Happy Mardi Gras!

Mardi Gras is an annual event in New Orleans, and one that Patrick and I have fond memories of growing up. I can always remember going to the parades every night leading up to Mardi Gras, standing on Veterans across from the Pontiac dealership. On Mardi Gras day, we'd get up early, put on our costumes and head out to the parade route, ladder in tow, where we'd set up our spot between Causeway and Bonnabel. It was an all day event, we'd walk up and down the street, seeing friends and family who had staked out their own pieces of grass on the neutral ground. The parades would take several hours to pass and we'd catch lots of beads, cups, and stuffed animals. Once home, we'd get to play with our loot until the evening ended with complete exhaustion.

I would imagine that I crossed paths once or twice with a cute boy and his family that were dressed as Indians, dalmations, or cows, among other things through the years. Little did I know that I'd one day be a part of that family that were hanging out at the Harrells! And now we have a little one that we'll bring to Mardi Gras one day.

Even though we couldn't be home for Mardi Gras this year, we did a few things to celebrate the occasion and help Peyton get to know a little about this New Orleans tradition. We went to a Mardi Gras party with the LSU Alumni association Saturday evening and ate king cake and jambalaya. Lollie and Pops came to visit and brought lots of beads to play with. And Mrs. Lauren and Amelia taught Peyton all about the Second Line. Apparently, Peyton was a natural. He was holding the scarves when the second line song came on and he started waving them around like he had done this hundreds of times before.

Here's the video. He takes a couple of seconds to come around the corner, but he makes it!

Be My Valentine

Peyton finger painted a masterpiece that I think will sell for millions one day. He gave it to me for Valentine's Day. I think Mrs. Lauren helped him with it a little bit. Just a little. While mostly abstract, you may notice handprints as part of this beautiful work of art.

Learning How to Walk

Over the last few weeks, Peyton has been working on his walking skills. He's gone from resembling someone that's had a little too much fun on Bourbon Street, beginning to walk but deciding it might be easier to crawl, to someone that just had a few too many at the neighborhood bar, and can manage to stand for considerably longer periods of time.

This first video was taken last Tuesday. Of course his ever faithful friend Nellie is by his side. By the end, he decides that he's more interested in playing peek-a-boo. And, yes, I know his shirt is too small. But changing him again after I had him dressed would have been way more effort than it was worth.



In the next video, taken a week later, you can see how much he's improved. He's pretty much into everything now. I guess he'll start climbing on everything next. Oh boy!




Poor baby needs a haircut. He's starting to look a little scruffy. But I'm not quite sure how to get a vibrant, curious 10 month old to sit long enough to cut his hair because I'm sure that he'll want to eat the scissors.