Spring Break 2009

After getting the boys up at 4 am to drive to Louisiana, a treat to keep the peace was in order. At only 9:26, I gave them all a "whistle-sucker." It worked!

Isaiah ate his quickly, but liked it!

Our Spring Break trip started at 4 am on Monday, March 23. The boys got into the van and, instead of sleeping more (as Mom thought they would), they watched some movies. They started getting a bit restless, so I gave them suckers which they quickly disposed of. The trip down wasn't my favorite time...14 hours with multiple fights, but we made it!

Beignets and Breakfast

Simeon tries his first beignet...and likes it!

Elias tries a beignet, too...he likes it, but doesn't like that the sugar flies in the back of his throat when he breathes!

Isaiah has a beignet in there...just can't see it!

Isaiah & Sammie pose with the gator in the coffeehouse!

All the kids with the gator in the coffeehouse...Chance, you'd better get your hand out of his mouth!

We ate breakfast at the coffeehouse in Gonzales, LA. It's a 150-year-old house that's been converted to a restaurant. We love it there!

We got the kids to pose for a little picture before going to see the gators.

Here we go...let's see the gators!

Looking at the alligators...there were 2 of them.

This gator, the smaller of the 2, swam over to us to see if we had anything to feed it.

After eating breakfast, we went out back to look at the alligators. They were resting across the swamp from us until they smelled us. The small one swam over to see us...it looked kind of scary as it swam! Once it got there, the kids were shaking the chain link fence - until Bridget told them to stop! The gator, if hungry & thinking you're food, will not stop at a little fence.

All of the kids...Chance, Simeon, Elias, Isaiah & Sammie outside Mike the Tiger's habitat, posing with the tiger statue.

Simeon poses by himself.

Elias poses with the statue, too...he decided to "pick the tiger's nose."

Isaiah gets to pose, too.

We went to LSU to see Mike the Tiger. It was raining, but we wouldn't be distracted...we HAD to see Mike!!!

Simeon tries fried alligator at "Chimes" in Baton Rouge after visiting Mike the tiger at LSU

Elias tries alligator, too.

Isaiah tries alligator.

We went to Chimes after going to LSU. We had to walk from the car to the restaurant. It was pouring down rain! After getting into the restaurant, we all tried fried alligator and liked it! I think that, if we could get fried alligator in IL, the boys would eat it a lot!!!

Simeon & Sammie try on some coonskin hats at Cabela's

Isaiah tries on a coonskin hat, too

The kids look at the fish in the tanks

Elias & Chance look at a big fish


So, on our last full day in Louisiana, we had plans to go to the swamps or to "Global Wildlife Park," however, it was rainy & muddy, so we tried a few other places...the family fun place was closed as was the roller rink. We went for our last choice...Cabela's in Gonzales. The kids had fun, so we count it a success!