Christmas 2009 with the Cassreinos

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

PEARL RIVER, LA. (Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009) -- No sleeping late for Matthew, Camryn, Pam and I.

Matthew was up bright and early at 6:30 a.m., playing with his train table and eating bowl of oatmeal and bananas. Camryn followed shortly, playing with her toys before joining Matthew for cereal.

Christmas was a long, quick, exhausting day -- one capped by a nice evening at my sister's house for dinner and a last-minute visit by Santa himself. The menu included beef brisket, ham, oyster dressing and sweet potato.

After that, it was back home to put two incredibly tired kids to bed while Pam and I watched the season finale of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" we taped last month but never got around to watch (the verdict -- very funny).

Below is a short slide show of photos from our Christmas. Enjoy. And don't forget: Click the closed-caption box in the bottom of the window to eliminate the captions -- and click the photo itself for a larger version of the picture.

Copyright 2009 Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Cassreinos celebrate Matthew’s baptism

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

SLIDELL, La. (Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009) – Just a few days before we celebrate the first anniversary of "Gotcha Day" with our son, we joined with family members at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church to celebrate Matthew's baptism.

The service began at 1:30 p.m. and lasted about 45 minutes. It was incredibly uplifting and moving. And a great way for us as adults to welcome our son into the Catholic Church, share our Catholic faith with our son and remind all of us the meaning and importance of baptism, faith and family.

After the service, we headed to my sister's home to watch the New Orleans Saints continue their amazing season and enjoy an afternoon of fellowship with family.

As I sit and think back over the past year – from our trip to China exactly a year ago to Matthew's baptism – I am reminded how eventful this year has been for me and my family. We added a new member to our family, moved to a new city, took new jobs and faced major upheaval.

As stressed out as we all are and have been, we are still together growing in love and faith. I married late in life in 1999 at age 38; my wife and I started late in our own lives creating a family. But you know what? I wouldn't change any of it.

My wife, Pam; my daughter, Camryn; and my son Matthew mean the world to me. They make me happy. They give me a purpose. They renew my faith in God. And they are the reason I do what I do every day in my life.

Next up: Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009 – the first anniversary of "Gotcha Day," the day we met Matthew in Zhengzhou, China. My wife and I have decided to make this a special day for Matthew, just like we do for Camryn on her "Gotcha Day" in April. We'll probably head out for some great Chinese food.

And, once again, we'll realize how lucky all of us are.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

 

Relive our adoption journey to get Matthew by visiting our archives on the left and start with Dec. 2, 2008. Then read forward. You can do the same with our adoption trip to get Camryn. Visit the archives, start with March 27, 2006 and read forward.

Cassreinos return from successful cruise

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

PEARL RIVER, La. (Sunday, Nov. 29) -- Well, we made it. We survived seven days at sea in the Western Caribbean with two children -- and lived to tell about it. Actually, it was a great vacation, one of the best cruises my wife and I have taken.

The chief reason: We really enjoyed spending a full week with our children and watching them have a great time on the Norwegian Spirit and at the beach in Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.

They loved every minute of it. And I hope to post a collection of photos from our travels. First up is this brief glimpse at Day 1 of the cruise. I also will offer a critical review of the trip and the NCL service (which was good, but not on par with previous NCL cruises).


Copyright 2009 Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

The First Official Cassreino Family Vacation begins

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

PEARL RIVER, La. (Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009) – The First Official Cassreino Family Cruise Vacation Adventure to the Western Caribbean begins today at about 9 a.m. when Pam and I leave with Camryn and Matthew for the cruise ship terminal in New Orleans.

Hmmmm. Let’s see. Traveling with a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old on Norwegian Cruise Lines. This is either going to be a major disaster on the scale of Pompei or Hurricane Katrina – or it will be a huge success the likes of which our generation has never experienced.

Actually, I the optimist and think this will be a success. The kids are excited about traveling on a Big Boat. And Pam and I are looking forward to leaving behind the day-to-day stress of life for a seven-day cruise.

Pam and I are cruise veterans, having sailed on Carnival or NCL out of New Orleans on seven separate times during the 10 years we have been married. We love it. The trips were casual, relaxing, enjoyable; the ports were fascinating.

We’ve lowered our expectations traveling with two children. But I still think we will have fun.

And one thing is certain no matter what: Ole Miss defeated LSU in Oxford in one of the most spectacular, exciting Ole Miss-LSU games I have ever seen. Too bad I was there for what had to be an incredibly humiliating loss.

Take that, LSU.

Copyright 2009, Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

An oyster festival without the oysters: 'We ran out'

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

METAIRIE, La. (Saturday, Nov. 15, 2009) – The giant nutria, about 6-and-a-half feet tall, was within a few feet of Matthew when his face turned to pure terror and he was on the verge of a blood-curdling scream.

So much for a photo with the kids and the Zephyrs baseball team mascot.

At least Matthew and Camryn enjoyed the sights and rode a few of the puny kiddie rides at the annual St. Clement of Rome Catholic Church Oyster Festival tonight in Metairie. That was about the only thing worthwhile at the event.

What, you say? Did you go there to see The Producers? The band you remember seeing on the S.S. President when it offered nightly concert cruises on the Mississippi River in downtown New Orleans? The same ship that now sits idle on the Mississippi in St. Louis as a floating casino?

Didn’t you go to the oyster festival to eat char-broiled oysters prepared and sold by Drago’s? Didn’t you go to enjoy the entertainment and fellowship afford by annual Catholic Church events like this one that happens nearly every week in metro New Orleans?

Well, yes and no.

The Producers sucked. They looked like a bunch of middle-age men trying to recapture the youth of the past. The keyboard player was paunchy and overweight. The others looked like they were 35 years older than the last time I saw them. And they sounded badly off key.

And the oysters – they were out. Yes, folks, you read it right: The oyster festival was out of oysters despite having another day to go. Hmmm. Sounds kind of like Popeyes being out of chicken. Or Burger King running out of ground meat for burgers.

At least we spent time together as a family.

Here are a few pictures.

And hey – it’s one week until our Thanksgiving cruise with the kids aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines. Now that should be a trip to remember.


Copyright 2009 Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Watching football, catching a parade

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

PEARL RIVER, La. (Monday, Oct. 26, 2009) – These weekends just seem to fly by – especially ones that have been as nice as the just-ended Saturday and Sunday stretch.

How nice was the weekend? Well, let’s look at these facts:

Ole Miss Football

I couldn’t be in Oxford this weekend – alas, it’s almost impossible for me to make the trip there now that my family is in Southeast Louisiana – but I did catch the Ole Miss-Arkansas game on the SEC Network.

The Rebels looked much better than the last outing I caught against Alabama. This great win against Arkansas sets yup the remaining games of this year’s schedule beginning Saturday at Auburn.

Win-out, and the Rebs will likely find themselves in the Top 10 once again. This is probably the toughest game on our schedule. Auburn is winnable, although no certain pushover.

Krewe of Boo


Around 3 p.m. Saturday, I packed my wife and children into the car, picked up my niece, switched to my sister’s SUV, packed the parade ladder and headed for the French Quarter and the 2nd annual Krewe of Boo Halloween parade.

This certainly wasn’t an Endymion or Orpheus. The Krewe of Boo is what it is: a nice, small-scaled, parade not unlike the small-scaled early season Carnival parades that usually pop up in January.

The kids loved it – and that’s all that mattered. They enjoyed watching the bands, the dance groups, the horses and the generous riders on Blain Kerne’s small, Halloween-styled floats. Nothing spectacular, but nice.

The night ended with a $40 parking ticket slapped on the SUV. The New Orleans police greedily ticketed what looked like 100 or so cars on South Peters, just beyond Elysian Fields. They cited us for parking on the sidewalk.

But one thing is wrong: THERE IS NO SIDEWALK.

Another case of misplaced priorities. While folks are out in the city killing and murdering others, while drug dealers are out there getting our kids addicted, the New Orleans police are ticketing peoples’ cars for no apparent reason other than to screw the people who parked there.

Nevertheless, I have included a slide show here for your enjoyment. Click a photo and you’ll see a larger version. Enjoy.

Saints football

The New Orleans Saints won – improbably – Sunday at Miami in a strange, exciting game. I gave up on them at the half, but was incredibly impressed with the character of the team.

I’m not much of a pro football fan, but the Saints are a fun team to watch.

All photos and text copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Great weekend highlighted by trip to French Quarter

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

PEARL RIVER, La. (Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009) -- Can you think of a better weekend?

Partly cloudy skies. Temperatures in the 60s. Great fall weather. The Saints win in an impressive game. Ole Miss wins at homecoming. And the Cassreinos visited the French Quarter on Saturday.

Yep. We packed the kids in the car, drove to the city, took the Canal Street streetcar to the Quarter and walked for a few hours. We ended the night with an unmemorable dinner at Mandina's in Mandeville, but it was still a great, relaxing weekend.

We even took Camryn and Matthew on a horse-and-buggy ride through the French Quarter -- something we promised Camryn weeks ago that we would do. We took a few photos and I am posting a slide show below.

As always, click the photo for a larger version. Enjoy.


Text and photos Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Saturday at the St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church fair

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

PEARL RIVER, LA. (Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009) -- As I watch Ole Miss play rather pathetically for the first half of its game against Alabama -- and with little hope they can pull off a win in the second -- I decided to update my Blog with some new photos.

Today is Pam's birthday (everyone join me in wishing her a happy birthday)and the St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church fair in Slidell. In case you have never been to the fair, let's just say it is huge -- one gigantic event.

With the chance of rain set for 90 percent, we decided to hang around the fair this afternoon after our daughter, Camryn, performed for the crowd as part of her pre-K class. We walked and walked and walked. And Camryn and our son, Matthew, had a blast.

They especially enjoyed the carnival rides on the Midway. While I personally prefer a real amusement park like Six Flags or the now-defunct JazzLand, the kids nevertheless had a great time.

And I snapped away, taking photo after photo. Below is a slide show from the day.

Before I go, I'd like to add this extra note: You should be able to tell from the photos that Matthew's right leg is fine after spending much of the summer in a series of casts to correct his club foot.

Matthew now sleeps in a large plastic brace and, hopefully, will not require surgery in the future. We will have to monitor his condition over the next few months and years; he has to go back to his doctor sometime in the next month.

Enjoy the slideshow. As always, if you want to see a larger version of a photo, click it and you will automatically see one.


Photos and text copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

'Unconditional Love' commemorates Gotcha Day for our daughter

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

PEARL RIVER, La. (Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009, 5:30 a.m.) - I have been wanting to post this video for a while, but have never been able to find a good program to convert my video file tyo a flash video.

Tonight, however, I downloaded the free Riva FLV Encoder 2.0 and successfully converted my video to flash and then uploaded it to my channel at You Tube. Then I posted it here at my blog.

A little background: I made this video slide show in April 2007, in time to mark the first anniversary of the day we got Camryn, our daughter, in China. Since we got her two days before she turned 1, this also commemorates her second birthday.

I haven't yet created a similar video for our son, Matthew. I plan to start work on something similar in the next few weeks and have it ready in time for the first anniversary of his Gotcha Day in December 2009.

At any rate, I hope you enjoy this video. Let me know what you think.

Matthew’s cast comes off on Wednesday

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

PEARL RIVER, La. (Monday, Aug. 24, 2009, 6 a.m.) – Wednesday is the big day – Matthew has his full leg cast removed.

As you may remember, I took a day off from work two weeks ago to take Matthew to the Children's Hospital in New Orleans to have his first cast removed. After our doctor examined Matthew, he decided to try a second cast to further help my son's club foot.

I wasn't particularly excited about it. And I know Matthew wasn't, either. But he has been an incredibly good sport. And now, hopefully, he will be able to trade in the cast for a brace to wear at night. We'll see. And I'll post a follow up on Wednesday night.

This time, Pam is taking Matthew. I might try to meet them at the doctor, but I may not be able to.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Cooling off with a New Orleans snowball

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

NEW ORLEANS (Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009, 10:30 p.m.) – The line snaked through the small store, out the double doors and around the corner from Tchoupitoulas Street in Uptown New Orleans, with some folks waiting 30 minutes or longer – all for a snowball.

Well, let me rephrase that: A snowball from Hansen's Sno-Bliz, probably the best snowball stand in metro New Orleans. This isn't just shaved ice. This is a snowball made with fine ice the texture of powdery snow, perfect for use with Hansen's homemade syrups.

I remember visiting Hansen's as a child when my family lived a few blocks away on Jena Street, just off Magazine Street and Napoleon Avenue. My mother used to take me and my sister for a snowball during New Orleans' often cruel, stiflingly hot summers.

On Sunday, I did the same thing for my two children. With my mother joining me on the trip – Pam wasn't feeling very well and stayed home in Pearl River – I packed Camryn and Matthew into my car and trekked across the lake to New Orleans.

Our original plan was to visit the Audubon Zoological Gardens. But after getting off to a late start (we left home about 1:30 p.m.) and seeing the vast crowds at the zoo, we decided to wait until later in the year despite incredibly nice weather for August (temps in the mid-80s and humidity at 50 percent.

So we drove through Uptown, stopped at Hansen's and bought a snowball. I had Cream of Nectar, my mother had Cream of Chocolate and Camryn had Cream of Strawberry. They were very good. Camryn made it through half of hers, letting Matthew take the rest. Matthew also ate most of mine.

After the Hansen's visit, we headed down to the French Quarter and the Flea Market. After finding a parking spot for $5, we unpacked the two strollers, transferred the children from the car to the strollers and then spent a couple of hours walking through the Quarter.

All in all – a nice Sunday.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

One cast comes off, another one goes on

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

PEARL RIVER, La. (Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009, 6:44 p.m.) – Mathew and I are back home this evening facing another two weeks in a full leg cast – part of the Ponseti Method our orthopedic specialist prescribed to help avoid surgery to correct our son’s club foot.

Matthew’s new fiberglass cast is, like the last one, a full leg cast. But besides being Rebel Red (the first cast was blue), this one he received today at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans is not bent as severely at the knee and Matthew likely will be able to walk with it.

The cast slightly turns Matthew’s foot to the right and stretches the tendon in his heel. His doctor said results from the first cast were good, possibly enough for Matthew to avoid tendon surgery that is sometimes needed to correct a club foot.

Let me pause for a minute to say this: Pam and I are fortunate that Matthew’s adoption agency in Xingxang, China, were able to send him to Beijing for treatment of his club foot. Without that early intervention, there’s no telling how much more work Matthew would need.

At any rate, Matthew faces two more weeks in a cast.

After that – and assuming there are no more casts – Matthew probably will have a foot brace to wear at night. Our doctor says new braces are available that area easier to wear, more comfortable for children and will make it tougher for them to remove in the middle of the night.

We’ll see how this works out. Meanwhile, below is a slide show of photos from today’s cast removal and new casting. While you won’t hear the blood curdling screams I heard, you will be able to imagine how traumatic something like this is for a 2-year-old.


Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Camryn marks first day at new school

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

PEARL RIVER, La. (Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, 8:40 p.m.) -- Camryn enjoyed her first day at school today at St. Margaret Mary Catholic School in Slidell. I'd call it Big Girl School, but that sounds so corny. I will say it was her first time at pre-kindergarten.

Pam has a job at St. Margaret Mary teaching kindergarten, so she was nearby for support.

Anyway, I stopped by first thing this morning and snapped a few photos to document the occasion. I also threw in a few extras of Matthew, including one of him in his cast (which will be removed on Wednesday). Below is a slide show of the photos. Don't forget: Click the photos and you'll jump to a larger version.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Weekends, like the one just ended, are entirely too short to spend enough time with your family

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

PEARL RIVER, LA. (Monday, Aug. 10, 2009, 6 a.m.) – Another weekend has ended and once again it was way too short.

My weekend saw my wife and I attend a new parents social at St. Margaret Mary Catholic School in Slidell where Pam met some of the parents whose children will be in her pre-K class and I met Camryn's pre-K teacher and other parents.

Despite my initial misgivings and concerns, I thought the event was nice and went over well. And I thought I did fairly well controlling my appetite – I ate a little of the pasta salad, ate some fruit, ate some cheese and drank a couple of Diet Cokes.

No beer or mixed drinks for me. I'm three weeks into a Weight Watchers diet, I've lost about seven pounds so far (well on my way to a goal of losing 50 pounds) and wasn't about to screw that up. My mother graciously offered to watch Camryn and Matthew at our house while we attended the social.

We were home by 10 p.m. – that was Friday.

On Saturday, I piled Pam, Camryn and Matthew into my Ford Fusion, took a ride in torrential rain, ate lunch at a so-so Mexican/Cuban restaurant in Covington, visited Pontchatoula and then returned home. It was a nice, uneventful outing – well, until I took Camryn with me to Best Buy and she insisted I buy her a Dora the Explorer movie (the one where she rescues a mermaid, I think).

Sunday was even less eventful: A trip to Rouses to buy groceries (no more Wal-Mart on Saturday for me) and a trip to my mother's house to fix her computer (a bad modem).

And now onto the new week. The big news: Matthew will have his full-leg cast removed on Wednesday. I have arranged to take a personal day from work on Wednesday and will take Matthew from Pearl River to the Children's Hospital in New Orleans for his cast removal.

This is an important procedure. If his casting went well, then it's possible he won't require surgery to permanently correct his club foot. It's also possible that Matthew may require a second cast on his leg, more than likely after he gets a short reprieve.

I hope and pray that the casting negates the need for surgery.

Matthew has weathered the cast amazingly well. While obviously uncomfortable for much of the past two weeks – and desperately wanting to get in the tub for a bath each night – our son has been a great sport. He obviously doesn't understand what's happening – hopefully he will appreciate it years down the road.

We took some great photos of the folks at Children's Hospital putting the cast on Matthew's leg. I plan to take more photos on Wednesday to document the removal. And then – if everything works out – I'll post a complete photo gallery-slide show of the entire process here at my blog.

Until then … have a great week.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Leg cast starts to irritate Matthew

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

NEW ORLEANS (Friday, July 31, 2009) – It's been two days since Matthew received his full-leg cast – and it started to irritate him Thursday night (which led to an incredibly fitful sleep for my wife and I).

No big deal, though. As much as it is uncomfortable for Matthew today, he'll be grateful we did this for him years later down the road. Hopefully, this additional Ponsetti Method, as it's called, will be successful and avoid us from having surgery.

I don't know what will happen with his crossed eyes. Pam made an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologist in a couple of weeks. And it looks at this point that he probably will need surgery to correct his problems.

If he doesn't, our regular ophthalmologist said, Matthew's left eye would likely not develop and he essentially would be blind in one eye.

Hey – at least it's the weekend.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Matthew to receive cast today for club foot

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

NEW ORLEANS ( Wednesday, July 29, 2009) – In just a few short minutes, I will join my wife and our son on a trip to Children's Hospital in New Orleans where he will be treated for his club foot by having his entire right leg placed in a cast.

We first saw the orthopedic pediatric specialist last week. And rather than jumping into surgery, he suggested we try to cast Matthew's right leg for two weeks, remove the cast, evaluate his status, possibly cast a second time and then decide if will need surgery.

While Matthew, who is 2, no doubt will be miserable – his leg will be bent at the knee in the cast – this is worth a try if it keeps him from going under the knife for surgery. The procedure is set for 1 p.m. today, so I'll update later today with details and photos.

Matthew and his sister, Camryn, 4, visited the ophthalmologist on Tuesday. Camryn has a lazy eye, which we all knew; Dr. Cangelosi ordered her to wear her glasses all the time every day to help develop her bad eye and give her vision from both eyes.

Matthew, we discovered, has crossed eyes and will no doubt require surgery at some point possibly this year. So while Matthew may escape surgery for his club foot (that isn't certain, however), he appears likely headed to surgery for his eyes.

Our doctor gave us the name of a pediatric ophthalmologist who specializes in this. No date has been set for a visit.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

The Cassreinos have officially moved to Southeast Louisiana

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

PEARL RIVER, La. (Tuesday, July 28, 2009) – Friends and family,

As many of you may know, Pam, Camryn, Matthew and I left Madison, Miss., earlier this month for a new start in Pearl River, La., and Southeast Louisiana after I took a new job in New Orleans. It was tough and not something we really wanted to do. But when my job with the Mississippi Democratic Party ended on Jan. 31 and my efforts to find work in Mississippi went nowhere, we were forced once again to relocate. Our 2½ years in Madison were great and memorable.

But our nation's and our state's economy took its toll. And after weeks of unsuccessful attempts to find work in Mississippi, we were forced to expand our search. Luckily, that led me to my new job as director of communications for the Housing Authority of New Orleans. With my hometown still suffering from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this seemed like a good way to help people help themselves.

So on July 2, movers packed our belongings into two trucks, headed South to Pearl River, La., and delivered it to our rental home the following day. Pam and I placed our Madison home on the market, hoping to sell it as quickly as possible so we can turn our attention in Southeast Louisiana to finding a more permanent home next year.

Meanwhile, Pam has landed a job as kindergarten teacher at St. Margaret Mary Catholic School – an elementary school that teaches children from pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade. Camryn, 4, our oldest, will attend pre-K there beginning this fall. Matthew, 2, our youngest, will attend day care near the school. And I will make the 30-minute commute to and from work in New Orleans every day.

The past few months have been incredibly stressful on our family as I looked long and hard for a permanent job. I had a brief gig in March and April as campaign manager for Democrat Brenda Scott's Jackson mayoral race. We weren't successful, but I had the distinct privilege of working with one of the best people I have ever known. Brenda is a warm hearted, hard-nosed, hard-working person who would have served Jackson well. Despite her loss, I hope she considers running for office again the future; she has a lot to offer. Together, Brenda and I gained an awful lot of political experience.

I also started my own media and political consulting company, Cassreino Consulting LLC, www.cassreino.net. Even though I'm now living in Southeast Louisiana, I still have a lot of great friends and political contacts in Mississippi; I intend to maintain those ties and my business remains active and available to work with political candidates at anytime throughout Mississippi. Note, please, that I'm only focusing my consulting business on Mississippi.

Matthew, whom we adopted from China in December 2008, continues to adjust well to his new home. You may remember that he suffered from a club foot that was repaired; he goes to see a specialist in New Orleans and may require minor surgery later this year to permanently correct his problem. Other than that, he is your typical 2-year-old boy: He's incredibly active, loves Thomas the Tank Engine, has a great sense of humor and loves to eat.

Camryn may be 4, but she is still our baby. She is growing up fast and has become a beautiful 4-year-old girl who loves the water (like her brother) and seems to be incredibly smart and perceptive. Camryn has played a major role in helping Matthew adjust – she and Matthew play well together and she continues to help him with his vocabulary and other skills. Without Camryn around, I doubt Matthew would have progressed as fast and as much as he has since we brought him home in December. Matthew couldn't have had a better big sister.

Now that Pam and I live in Southeast Louisiana, prospects look slim that we'll be able to attend any Ole Miss games this fall in Oxford. We'll have to hope they appear a lot of TV this fall and, possibly, snag a spot in the Sugar Bowl (I don't think that's too far off because Houston Nutt's team should be pretty good this year). Unfortunately, we will have tolerate more LSU fans than ever before. But that's OK – Pam and I both have jobs in a pretty lousy economy.

For those of you who make it to New Orleans or Southeast Louisiana, please drop us a line or give us a call. We would love to meet up with you. Please note our new address, phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Thank you all and God bless.

TERRY R. CASSREINO

1109 Forest Ridge Loop

Pearl River, LA 70452

Phone: (985) 250-9466

Terry's E-mail: cassreino@gmail.com, terry@cassreino.com

Pam's E-mail: pcassreino@gmail.com

Cassreino Consulting LLC E-mail: terry@cassreino.net

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

My children are the only gifts I need for Father’s Day

Holt International Children’s Services asked me to write a piece for their e-newsletter, something timed to Father’s Day. Since I rarely shy away from a chance to write, I agreed. The result is below. This is my original version; it may be slightly different from the version Holt published. Enjoy.
And Happy Father’s Day.

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Thursday, June 18, 2009) – Camryn sat in my lap on the carpeted floor of our master bedroom and begged me to talk about the upcoming China adoption trip my wife and I were planning.

Her excitement had been building for months, ever since Pam and I learned in June 2008 that we were matched with a little boy through Holt International Children’s Services Child of Promise program.

“Tell me about my baby brother,” Camryn, 3, said as she smiled and laughed. “Talk to me about Matthew. Is he going to be big? Is he still a baby? Can I play with him?”

It was Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008 – two days before Pam, my wife, and I were scheduled to leave Jackson, Miss., on our 24-hour flight to Beijing, the first stop on our nearly three-week adoption trip.

We already had been to China once before in March and April 2006 to adopt Camryn. And now we were heading back for our second child, a little boy who had a club foot.
Hearing Camryn’s excitement didn’t surprise me at all. We had been talking to her about Matthew for weeks to help her prepare for his arrival and ease the transition to having a second child as a member of our family.

Smooth transition

We’ve been back from China since Dec. 18. Matthew has been a part of our family for six months, bringing joy and love to everyone. He has adjusted incredibly well to his new home.

Surprisingly, Camryn has adjusted incredibly well to Matthew.

Watching Camryn, who turned 4 on April 5, and Matthew, who turned 2 on March 16, play together would lead you to think they were biologically related.

Nothing is more touching than watching Camryn sit on the floor of her bedroom, open a book, point to the pictures and create a story for her brother as if she was reading the words on the pages. Matthew sits quiet and attentive, listening to every word.

Being a father came late for me, just like my marriage. Both have been a huge blessing.

Pam and I met in 1997 when I was 36; we married in 1999. When it became obvious we weren’t going to have a child naturally, we chose to adopt, hooked up with Holt International and the rest, to use a trite phrase, is history.

I’m 48 now – and probably will be the oldest parent in our children’s PTA organization. But that doesn’t bother me; you are only as old as you feel and act.

I know I speak for my wife and myself when I say that raising two children under 5 will keep you young at heart and young in mind. Children are wonderful; they never cease to amaze.

Typical challenges

Our lives have seen the typical challenges of most parents: Making sure our children eat right, trying to choose the right day care and treating the typical childhood illnesses and colds.

We also do other things, such as ensuring Camryn and Matthew know and learn about their Chinese culture. And we are helping Matthew correct his club foot, which hasn’t been that much of a problem at all.

With Father’s Day fast approaching, my children are more on my mind than usual.

Our family is in the process of moving to Southeast Louisiana after I accepted a job in New Orleans and began work there in May. Camryn and Matthew stayed home with my wife, helping prepare our house for sale and packing for the move.

Obviously, I haven’t seen my wife or my children that much the past month. And I may not see them again until we actually move to Pearl River, La., in early July.

But if ever I feel overwhelmed in my new job or stressed by the impending move and sudden changes in our lives, I often think back to that Sunday in Madison before our trip to China to adopt Matthew. And I smile.

That’s the only gift I need for Father’s Day

“Tell me about my baby brother,” Camryn said as she looked into my eyes. “Talk to me about Matthew. Is he going to be big? Is he still a baby? Can I play with him?

“I can’t wait for my brother. I can’t wait for Matthew.”

Text and photos copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved. May not be duplicated or republished without consent in advance.

Riding the rails from New Orleans to Jackson

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

JACKSON, Miss. (Wednesday, May 13, 2009) -- Camryn, Matthew and I capped a two-day quick trip to Slidell with a four-hour trip on the City of New Orleans from New Orleans to Jackson.

It was a perfect ending to a brief excursion in which I returned a car to my mom and toured Camryn's new school in Slidell. I start my new job in New Orleans on Monday, May 18; the family will likely move down in June or July.

I'll update more on the job later. For now, here is a short slide show from the train trip. Click the slide show for access to a larger version of the photo. Thanks for viewing.

Camryn dances up a storm

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

JACKSON, Miss. (Saturday, May 9, 2009) -- Camryn took center stage today at her dance recital held at Belhaven College.

Pam, Matthew and Pam's family met at Belhave College for the event at 2 p.m.; I was there, too, taking a few photos. I was going to video the entire production, but stopped short when I heard that videos were strictly forbidden.

It turns out they were filming their own production and selling DVD copies for a whopping $45 each. Oh well, I opted for photos instead (and a short snippet of video that probably wasn't that good).

Below is a photo gallery slide show of the big day. Remember, you can click the photo to view a larger version. And you can click the photo to gain access to my other photo galleries at Picassa.

Enjoy.

Text and photos copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino

Matthew's birthday memories: A slide show you must see

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Sunday, May 3, 2009) -- Sorry it's been a while since I posted here. I have been up to my neck with Jackson mayoral politics, managing a candidate in the Tuesday, May 5, Democratic Party primary.

Well, I did manage to post a new slide show -- this once covering Matthew's birthday on March 16, 2009. I plan to post another slide show in the next few days for Camryn's birthday.

Hope you enjoy.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Managing a mayoral campaign and my family -- at the same time

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Monday, April 13, 2009) - It's been a long, long day.

I got up at 4:45 a.m. and left home at 5:15 a.m. for a trip 30 minutes away in South Jackson to WAPT-TV. There, I met my Jackson mayoral candidate, Brenda Scott, for a live TV appearance on the station's morning show.

It ended more than 12 hours later when I arrived home at about 8 p.m. after attending a mayoral campaign forum at a Jackson library -- the first of at least three forums this week. It's tough when you have 10 Democrats running in the May 5 party primary.

As you probably know by now, I am managing Brenda's campaign. It's tough.

Meanwhile, when I have time, I'm sorting through some of the photos I've taken since Pam and I went to China in December 2008 for Matthew's adoption. I hope to put together a slide show in time for his Baptism sometime this summer.

I post it when I have it completed. And I'll also post the date of the Baptism for those interested. Until then, I'm posting a great photo of me and my two children. Pam snapped this photo a coupleo f weeks ago.

It's Carnival Time -- everybody's having fun

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

SLIDELL, La. (Monday, Feb. 23, 2009) - Weeks of parades and Carnival balls reach a climax on Tuesday when residents across Southeast Louisiana hit the streets to celebrate Mardi Gras 2009.

My trip to Slidell, which began on Friday, Feb. 13, 2009, also reaches a climax when I take my family to Mardi Gras - including my two children for the first time. They will enjoy the day in much the same way I did as a child: dressed in full costume, watching parades and catching beads.

On Saturday, Feb. 21, I hit the streets of downtown New Orleans riding in the Krewe of Endymion's annual parade. Below is a short slide show/photo gallery fro the past few days; I'll have more photos after Mardi Gras.

Happy Mardi Gras

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

SLIDELL, La. (Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009) -- As we prepare to head to the Thursday night parades in New Orleans, I've included a brief slide show/photo gallery for your enjoyment. I'll post a few more before Fat Tuesday. Here goes:

Endymion float show previews the Feb. 21 parade

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Monday, Feb. 9, 2009, 9:32 a.m.) – When the Krewe of Endymion hits the streets of New Orleans on Saturday, Feb. 21, you'll witness one of the organization's best parades in recent memory.

My family and I had a sneak peek at the krewe's floats during an open house at the Endymion den Saturday, Feb. 7. The theme: "Tales of Sleep and Dreams"; floats depict nightmare tales and storybook themes.

All were depicted in minute detail on parade floats decorated with intricate papier mache props. They should look incredible when fully lit and traveling down Canal Street on parade night.

Below is a photo gallery slide show from the open house. Don't forget to use the button in the bottom left corner of the slide show to toggle captions. And click the photo to enlarge in a new window.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Cassreinos enjoy Slidell parade on Sunday

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Monday, Feb. 9, 2009, 7:57 a.m.)- Before I post a photo gallery from my family's trip to New Orleans for a weekend of Carnival events, below is a news report that appeared Sunday night, Feb. 8, 2009, on WGNO-TV ABC26 in New Orleans. It features our family. Check back later for photos.

Press play below; the video airs immediately after a brief commercial.

Better late than never: Christmas 2008 photos

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009, 5:11 p.m.) - I k now it's rather late for Christmas pictures.

But since Pam and I returned from Beijing on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008, we had little time to put something together with our two children. So, we cheated and took the photos in January. And we just got them back last week.

So here, without, without any additional delay, are our 2008 holiday photos of Camryn, our daughter, and Matthew, our son.




Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Former Democratic Party spokesman, longtime journalist forms consulting company

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/CONTACT: TERRY R. CASSREINO

PHONE: (601) 454-7419/E-MAIL: terry@cassreino.com

JACKSON (Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009) – Terry R. Cassreino, former communications director for the Mississippi Democratic Party and a former longtime Mississippi journalist, announced today he has formed a media and political consulting company.

Cassreino Consulting LLC offers media and political campaign consulting, including the ability to craft effective media and marketing strategies that will help businesses, organizations and candidates for public office mount winning, successful public relations and election campaigns.

"Political and business clients will be able to draw on my 22 years of experience at Mississippi newspapers as an award-winning reporter and editor who covered and followed state politics and government," Cassreino said.

"I'll also draw on more than two years of experience as communications director for the Mississippi Democratic Party – during which I worked as communications director for Congressman Travis Childers' successful, 2008 special election for the 1st District U.S. House seat."

Cassreino, 47, a New Orleans native, is a 1985 University of Mississippi graduate. His newspaper career included more than 12½ years as the statehouse political reporter for The Sun Herald and nearly six years as an editor at The Madison County Journal, The Meridian Star and Hattiesburg American.

He joined the Mississippi Democratic Party in September 2006 as communications director. While there, Cassreino worked on the spring 2008 special election in which Childers won the 1st District U.S. House seat – and became the first Democrat to hold that office in 13 years.

Cassreino also coordinated media events in Oxford the week of the Sept. 26, 2008, presidential debate. And he worked with the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C., last fall to promote President Obama's candidacy in Mississippi.

Cassreino is married to the former Pam Vance of Madison, a teacher with Madison County schools; they have two children. The Cassreinos live in Madison County.

"My strength is my vast experience working with the news media in Mississippi and political organizations in our state and in Washington," Cassreino said. "I will use that to my clients' advantage, just like I did helping our Democratic candidates win Congress and the presidency."

# # #

A weekend of Carnival parades

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

SLIDELL, La. (Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, 6:15 p.m.) – Covered plates of steaming hot beef tenderloin, steamed green beans and roasted potatoes tumbled from the waiter's tray and fell on top of a woman sitting at my table.

The plate hit her head and hot gravy fell on her husband's arm. While their formal clothes prevented serious injury, it still cast a strange feeling over the early part of the Krewe of Endymion's Coronation Ball on Saturday in New Orleans.

The food was good; the entertainment also was good. The Nobles and the Top Cats were great, but the Bag of Donuts – a strange looking band – was unmistakably bad.

These guys were horrible. They couldn't sing. Their humor was infantile.

The night was capped by a midnight parade through the Hilton ballroom, featuring the St. Augustine Marching 100, St. Mary's band and mini floats with maskers. It was a nice touch to whet our appetite for the Feb. 21 Endymion parade.

On Sunday, our attention shifted to the Krewe of Slidellians parade. The parade allowed Pam and I a chance to try out our parade ladder for Camryn and Matthew. It was a success.

Below, you'll find a photo-gallery slide show from the weekend.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Preparing for the Endymion Coronation Ball

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Friday, Jan. 30, 2009, 1:57 p.m.) – After a long week at work in Jackson, much of it tying up loose ends as I leave the Mississippi Democratic Party, I'm ready for as weekend in New Orleans celebrating the Carnival season.

And guess what?

That's exactly what my family and I plan to do. Pam, Camryn, Matthew and I will pack up our car later today and head to Slidell for the weekend. Pam and I will then attend the Krewe of Endymion Coronation Ball on Saturday.

We'll stick around for Sunday and another cheesy, cheap parade in Slidell – but, hey, Matthew should enjoy it since it's his first – catch the Super Bowl and then return home Monday morning.

Finally, I'll kick off my new business enterprise on Tuesday morning. I'm still putting together the final touches, but I'll post my news release on this blog for everyone to read.

As for now, gotta go. I'll file a blog update with photos and a story later this weekend.

Copyright 2009, Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Enjoying a Carnival weekend in metro New Orleans

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

SLIDELL, La. (Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009, 3 p.m.) – A relaxing weekend in Slidell and New Orleans, highlighted by a trip to the Endymion den for my krewe throws, ended far too soon today.

As you may know from earlier posts, I ride in the Krewe of Endymion, the largest Carnival parading organization in New Orleans. I had to stop by the krewe den on Saturday to pick up about $500 worth of krewe-emblem throws I bought for the parade.

Among the items: Krewe cups, krewe beads, stuffed animals, Endymion footballs and Endymion Frisbees. My mom's house in Slidell is overflowing with junk for me to throw on the six-mile route Saturday, Feb. 21.

Camryn, my 3-year-old daughter, had a great time. She waited at the krewe den with me and my mom and then had a rare treat of a peek through the large doors of the den at floats still under construction.

Today, Camryn, my mother and I joined my sister and her family for the Krewe of Claude parade in Slidell. As expected, it was awful: Cheesy floats, two bands and not much else.

How bad was the parade? Well, they used rental floats from Barry Barth – floats that were small, narrow and just plain hideous. It also didn't look good when the third float was numbered 10 and the fourth was numbered 22.

But my daughter didn't care. She just wanted to see floats, see marching bands and catch beads.

Next up: A trip to Slidell on Saturday, Jan. 31, for the Krewe of Endymion coronation ball that night at the Hilton in New Orleans and another cheap Slidell parade on Sunday, Feb. 1.

The real stuff kicks in the weekend of Feb . 14.

Below is a photo gallery slide show from the weekend. If you see a photo you like, click it and you'll open a larger version. And use the button o the left corner of the slide show to toggle captions.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Matthew makes it through the night with his foot brace

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Friday, Jan. 23, 2009, 7 a.m.) – Matthew made it through his first night wearing the foot brace required to correct his right club foot.

I'll try to take a photo of the brace and post it later. But essentially the brace is one long bar with two open toed shows o n both ends; we tie the shoes tightly on Matthew, his feet become immobile and he sleeps with them all night.

It's rather sad and I felt bad putting them on. But Matthew didn't fight. He didn't protest. He allowed me to put the shoes on his feet. And as awkward as they were, he slept through much of the night.

One month down

As I write this, it's been a little more than a month since Pam, Matthew and I have been back from China.

Catholic Charities, which is our social agency in charge of our home study, visited the house this week for the required one month report. We have a six-month and then one-year report before we are totally on our own.

Catholic Charities completes the report, forwards a copy to Holt International Children's Services and then, I believe, Holt sends a copy to the China Center for Adoption Affairs.

Mardi Gras approaches

Camryn, our daughter, and I will head down to New Orleans early Saturday for a quick trip in which I'll pick up my Krewe of Endymion throws for our parade on Saturday, Feb. 21, in New Orleans.

I'll visit my mother and family, Camryn will get to spend some time her aunt, uncle and cousins. And I'll also have time to get excited about Carnival season.

Few times of the year rouse my interest like Carnival and Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I don't know what it is about it – probably the feeling of carefree escapism it creates – but I love this time of the year.

Pam and I plan to head down for weekend parades in February, as well as, of course, the Endymion weekend celebration.

I'll chronicle our visit to Mardi Gras this year with stories photos I post on this blog. So, don't forget to check back often.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Enjoy new Cassreino photo gallery

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009, 7:52 p.m.) - As I prepare to drive south to New Orleans this weekend for Mardi Gras business - I will pick up my Endymion krewe throws on Saturday - I thought I'd post a quick photo gallery slide show.

This isn't anything too spectacular, just a few slice-of-life shots. I'll try to throw together some Carnival photos from the upcoming weekend and post them Sunday or Monday. Keep watching this blog. Until then, enjoy the slide show below.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

DIRECTIONS: Click photo to enlarge. Toggle photo captions with button in left-hand corner of photo gallery slide show.

NEW: View photo gallery, Mardi Gras in New Orleans

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Sunday, Jan.18, 2009, 5:03 p.m.) – It’s Carnival time in New Orleans.

And with parades just weeks away, I thought I’d post a new photo gallery here to the blog. This one features some Mardi Gras photos I’ve gathered over the past three years.

These are some of the nicer ones, a small sampling of the literally hundreds I’ve snapped.

As we get closer to Mardi Gras and I start attending events – the Endymion Coronation Ball, the Endymion float show and New Orleans area parades – look for more photos.

Until then, enjoy.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.


DIRECTIONS: Click photo to enlarge. Toggle photo captions with button in left-hand corner of photo gallery slide show.

One month since we returned from China

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009, 5 p.m.) – Today marks one month since Pam, Matthew and I returned home from China.

And it’s been an incredibly hectic month. I returned to work at the Mississippi Democratic Party. And we’ve tried to settle into a normal day-to-day routine at home.

Pam is still on maternity leave and will likely stay that way through the month of February. Meanwhile, Matthew continues to adjust well at home; he turned 22 months last Thursday.

On Tuesday, Pam and I will take Matthew to an orthopedic specialist to examine his club foot. Our pediatrician said he believes everything is fine; our orthopedic specialist should tell us if he needs any special shoes.

Check back today because I’ll be posting a new photo gallery – one for Mardi Gras.

With Carnival season in full swing, I thought a look back on Mardi Gras these past few years is appropriate.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Matthew's first doctor visit a success

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Monday, Jan. 5, 2009, 9 p.m.) – A successful, refreshing weekend in Southeast Louisiana morphed today into a return to work.

Today was my first day back in six weeks – I haven’t worked since the week before Thanksgiving, taking a few vacation days and an unpaid month-long leave in December for our adoption trip to China.

I left work early, at about 1 p.m., so I could meet Pam and Matthew at the pediatrician’s office. Matthew had his first visit to a U.S. doctor and Pam and I had questions about his overall health and club feet.

The prognosis: Matthew is in great shape. In fact, our doctor said he is one of the healthiest overseas adopted children he has ever seen. He didn’t even think Matthew’s club feet are an issue.

Nevertheless, we will meet with an orthopedic specialist in the next month to discuss the club feet and any necessary treatment.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.