See? We're Here! With T . . .

The amazing, fabulous T, who arrived directly from finishing her last exam at college. We packed quite a bit in one morning.

We stopped by the French Market in the French Quater, where we stopped for a photo with this sculpture and indulged in those fried things called beignets. Larien ended by licking the powdered sugar from the plate. I'll have to get that photo from T.

Because the only way to see the French Quarter with children is by carriage, I hired one to haul us around. The guide was really great, but the girls talked, too, making some of what he said difficult to hear. Still, T got the gist of the Vieux Carre. As there were no services in St. Louis Cathedral, we visited in there as well. The painted ceiling is quite stunning. I've not seen any of the European cathedrals, so my comparisons would be useless.

As the heat built, we decided to take a walk along the Mississippi River to get a breeze as we made our way to the Aquarium of the Americas. Having a family +1 membership has been money well spent for our crew and the visitors we bring to NOLA. We welcomed the air conditioning and the wonderful tanks of sea creatures.

To return to our car, we took a streetcar ride along the waterfront. Sure, the kids enjoyed that, but what they really loved and couldn't get enough of was T. We spent the afternoon at the pool, but the kids didn't want me to play with them--nooooo, they had to have T. At least they allow her to have her own room for the short time that she's here.