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!