Bathroom renovation

Kevin has been remodeling our bathroom for about a month now.

Yesterday, he ripped out the pipes.

Can you see the clogging?

It's no wonder the tub took an hour to drain!

But you're my mommy!

Last week, we took a trip to the Aquarium with Ana's best friend Gabby, to celebrate Ana's potty training successes. While there, we saw divers in the entryway aquarium scrubbing the plants and washing windows. This is the second time we've communicated with them through the glass and taken pictures, talking about their equipment and work. This visit I brought home a brochure to be a volunteer naturalist at the Aquarium.

Ana: What's this?

Me: I'm thinking about being a volunteer diver at the Aquarium. What do you think?

A: But you can't be a diver. You're my mommy!

M: I'll always be your mommy. That won't change. That's the most important thing I do.

Ana thinking, and studying my face.

**2 Days Pass**Today, we watched a PBS documentary about the cultivation of pearls. Divers were pulling up mollusks from the sea floor. 30 minutes later...

A (amazed): Mommy, divers are people!

A: (incredulous): Daddy, mommy's going to be a diver at the Aquarium!!

I wonder, what has she been thinking for 2 days? What do you think?

Where's your flower, El?

Elliot's awareness of his left hand is dramatic and exciting!





Today, he was given a flower by a Home Depot employee. Dad put it in his left hand,

















and when asked where his flower was...

he brought it to his nose. Way to go, El!

VOLVO comes from the Spanish volver, to return

Yes, our stolen Volvo has returned.

The crook had it for 5 hours, NOPD was "processing" it for 5 months.

She looks the same except for a gangsta rap CD left on the seat. How could the NOPD not pick up on this during "processing?" It HAD to be out of place among Jack Johnson and Neil Young!

Suggestions on how to "cleanse" the car of her evildoers include:

• a ceremony with sage


• drawing a line with sidewalk chalk and driving her over it

Any ideas?

Why Los Pininos?

We were looking for just the right name to capture the joy and struggle in balancing all the parts of our lives here in New Orleans, with our children, family, work, and selves.

I couldn't help but think of Elliot working on his balance, and Tita (my mom) standing him up, gazing in his eyes, and slowly letting go, screaming "Pinino!" Sometimes he'd stand for a few, others he'd crash down...Whatever the outcome, Elliot's response was half-fear, half-thrill and all smiles.

I'd like to think that's how we face our daily lives.

We are Los Pininos.