All on a Fat Tuesday

WARNING: This post contains many, many pictures. But what post doesn't? OK, are you sick of Mardi Gras pictures yet? Well, we're almost done. These are the last ones and then we'll move on to something else. Thanks for sticking with me. :)

So, on Mardi Gras...aka Fat Tuesday, we actually got up early and said good bye to Garrett's parents and sent them home on the airplane. Not exactly a fun way to start the day! So since we were up and at it already, we decided to head out for the day's parades. We have usually stayed in Metairie for Fat Tuesday, but decided to venture Uptown for the 'real deal' this year. It was fun to be there and to say we've done it now.
So, of course we had our ladder box with us. Maybe this will help it make a little more sense... The way it works is you drill holes in the bottom of the wooden box and bolt it to a ladder at the top. There are wheels at the top of the box so when you fold the ladder up to go home or to bring it the parade route, you can hold onto it by the steps and roll it on the ground to make it easier, so you're not carrying it. It has a bar to keep the kids from falling out and the steps of the ladder are on the back side so an adult can stand on the ladder steps behind the kids to keep an eye on them and help them catch some goods. It also has a hook on each side to hang beads on or hang bags to put your beads in. Very nifty! I know, I know, it probably still doesn't make sense. You kind of have to see them in person to really get it. :)
So the fun thing about Fat Tuesday is the costumes. Everyone (well, almost everyone...) dresses up in crazy costumes. I feel silly even posting these pictures, because they don't even come close to really capturing it. Some of the costumes are out of this world! A lot of costumes this year had something to do with a flying pig in a Saints jersey. So the pictures above are just a couple of the costumes I saw in close proximity to me. (Like I mentioned before, Mardi Gras always makes me wish I could really 'capture' it in pictures, but I don't think I ever will!)
And even my good friend Lora brought out the gold stretchy pants for the occasion. We, on the other hand, did not dress up. :(


The first parade of the day was Rex. This is another Super Krewe and it's one of the oldest (if not the oldest) parade that rolls during Mardi Gras. It's very much a status thing if you are a member of Rex. So, the picture above is the king of Rex for the year. Notice all the beads draping from the trees and power lines. Another thing I wish I had better pictures of. With so many parades throughout the week, by Fat Tuesday, the beads are heavy in the trees, as they get caught there instead of hitting their intended recipient (and pretty much stay there the rest of the year).
All of my pictures from Fat Tuesday were from Rex.









And for the past few years, we have perfected the shout of "Throw me somethin', Mister!" which is THE call of calls to get some loot. Tyler has it down pat. I love it.
And here I am in my "position". I stood on the ladder behind the boys for pretty much all of the parades. It was a better way to watch parades than any other year. And I gotta say, I became quite the pro at catching stuffed animals, beads, and all those treasures/junk. I think I could make a living doing it!

And now onto the loot itself:

Here it is (most of it), in all its glory. I didn't even begin to count up how many toys, beads, cups, and doubloons we got. But it was a lot! And now, of course, I have no idea what to do with it all. And the boys wanted a picture with their favorite treasures this year...
Sam's was a Saints football. And thanks to my friend Alicia for helping me catch it! He hasn't put it down since then. He is always asking me where it is and packing it around. It was definitely a good catch!
Tyler's Orpheus train...Orpheus has a signature train float that it pretty amazing. And we caught a stuffed version. And of course, Tyler thought that was pretty swell.
And we can't forget these 'rhinoceroses' that are actually dinosaurs. But Sam cannot be convinced that they are anything but rhinoceroses. And he has slept with them every night since then. He has even woken up in the night calling for me to help him find one that's somewhere in his crib. Yeah, I have to make myself not think about the fact that he sleeps with Mardi Gras stuff every night...yikes!
And my favs--from Muses. Their throws often have some sort of shoe on them and I scored quite a few this year. This is just a picture of two of them. I usually have one or two things I'll hang on to each year and these are the ones for me. I loved their parade and I loved their throws, they were super fun!
And we can't forget the doubloons (coins). They have been played with a lot since then as well. And they are each different for whatever parade they came from.
And I thought I'd throw in a picture of my Mardi Gras flower arrangement. Very festive, eh? Thanks to my hubby!
And to wrap it all up, this is how we all felt the day after...exhausted! But still packing around the prized football, even while crashed out on the floor. It was a fun year! And as usual, we were pretty 'Mardi Gras'd out' by the time it was over. Until next year!!!

And now I'm officially done re-capping Mardi Gras. Now all the other things I need to post...oy!