Mardi Gras in Shreveport

We made it to Shreveport again for a Mardi Gras parade this year. It was fun as always! While waiting for the parade to arrive the kids got to feed the ducks, play and dance in the streets, and practice throwing the frisbee. The adults enjoyed some good cajun food and did a little karaoke. We loved catching up with some old friends and visiting with family!

The kids ended up with a ton of beads and cups, as well as a few specialty items including a light-up sword, flowers, a stuffed animal, and a very special light-up necklace from the mascot of one of the floats. It was a successful trip!

Unfortunately, I was sore for almost a week after the trip from having the kids on my shoulders most of the parade. It was worth it though! We were able to recycle the beads at Audrey's school the following week for their Mardi Gras parade, so the timing worked out great for them!

Mardi Gras in Shreveport

Last weekend we made our way to Shreveport for the Crew of Centaur parade. We spent a little time the morning before the parade walking around the gardens at the Norton Art Gallery with Pop. It was a gorgeous day, and I was extremely disappointed to realize I'd left the memory card for my camera in Houston. That didn't keep me from taking pictures though! I was determined to see what my phone could do since the kids were eager to pose with Pop!

While they took some great serious shots, they loved being silly too!

Both kids took a great nap, which we were grateful for since we knew they'd be up a little late at the parade. My mom, Susan, and our krewe arrived at Ross' Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Laura's site around 3 PM just before the streets were closed. We wandered up and down the streets for a while taking in the fun and craziness of the day. Then we settled in at our spot for some delicious food and a little karaoke!

The party continued after dark with more karaoke and a nice fire to keep us warm. When the parade arrived, the kiddos were ready to climb up on our shoulders and catch some loot! Audrey was a little nervous at first as you can see in the picture below...I'm not sure how Ross was catching anything at that point! It didn't take her long to relax as long as the floats weren't on the scary side. Her strategy was to put every bead, cup, and toy she caught in her bag rather than wearing or holding them. Jackson was more eager to wear and hold on to what he got. I'm not sure which strategy was most effective, but I do know we came home with a LOT of beads, cups, and toys!

It was a very quick trip, but it was worth every moment!

There are more pics in the album.

Video of Jackson dancing at Mardi Gras

Here is the video of Jackson dancing at Mardi Gras in Shreveport as promised by Elizabeth. Pretty cute, if you ask me! You might also notice Audrey dancing a bit in the background as well as my mom and my uncle Ronnie.

Mardi Gras in Shreveport!

Last Saturday, we spent our afternoon partying on the side of East Kings Hwy by the Duck Pond waiting for The Crewe of Centaur Mardi Gras Parade. Ross' Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Laura host an awesome gathering every year where family and friends gather together to have a good time. There is always good food and good entertainment. Despite the freezing weather (and thanks to heaters and a fire pit), we let the good times roll!

There was a little singing...

Karaoke has become a tradition for this family, and it's a lot of fun. Although, I'm only willing to embarrass myself in the privacy of Ronnie and Laura's backyard at our family reunions. I'm not willing to do it in public!

There was a little dancing...

Jackson was movin' and grovin' to just about every song. We got a pretty cute video that we'll try to post at some point. That boy loves to dance! Not only did he keep folks entertained, but he also got quite a few folks to join him, including his second cousin, Anna Clair, and his Grandmother!

And, of course, there was a parade!

Did I mention it was freezing? The low that night was supposed to be 23! Poor Audrey was SO cold. She spent a lot of time wrapped in a blanket sitting in someone's lap (usually Grandmother or Granddad's) in front of a heater. Despite the cold, she desperately wanted to be part of the action. Her favorite spot to be during the parade was on Ross' shoulders. When a float would come by, she'd put up her hands, but kept them as close to her as possible and never moved them.

The kids got quite a collection of beads and toys this year that included a sword, several stuffed animals, frisbees, whistles, bouncy balls, and more. Jackson took a lot of the beads to school today to give to his friends for their Mardi Gras parade.

As usual, there are more pictures in the album.

Mardi Gras Beads

Jackson always liked beads, but I think Audrey is obsessed. If she sees beads, she MUST wear them, and she puts them on all by herself...all of them!

She had on every bead we own with the exception of three, which Jackson rescued...one for Mommy, one for Daddy, and one for Jackson. To be honest, we were surprised she could walk with all of them on, but she did! There are more in the album.

Mardi Gras in Shreveport!

Last weekend we made our way to Shreveport to spend some time with Ross' family and attend the Centaur Krewe's Mardi Gras parade. We had such a great time! Ross' Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Laura threw a great party. They reserved a spot along the route, had karaoke, lots of good food, and wonderful people to share in the festivities. It was also a celebration of Ross' cousin, Jessie's 21st birthday!

Our friends, Heath, Barbara, and Carter, joined us at the parade as well, which was a huge treat! Jackson was in heaven. We got to the parade site early, and once they closed off the street the party got started. Jackson and Audrey both enjoyed playing in the street, and we all had fun just being silly. Here are some pictures of the pre-parade action.

This hat was a hit! Everyone enjoyed it...even Granddad!

The karaoke went over well too. There were all kinds of random people stepping up to the mic by the end of the night!

This was the first time we've ever intentionally allowed Jackson and Audrey's bedtime schedules to be thrown out the window. Audrey is usually in bed at 6, and Jackson is usually down for the night at 7. Since the parade didn't even get to us until around 8 or so, we definitely didn't keep to our usual schedule. Audrey passed out just as the floats were beginning to arrive, but Jackson found his second (or third) wind and enjoyed every moment of the parade. He got lots of good stuff too...beads, balls, a bear, and some toys! We decided to make our way home about 3/4 of the way through the parade because it was getting so late and Audrey was no longer sleeping.

Here are some pics from the parade and the beginning of JD and Audrey's bead collection...

The birthday girl, Jessie!

Here are some pictures of a couple of the interesting floats...the cow was JD's favorite!

Before leaving town on Sunday we got to visit with Ross' Grandfather. Jackson and Audrey were both a little shy, but we really enjoyed our brief visit.

The weekend was well worth the trip, and we hope to do it again next year. Huge thanks to Ronnie and Laura for putting together such a fun set up! There are more pictures of the fun in the album.