Trip to New Orleans

Daddy had a case before the Fifth Circuit on Tuesday, so he decided to load up the family for a trip to New Orleans. While he was in court, the kids and I took New Orleans by storm. We started our day at the Insectarium. The kids LOVE bugs! Charlie loved touching the beetles, and Jane Gray enjoyed playing with the butterflies. Charlie wasn't so sure about the butterflies touching him, but he was able to tame a wild alligator. After the Insectarium, we headed to the Aquarium where we met up with Daddy. The kids got to see a fish and shark feed. They particularly enjoyed watching the sting rays jump out of the water, catch their fish, trap them against the glass, and mash them with their teeth before devouring them (you've never seen sting rays so hungry!). The sharks were lazier eaters, but they were fun to watch, too. Of course, the sea turtle was the fan favorite. We also saw the penguins (Charlie's favorite) and sea otters being fed, and Jane Gray and Charlie touched sting rays and a nurse shark. After the Aquarium, we stopped by Cafe DuMonde for a beignet snack. We then walked across the street to Jackson Square where a local entertained the children with his balloon creations - he made a flower for Jane Gray and an airplane for Charlie. When Charlie finally had his fill of chasing pigeons, we headed to dinner at Arnaud's. The maitre d gave the kid balloons, and we feasted on souffle potatoes, crab cakes, trout meneire and bananas foster. It was the perfect ending to a quick, but fun-filled, trip to NOLA.