NOLA

We had a wonderful time in New Orleans this weekend! I worked at the convention center and met with authors during the day while Paul and Ellie did some fun sightseeing things like taking the St. Charles streetcar to the Audubon Zoo and tooling around the Mississippi on an authentic paddlewheel steamboat.

When I wasn't at the exhibit hall or in meetings, we managed to squeeze in some family fun, including trips to Cafe Du Monde, the IMAX, the Aquarium of the Americas, a bus tour of the city, and some truly amazing food.

Ellie has been on several car trips and a couple of hotel stays, but this was her first plane ride. She was a real trooper. She did great on the plane and was incredibly well-behaved in several really nice restaurants, where "family-friendly" really meant, "You're allowed to bring your child in here (but I hope she ate before she came). We have bananas. Do you think she'd like a banana?"

Paul, too, did awesomely well. He trekked all over a city he'd never seen before with a baby in a frontpack and a huge diaper bag backpack. He did more than the lion's share of the parentwork and did it uncomplainingly. Well, he wasn't too happy about the 2 middle of the night trips outside to walk Ellie around in the cool humidity to help sooth her cough last night, but he did it anyway.

This is from Paul and Ellie's trip to the Audobon Zoo on Friday. I'm told that the komodo dragon thing is a sculpture.