not knowing if they had a home to go to and not knowing where their families were.  But for some reason, I didn't care very much.  I just knew that damn Burberry purse was going to make me feel happy and I was afraid our house was going to be broken into and my purse would be stolen.  It's so silly to think of that now.