When we got to Jackson, I finally got to meet my Grandpa! Before this he had only been a talking head on Skype. He's definitely better in person.
My Lala was there, too (she used to be called Gram last time I saw her, but now she's Lala). We all had lunch and I threw my toys on the floor and then just got on the floor myself. Floors are my specialty.
We drove for a long time and finally we were in Tallulah. My Great-grandmother Virginia was waiting for me to arrive and I was excited to meet her, too. I rolled around on her bed and floor for a long time.
Before my parents moved to England, they had a dog and some other cats. The dog's name is Buster and he can't see or hear anymore, but when he smelled my Dad he got really excited. But mostly he loves my Lala.
Dogs are kind of a new experience for me. I met a lot of them when we were in Tallulah and I like them! My mom is definitely going to use my love of dogs to persuade my Dad to let us get one again some day. Here I am giving Buster a pet. He mostly liked me but was a little jealous when everyone was paying attention to me instead of him. He would get his toys out and throw them around in the middle of everything to divert the attention from me.
I didn't get to meet my Uncle Will, but he left me a pretty awesome keyboard, which I enjoyed playing the week I was in Tallulah. This is the publicity shot for my upcoming concert:
And this is the shot that corresponds with my hip hop track (which uses the handy dandy hip hop beats on the keyboard Uncle Will gave me. Word, Uncle Will.)
Lala and Grandpa have a pool, too. And some big dogs in the back yard. Contrary to how it looks, they were licking and not eating me.
Little did I know that the next day I was going to meet MORE RELATIVES! What a reception! First came Uncle Andy and he brought MORE DOGS!
Then I wowed my Super Shug and my Super Cousin Jimmy with my amazing egg box trick.
By the time my sexy Aunt Kate got to me, I was a little overwhelmed by all the attention. She, too was overwhelmed by the attention she got from truck drivers on her drive over from Atlanta. It's hard being beautiful like us.
Fortunately, we made up and went for a nature walk. Here we are enjoying our appetizers--cracker and leaf.
Dinner that night was festive. I missed all the festivities, though, because I had to go to bed. Jimmy rocked the bread in my absence.
During the next day, I decided to spend the morning at the pool in the nude. I swam and then I enjoyed a large piece of watermelon and a beer while engaging in a very exciting and interesting conversation with my Dad.
I was forced to be in some pretty ridiculous pictures. Apparently this is some kind of family tradition...
Obviously, the best part of the day was when Aunt Kate gave me my bottle. My Aunts sure to know how to make me happy!
Believe it or not, MORE RELATIVES came the next day. Here I am with my Great Aunt Sue. She and George drove up from New Orleans to meet me. Although I don't look happy, I really was only just hungry. After I had some supper, I was back to my cheery self.
Suzanne and Mike came, too, and showed us pictures from trips to Thailand and to North Carolina.
Grandpa made ribs. My mom doesn't eat ribs, but my Dad loves them with a carnivorous passion. SO probably when I'm old enough to eat them, I will like them, too. Only time and teeth will tell.
Sadly, my Super Shug had to leave after all the festivities. We raised the roof before she did.
A post-departure of Shug swim with Aunt Kate and Uncle Andy:
At this point, the whole 'I'm being licked by dogs' thing was getting a little old. Moose, though, was definitely the most sincere licker. I felt that he truly loved me and would have protected me from whatever threats might have come my way.
I was very excited to go with my Lala out to the garden, where she bravely picked tomatoes and a big cucumber, which she let me hold!
Don't ask:
Saying goodbye to Jimmy and hello to Earlene.
And, my very first crawl with Leslie in the Attic Gallery! Then I threw up on the $600 rug. Whoops!
It was non-stop action! I posed for a picture with Virginia before heading out for a coffee party in my honor. I love VIrginia!
I really turned on the charm at the coffee party!
Then I insisted that my parents and Aunt Kate take me to New Orleans. Unfortunately, they made me go to bed when we got there, but they went out with Meg and whooped it up somewhat. In the world of my parents, staying out until midnight is whooping it up.
I only hope that someone will someday convince me to take a picture as cool as this one of my Dad and Aunt Kate.
In New Orleans I finally got to meet Elly! I also met Vader and Yoda, who were the most enthusiastic lickers of all the dogs who licked me.
Other important things were being accomplished, too. My first visit to Johnny's po-boys, for instance:
Don't get between Aunt Kate and the fries.
It was a fun, but brief trip to NOLA with the extended but scenic version of the drive home at the end. Then it was back to Houston for a couple of more days before we headed back to London. One last meal with Aunt Mendy!
I love my family!
