My Katrina story

I never get tired of hearing people's "Katrina" stories. Each one is different. Each one is difficult. And each one is intriguing. Boys, in case you ever wonder what Hurricane Katrina was like for us, more so me, here it is. Who knows, in another ten or twenty years, I might leave things out, so I figured it was best to write it all down for you now.

It was my second semester of grad school. I knew your dad from class, but only for a few months. I remember the Friday before the storm. I had a meeting with the assistant dean of the Mass Comm school and we discussed ideas for my thesis. I was at a loss. I had no idea what I'd write about. Her only advice was to find something that I was passionate about. I remember going back to my apartment after that meeting and getting a call from Dad. He said, "What are you going to do about the storm?" My reply was, "What storm?"

That weekend, Mom, Carol and Debbie had come up to Baton Rouge to spend the day with me and go shopping. We shopped all day and when it was time for them to head home, after listening to the news, they casually mentioned going home, packing up some things, and coming back up to stay with me at my apartment for a couple days. They were in no hurry. In fact, they waited so long to leave on Sunday that it took them eight hours to get to Baton Rouge from Metairie. We rode out the storm in my apartment on College Drive, and ended up being without electricity for several days. Maggie Mae (Mom's favorite dog) was with us and she was so hot and miserable. She was already pretty old, not to mention she had a very thick coat. Mom and Carol would take turns sitting in the car with her so she could get some much needed AC. We played Dominoes a lot. We listened to the radio every day. Once the LSU Union had electricity, we'd hang out there for a few hours at my office (I was a grad assistant for the Program Council). It was so hot, and the apartment got so crowded. Once the electricity came back on, we still didn't know if our houses had flooded. They weren't letting anyone back into the city. So they stayed longer. I remember trying to get some space by going to study at CC's but all of the coffee shops were already so full of people doing the same thing I was doing.

I spent hours on the computer searching for information to find out what areas were flooded. Then, I found it. Mom's neighbor's daughter-in-law had posted a comment on some message board giving the address, saying that her in-laws had water, and that their house was higher than the two houses next door. As sad as we were about the water, we were also very concerned about looters. I remember driving in the car and hearing Ray Nagin yelling "We need help down here!" Certain parts during that time are still so vivid.

I kept in touch with Dad. He, Cindy and his mother had ridden out the storm in Metairie. His neighborhood didn't flood, but the area was unsafe and he knew they needed to leave. He told me a story about driving along the levee to get out of the city. He ended up in Florida for a little while. Uncle Rudy rode out the storm too, in his Lake Avenue apartment just on the other side of where the levee broke. As crazy as he was for staying, we were actually grateful...

We were finally allowed back into the city two weeks after the hurricane had hit, and we drove down with our neighbors, the Pecquets, to see our homes for the first time "post-Katrina." I remember talking to Dad the night before and asking him what to do about the house. I said, "How do you pull out carpet?" That's when he called Uncle Rudy. I remember getting instructions on bringing cans of coke and plenty of ice. He hadn't had ice in two weeks. We pulled into the driveway, and I handed Uncle Rudy an ice cold coke. You should've seen his face. Then we walked in to find wet carpet, mold that had grown three feet up the walls, ruined furniture and a smell that will stay with all New Orleanians for the rest of their lives. Mom walked around the house, in shock, slowly trying to take it all in. Thank God, the Pecquets didn't get water, so Mr. Wally and Uncle Rudy got to work pulling out carpet. I started packing things, whatever valuable items she wanted to take with us. She was devastated. I don't remember seeing tears, but I do remember she was speechless. When Carol and Debbie didn't immediately come back over to meet us, we assumed that they had gotten water too.

We had eight to ten inches of water, and a little more in the garage. But it wasn't nearly as bad as so many others we knew. I remember Denis sending me a picture of his mom's house in St. Bernard. The ceiling fan was wilted like a flower, and the dress his mom had hung up high on the door sill (just in case they got a little water) was completely ruined by the high water. I can't imagine, looking back on everything, if this were to happen to us now. Where would we go? What would we do for work? Where would the boys go to school? We'd have to leave and when would we be able to come home?

Mom, Carol and Debbie stayed with me for a month and it was just too much for all of us. There was so much tension. I had no where to go for privacy or to study. And I know Mom felt terrible about it because as I'd walk in, she'd walk out, trying to give me my space. By the time she left my apartment, we weren't speaking, which is really weird for us. She lived with Aunt Pat for the next few months, and at Christmas, I stayed there too. It was a very somber and difficult time. Families can only take so much time together before cracking. On the morning after Christmas day, Mom called and requested a FEMA trailer.

The trailer came some time around Martin Luther King Day, and you'd think we had won the lottery. We were never so excited to get a tiny, portable box with a bed and fridge. It was perfect and it was home. For the next seven months, (there really is no politically correct way to say this) all kinds of Mexicans worked in our house, restoring the walls and details of our home. There was such a demand for workers, and many of them were thieves. If it wasn't nailed down, they'd steal it. I remember at Mardi Gras time, the contractor had taken all of our Mardi Gras ladders. When we called to get them back, he showed up with three ladders that weren't ours. We took them and didn't ask questions. And then there was that morning during Mardi Gras when a giant carload of them appeared in our driveway. Mom and I were thrilled as they literally climbed out like clowns in a clown car. Then we noticed something... One would go in the house, then come out, then another, then another. That was when Mom suddenly realized. They were all coming to take their morning crap. That's right. Mom was nice and left one toilet in the house just in case someone needed to use it. Well, they used it alright, all of them. And to top it off, the last one walked out of our garage with our dolly. That's when Mom stormed out of the trailer and started yelling at all of them. Needless to say, they didn't work on our house that day.

I still think about Mardi Gras the year following Katrina, and how the rest of the US criticized us for hosting it. How could we spend all of those dollars on beads when we should focus on rebuilding? Outsiders will never understand how much Mardi Gras is a part of us. It was like one giant family reunion. "Where ya been? How'd ya make out? When ya comin' back?" That was Mardi Gras 2006. Remember, Facebook wasn't what it is now.

Mom moved back in to the house July 5, 2006. I remember because she had a pool party on the 4th. Everyone was invited and they had to bring their own chairs because we didn't have any. I figured out my thesis too. I studied the media coverage on federal, state and local levels, analyzing the blame, among other things, in the aftermath of the hurricane. I read hundreds of articles on the hurricane. I read about people stuck in the Superdome for days without food and help, I read about two-story homes completely flooded, and how important it was to keep an ax in your attic. I read how a man killed a looter in his house and told a policeman. The policeman told him to just put the body out on the curb. I read that a family lost their grandmother during the storm and had to put her in the refrigerator in hopes of finding her later. Can you imagine?

But the city rebuilt itself. Neighborhoods slowly came back. And look at us now (aside from my pesky neighbor)! As depressing as it all was when it was happening, we've certainly come a long way, and I can't imagine living anywhere else. I need Mardi Gras like I need water. And the same goes for CC's Coffee, City Park, beignets, Blue Runner Red Beans, and so much more. They asked Leah Chase on the news today, "Did you ever consider not coming back?" Her answer was no. I would have to agree. It wouldn't be a question of "if," just when.

Happy Anniversary to all of us and I hope we never have to go through another "Katrina" ever again.

Packing in the fun as summer comes to an end

It's been a pretty great summer, filled with many ups and several downs, but we're all doing just fine... In early July, we met up with Aunt Tristi, Owen and Uncle Justin for lunch in Baton Rouge. And of course, we had to stop at LSU so that Sammy could visit Mike's Cage for the first time. Mike was resting in the shade so Sam didn't actually see him but that's OK. Gotta start somewhere! Jasper pointed Mike out best he could, we took a few minutes to find my brick and just enjoyed being at our second home, LSU.

Granny will likely say we were hardly over to swim if you ask her, but we did manage to enjoy the pool more than a handful of times. And Granny certainly loved the company! Sammy finally had some time to relax in his boat from Santa as he perused the pool. Both Jasper and Sam have really enjoyed being in the water this year. By next year, Jasper will be swimming like a fish!We had all kinds of friends over like Kate, Jackson, Felicity, Aidan, Adam and of course, Nova and Baby Aiden! 

St. Francis Cabbageball nights finally came to an end, and I couldn't have been happier. No, seriously, it was exhausting. Imagine trying to help your husband coach a bunch of three-year-olds at cabbageball when all they really want to do is play with the rocks on the ground and eat freezie pops. When the girls weren't hugging each other and covering up the entire base, they were playing with each other's hair. And when Jasper wasn't squatting on the ground looking at rocks, he was whining because someone got to the ball faster than he did. Oh, but it was so much fun to be out there; I wouldn't want to spend my Monday and Thursday summer nights anywhere else! On the last night, Jasper received his very first trophy... which he cracked before we even got home.

The New Orleans Zephyrs hosted an ALS Awareness Night on July 30th and in an effort to avoid the summer heat, we opted to get a snazzy suite to watch PawPaw throw out the first pitch, and to enjoy family and friends while watching some baseball. Both PawPaw and Grammie were overwhelmed by the surprises we had in store, from our Baton Rouge and Slidell cousins to the Gegenheimers, to our cool t-shirts, it was a great night, and it was all for PawPaw. Jasper stayed extra close to PawPaw all evening so he could walk on the field and help PawPaw throw out the first pitch. He was so proud to be with him, and excited to follow him on the mound. 

Get ready for news on the ALS Walk, scheduled for October 17th. We hope everyone can participate in the fight to end ALS. We are so close!!

I'm pretty sure we have more "family time" than all of my friends combined so when there was talk of a baptism and vow renewal on the same day, I wasn't all that surprised. But what's nice is that I wasn't in charge! Tia and her family took the reins, and I must say, they hosted a fabulous party. We all met up at St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Covington to celebrate Aiden's baptism into the church that morning, and spent the rest of the day enjoying each other at Tia's parents' new home. In the afternoon, Jeremy took the stage to officiate Mike and Joy's 40th anniversary vow renewals. Eileen stood in, just as she had 40 years before, and Neil was his dad's best man. 

I'd be fibbing if I said it was a simple and sweet ceremony. The truth is, it was a difficult ceremony with more crying than laughter, as we commemorated their 40 years. But Mike and Joy were surrounded by us, their family and friends, as they shared memories and renewed their vows. Mike's words, in particular, resonated with me as he mentioned the significance of baseball in his life. Their relationship as kids started with dates to baseball games. Little did they know they'd spend many years at the ball park with their two boys. Two wonderful and fun boys that have grown into good and kind men. And now, we have another generation of little baseball players. Just ask Sammy, and he'll tell you, "BALL!"

It's no secret that I don't always see eye to eye with my in-laws, but after 40 years of marriage, as much as I hate to admit it, I do believe they are doing something right. (After 9 years with these crazy people) I think that their strategy is a simple one; loving one another unconditionally through good times and bad and having fun together. And Mike, if you ever doubt your family's future, know that we will follow your lead with your grandchildren, continuing to love and care for one another, be there for each other, laugh and be silly with each other, and work to embody God's unconditional love throughout our daily lives, just as you have exemplified His purpose throughout your life.

Happy Baptism Day to Aiden! You are certainly one of God's most wonderful gifts to everyone that knows you. And Happy 40th wedding anniversary to Mike & Joy. We wish you many, many more years together with more laughter than tears and enough energy to keep up with Nova, Jasper, Sam and Aiden! 

I'm one of "those moms" that celebrates my kid's same birthday over and over again, this being the "first" of several 4th birthday celebrations for our Jasperino. In a last minute effort to coordinate with the cookie cake's theme, a pirate ship, I ordered pirate hats and eye patches for all invited. And let me just say, they were a freaking hit! Oh, and Baby Aiden stole the show with his pirate cuteness!

Since Jasper's birthday fell on the same night we were leaving for the beach, we invited family over that Monday before. Jasper didn't realize the celebration was for him til he saw the cake. And then, the presents! At one point, he looked as if he was so overwhelmed with excitement that he was going to burst! He was thrilled to have everyone sing to him and celebrate him, and the tools from Grandpa and Paw Patrol toys from Grammie and PawPaw made his night even better than he could've imagined. As a parent, there's nothing better than seeing your child so very happy. It was a great night and he was very appreciative. And the patches and hats were the perfect prop for picture-taking!

As if this summer didn't already throw us for a loop, we got some more frustrating news, this time it was the "Big C." Aunt Aimee found out that she had melanoma from a mole on her arm. Over the past month and a half, she has endured two painful surgeries, technically three to remove the cancer. She endured several biopsies, scans and plenty of anxiety, and even traveled to M.D. Anderson. As many times as Jeremy reminded me that my dear friend would be "fine," I still have to admit, I was more fearful than I let on. The thought of my "partner in crime" in such pain, or worse, the possibility of her being defeated by cancer scared the hell out of me. She's 33. It just doesn't make sense that she had to go through all of this. But good news; one cancerous mole and lymph node, and a ton of stitches later, our beloved Aunt Aimee is now cancer free, and we couldn't be more relieved. Aimee, I can't imagine our lives without you and John. We are so thankful you will be OK. As for me, my entire "moley" body has a dermatologist appointment next month! 

We managed to squeeze in a much needed beach trip this month. Notice I didn't use the words, beach "vacation." We don't get those anymore now that we have kids. But the boys enjoyed playing in the gulf and the sand, and spending time with Granny, Aunt Carol and Aunt Debbie. We mastered the games Candyland and Mouse Trap, thanks to Aunt Debbie, and watched Count of Monte Cristo because it never gets old. We all tried out my new s'mores maker and I cooked gluten free meals for everyone. We slept in. We napped. We spent way too much money at the outlet malls. We almost bought Jasper a hermit crab til we realized how much they stunk. And we went out for ice cream after dancing to live music and eating boiled shrimp and crabs. Uncle Tony seriously missed out.

The weather was perfect the first two days and there was a large sand bar on our piece of beach. So Jasper could walk out pretty far on his own, while "Captain Sammy" floated along in his boat. When it comes to the beach, it's getting easier and easier the older they get. They played well together in the sand and were entertained by all the shovels and buckets, not to mention a jellyfish sighting and a few crabs. Sam, however, was not a very good sport when Daddy and Jasper decided to bury him in the sand. We have no idea why he got so upset!

Jasper started PreK4 at St. Francis Wednesday, August 19th. We had a visitation day the day before, where parents and kids got to visit the classroom and meet the teacher. Jeremy and I couldn't help but notice that Jasper's seat was closest to the teacher's desk, and that she sat him next to his little Asian friend Paul, who doesn't speak. Ever. Was that by chance? I think not.

I was so proud of our little pumpkin on his first day, as he excitedly walked up to greet his friends and show off his new Paw Patrol school bag. He was confident and eager. After a few practice days of walking into school, and out to the playground, we decided to drop him off in the carpool line without us walking him in. He wasn't scared, not even a little. It made me think of my first few "months" of kindergarten, when I cried every single morning as my parents dropped me off. No seriously, I did this for months. And there he was, my fearless Jasper, smiling and telling us "bye bye!" with not a worry or care in the world. His confidence and courage are refreshing. And his delightful demeanor is so abundantly gratifying to us, his parents. I didn't cry the first day. But I did tear up as we drove away after that first "big boy" drop-off. Speaking of "drop-offs," I can totally relate to Marlin and how he felt in Finding Nemo... Fortunately, no sharks on the playground!

"Proud" isn't enough to describe the way I feel about him and who he is becoming. He's an amazing and kind big brother to Sam, sharing toys, helping him up, calming him down when he cries. I am honestly astounded at how close they are. He likes coming with me to wake Sam up. He tells me when he thinks he's hungry or wants a sippy cup. He tells me when Sam spills his cup or drops his toy in the car. He gives him high fives every morning as Jeremy takes Sam in to daycare, and says, "Have a great day Sammy!"

At night, when we pray together, he prays for PawPaw and Aunt Aimee to feel better. He lists all of the grandparents, aunts and uncles. He even prayed for Grandpa to understand him better, haha! His heart is so kind and I can already see how much he cares about people and things, whether it's Sam, PawPaw or even Callie. As for school, it's only been a week and he recited the days of the week and months of the year to me. He's learning so much and growing up so quickly. He lives off of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, pop tarts, "warm" tacos and cheese sandwiches. Everything else we fix him is usually forced. He still fits in 2T shorts, making laundry time very confusing for Jeremy when putting away clothes.

He has become both a negotiator and procrastinator when it comes to finishing dinner and going to bed. He'll say, "Just two more bites Mommy, than I can have ice cream!" And as many times as we ask, "Do you need to go potty," or "Do you want water," we can guarantee that every night, he will need to go potty and he will be very thirsty. Never fails.

The older he gets the more he talks, and talks, and talks. While he rarely tells us details of a typical school day like what he learned or who he played with, he does tell some magnificent stories, whether it's about the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters, or what happens when you turn into a Zombie! Then, there are the cuter stories about the day he went with Granny, Carol and Debbie to shop at the mall. While walking in the kids' clothes department, he told Debbie that the clothes were very handsome! And a few nights later, when we drove passed the mall, he mentioned to me that he had gone to the mall with them and that's the place that has "handsome" clothes. When I asked what he meant by that, he said, "When you put the clothes on, they make you look handsome."

And Sammy, ahh Sammy. He moved over to the two-year-old room on August 17th (even though he won't be two til November), and so far, he's holding his own. He's still grumpy most mornings, but Jasper and I sing to him to cheer him up. His vocabulary is increasing. When I say that, I really mean, his "No" is getting louder and more direct. He loves Elmo. He apologized for the first time--it was bath time and he wanted to get in with Jasper, so I took his clothes off, and as I picked up his shoes to put them on the counter, he began peeing all over his pile of clothes. I gasped and he quickly said, "Sawy" while continuing to pee. Better than another habit we've managed to rid him of, which involved #2 in the tub. Fortunately, I think he's past that phase (we hope).

He's becoming a picky eater, and since we can't really force him to eat what we want him to eat at this age, he pretty much lives on apple sauce and ketchup. I think applesauce is his favorite word. That and "no." If we tell him to do something or not do something, he screams at us, "No!" That's when Jeremy tries to give him his most mean and scary face. Sammy just laughs at him. He always seems hungry, and grunts, "Eat, " at dinner time. He likes to feed himself and won't let us feed him at all, resulting in baths almost every night. His personality is definitely developing and changing. He's a tough guy, a risk taker and strong willed. Last night at the coffee shop, I kept trying to tell him not to stand up in the booth, and he got right back up and tried over and over again. I finally gave up after about 20 minutes, and just let him walk around Puccino's because it was that or incessant screaming. Needless to say, we cleared out the entire place in no time with our loud children. I was so embarrassed.

In the car, he screams for us to talk back to him, yelling "Mommy! Daddy!" That quiet and shy demeanor is almost non-existent now. He loves dancing to all music and he's now singing along to ABC and other nursery rhymes. He's still very much a daddy's boy, but there is one thing that works like a charm when I'm needing more Sammy time. He has a little case of eczema and our pediatrician recommended lotion. He LOVES for me to rub his arms and legs with it. Sometimes after his bath, and just before bed, I hold him in my lap and massage his arms and legs. And if I stop too soon, he fusses at me. Come to think of it, he reminds me of me, grumpy in the morning, hungry all the time, and always wanting to be near Daddy.

They keep us on our toes, but man, they're fun.