Posted out of order -- our trip was on Feb. 5th and 6th
LA. . . as in Louisiana. . . great Super Bowl game (at least the parts I caught between reading a novel). . . great overnight trip with Will. What an interesting time to visit Louisiana -- the weekend the New Orleans Saints are playing in the Super Bowl, and just a couple weeks to Mardi Gras. To say the state was in party-mode is a bit of an understatement, but the excitement and colorful decorations were fun.
My friend, Aja, and I met when we both lived in Independence, Kansas. I moved to Texas in 2007, and last summer she moved to Kentucky. Imagine my surprise when I found out she was going to be visiting Louisiana and only a few hours away. I prepared for our adventure by taking Ben, Maddie, and Jon to my parents for the weekend. Luckily, I didn't have to drive the entire way since Dad met me half-way (thanks, Dad!) Thursday night, Allen and I told Will that I was taking him on an educational trip to Louisiana. The few days leading up to the trip, I had been reading stories about a plantation we were going to visit. Friday morning at 5:30 am, the lights in the kitchen and living room were on, but Allen and I were still in bed. When I got up to see what was going on, Will was sitting on the couch, dressed, saying he was ready to go. We left around 7:00 ... after we all went back to bed.
Will and I arrived in Natchitoches, LA, around 10 that morning just as Aja and her family were arriving. We all wandered around the historic downtown area, found a couple of letterboxes, took pictures of buildings, churches, and the kids.
After tasting the area specialty, Natchitoches meat pies, for lunch, we headed for the Oakland Plantation. Since I kept Will out of school, I insisted he learn something on our trip. The kids did a National Park Junior Ranger workbook and activities, and we all took a guided tour of the main house with the ranger. Will learned about the plantations cash crops: indigo and tobacco. After the cotton gin was invented, the main crop was cotton. He learned a bit about sharecropping and life on a pre-Civil War plantation. The kids ran and played among the enormous oak trees until the mamas got tired, then we drove around the Cane River area snapping pictures while trying to stay warm on a blustery (and muddy) day.
After tasting the area specialty, Natchitoches meat pies, for lunch, we headed for the Oakland Plantation. Since I kept Will out of school, I insisted he learn something on our trip. The kids did a National Park Junior Ranger workbook and activities, and we all took a guided tour of the main house with the ranger. Will learned about the plantations cash crops: indigo and tobacco. After the cotton gin was invented, the main crop was cotton. He learned a bit about sharecropping and life on a pre-Civil War plantation. The kids ran and played among the enormous oak trees until the mamas got tired, then we drove around the Cane River area snapping pictures while trying to stay warm on a blustery (and muddy) day.
That night, Will was fading quickly; around 5:00 pm, he asked if we could eat dinner and go to bed. He decided he wanted something fast to eat and then we headed to a convenient bed and breakfast. When he realized we had a house to ourselves, he thought it was pretty neat. The shelves of candy jars near our room helped him feel welcome, too. Around 6:30 pm, we called Allen, Ben, Maddie, and Jon to say good night, brushed our teeth and got in our pajamas and climbed into bed to snuggle and read books. We read to each other for two and a half hours, then turned off the lights and talked and told jokes until he fell asleep. I loved it!!!
The next morning, we enjoyed a tasty homemade breakfast before the innkeeper-chef left us on our own. I loaded our bags into the car and we were ready to search for some more letterboxes. UGH!! I shut the trunk and realized I had locked my keys in accidently. I still had the house key in my pocket so we searched for a phone book. Will could sense my frustration, but I thought I had contained it well. He gently patted my back and said words I've said many times to him: "It's okay, Mama. Sometimes we have rough days, but I still love you." Twenty minutes and thirty bucks later, we were on our way.
The sun was out, but it was still cold. We found the cemetery that featured a Steel Magnolias stamp and enjoyed the birds chirping, the flowers in bloom, and the pretty blue sky. The letterbox was near the location where the cemetery scene in the movie was and it was interesting to read the plaque about the movie being made in Natchitoches. When we got to Waco that afternoon, I had to watch Steel Magnolias just to see all the places we had been that were featured in the movie, too (around downtown, at the church, by the river, and in the cemetery.)
There is so much to do in this quaint little town, and Will and I are looking forward to coming back with Allen and the little kids soon. I had a great time visiting with Aja, and my heart treasures the special moments with Will, too. I hope that I have more times like this with each of my children. . . not just the afternoon once a month, but an entire day and a half together just having fun, learning, and enjoying each others' company.
There is so much to do in this quaint little town, and Will and I are looking forward to coming back with Allen and the little kids soon. I had a great time visiting with Aja, and my heart treasures the special moments with Will, too. I hope that I have more times like this with each of my children. . . not just the afternoon once a month, but an entire day and a half together just having fun, learning, and enjoying each others' company.
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