Mardi Gras 2011

Friday night was the Southdowns Parade in Baton Rouge. Jon got off work early so we could get to our friends’ house, Carmen and Ben, before the traffic got too bad. Carmen and Ben live right on the parade route, so it was the perfect place to have a party. Luckily, most of our friends are now having kids and our “parties” are a little different than we’re used to. They were thinking brilliantly and had a bounce house out front – let me say it again – BRILLIANT!! For my kids at least…Some of the other kids were too young, including Carmen and Ben’s, but for the kids that were older – it was great!

That’s Carmen and little Allie Parker. She was in the bounce house when we got there. She can’t walk yet, but she was enthralled by the bright colors and bounciness of the house.

Of course, I didn’t take any pictures of us or our friends hanging out together. It’s all kids – I really need to work on that.

Anyway, the parade started rolling and it was drizzling a little, but that didn’t stop me!! I took Aliza in her raincoat and stood outside to watch the floats. She did well despite the weather conditions. She didn’t seem to be bothered by the lights, sounds or beads. Marielle on the other hand, was the opposite. Jon brought her out all she wanted was to go back inside. I wasn’t surprised, last year was the same. I was hoping the year would have helped her relax a little. It seems she doesn't like the lights, sounds or the beads really! Jon and I switched kids and I took Marielle back inside. She was very happy to watch the parade go by from inside this window on this leather chair.

Here is Jon and Aliza coming back with all Aliza’s loot. She did well!!

We skipped Spanishtown Saturday because we had a birthday party and it wasn’t great weather. We layed low Sunday and Monday then decided to take a trip to Lafayette and check out the parades there on Tuesday. We spend the night at Jon’s sisters house, Dawn. I was so nervous. This probably sounds weird, but I was so nervous about sleeping out with the girls. We have NEVER slept out with them anywhere!! They have stayed at my moms house, but we haven’t stayed anywhere all together, ever. I think we haven’t just because I have been scared to. I am scared about sleeping arrangements. The girls always sleep in their rooms and have since we brought them home from the hospital. I knew we needed to bring them somewhere and try this, but I don’t want to interrupt anyone else’s sleep and disturb a whole other household. Well, I guess I was nervous for a reason. Marielle went to bed ok, but only because we drugged her. She has been coughing a lot and has a runny nose, so we gave her Benadryl and she was OUT like a light. Once it wore off, she cried and Jon went to sleep in the bed with her. He did not sleep well at all, she tosses and turns and makes all kinds of noises, hence the reason she has never slept with us. Then there is Aliza. I think she sensed that she was going to have to go to bed in this different house and she screamed and screamed and screamed. It was a miserable sound. She was in the pack n play in the room Jon and I were sleeping in, and we tried to put her in bed with us and that wasn’t happening. We finally had to let her cry it out. It’s just the kind of thing I didn’t want to do at someone else’s house. But it was Jon’s sister – she has 4 kids. I’m pretty sure she understands. They were really nice about it the next morning. Anyway, the kids were up early and ready for a packed day of parading.

These first 2 pictures are from the ride to Dawn’s. They watched Princess and the Frog, a family favorite.