Mardi Gras 2010 Part 2

Lundi Gras (Monday) found us taking it easy. Not in a rush and while I'd like to say we slept in but Z had different plans for all of us.

I haven't mentioned that Stacey lives in a shotgun....so it's a narrow place (the other half is where the in laws would have lived historically) but has two bedrooms. The living room is first followed by a decent sized kitchen with a small hallway with the bathroom (small) adjacent. Then one bedroom (which belongs to Stacey's roommate and two cats) which you have to walk through to get to the second bedroom (Stacey's and her Liza Jane).

We experimented by putting the girls in Stacey's room. Z had a pack and play and the other part of the experiment was putting A in Stacey's bed. Z often went to bed before A and our worries were unfounded as she slept through us sneaking A in. The only downside is Z is an early riser...between 6 and 6:30 am. K was gracious enough to let us have her room (personally a very smart move on her part as she avoided all the wake up calls) so we were all up with the sun but I don't know how Z knew as Stacey has a dark curtain!

We went to the French Quarter and went to brunch at Arnaud's Remoulade with the hopes we could go watch the Orpheus press conference afterwards. I enjoyed a bloody mary and Scott and I both indulged in crab po'boys while I had to help share oysters on a half shell with Stacey. The girls had choices but settled on french fries.

We had missed the press conference (and our chance to see Sean Payton and Harry Connick, Jr. for a little de ja vu....flashback to three ago when I was pregnant with A) so we went and did a little marathon shopping.

Hit one of my favorite stores called Wicked Orleans (it is a goth punk type store) and it was there that Z threw in the towel.

We decided to go to the staging area for the floats (at Tipitina's) in hopes to catch a sighting of the boys and it was while we were waiting that I took my eyes off of A for 10 seconds. I took her out of the car and set her down, turned to grab something out of the diaper bag, turned back around and she was holding a berry up asking me, "What's this? It's juicy!"

Nearby was a bush with shiny leaves and small blue berries. I asked her if she ate some, to which she replied in the affirmative. When I asked how many, she said, "Three, they're juicy!" I collected leaves and berries. We made a quick rescue run to Gayle, a friend and float rider. The float riders purchase all their throws (beads, stuffed animals, etc.) and their spot on the float. For whatever reason, none of Gayle's beads, etc. or alcohol had made it onto the float! We strolled past 16 floats, including the infamous Smokey Mary (check out the video-it gives you an idea of what it's like to stand there in at the floats). While Smokey Mary was going by we stopped to watch it and listen to the rock music but I turned away towards A because I didn't want them to think we were cutting to the front of the line for throws...to no avail...out of the corner of my eye I saw the stuffed animal fly through the air and it landed near A. Scott said the woman who threw it got all excited when she saw A and dug rapidly in her bag for it!

Gayle gave us a goodie bag that she said all the rider's had contributed to...a the swag that was in it was incredible!!! I have to admit that we left the light up tambourine for Stacey, I think she was jealous but I wasn't going to give up the Orpheus duck. I will have to post a pic of that later. We in turn supplied Gayle with good old fashioned Bud Light (ick) to take the sting of no beads to throw. Mind you, she was on the float for ~5-6 hours. That's a long time with nothing to throw! Or drink. Saving her life and getting swag was worth not seeing the boys.

We got the girls home and in bed. Scott identified the mystery plant as "Shiny blueberry" shrub, edible and not poisonous. And Stacey has one right in her front yard. So Stacey and I went off to meet up with her friends and their family to watch the infamous Orpheus parade near the end of the route. The only downside was parking on one side of the quarter and walking through all it (and around the other parade routes so some backtracking and pizza were in order) which kept us warm in the cold. And walking back after midnight...still cold. We did get to see Fred from Cowboy Mouth wandering the streets after the parade. Highlights of the parade...seeing Harry, seeing Sean and the Lombardi trophy, catching throws for the boys (Stacey's friend's kids), talking a lieutenant (I think) out of a doubloon before she was supposed to give it and yelling for Hank, another rider. Yelling his name and seeing the comprehension behind the mask before the duck and other goodies came raining down on us!!!

The next day we went to watch part of the St. Anne's parade, normally we partake but we didn't think the girls would hold up. We thought right.

After a quick rest stop (aka diaper change) the girls were done. Despite us wanting to hang out with Leroy and Katja and Aunt Stacey, the girl's were Mardi Gras'd out.

They took LOOOONG naps and Scott picked up Stacey later (that is an adventure in of itself-driving in the French Quarter on Mardi Gras day) and they toyed with the idea of going to the Maple Leaf (two blocks from Stacey's) to watch Rebirth Brass Band but we all collapsed. Until next year.