Happy Mardi Gras Everyone!!!!!

I have discovered something fantastic while living in Louisiana. I have discovered the spirit of Mardi Gras.

I am sure when you think of Mardi Gras, the first picture that comes to your mind is drunken party-girls screaming and lifting their shirts, bareing their breasts for a set of beads. But here in our little city, it isn't like that at all. I have totally fallen in love with everything about Mardi Gras in our area...the sights, the sounds, the smells, the people...

Mardi Gras started this year right after people started taking down their Christmas decorations, replacing them with wreaths and garlands of purple, green, and gold. As the festival got closer, people started putting up decorative rope/garland/flag fences around their yards along the parade routes....I still can't figure out if these ropes are to keep people in...or to keep them out. Because, even if the yards got roped off, people still stand there for the parades anyway.

From our previous post, you know that the Big Apple particpated in a shoebox float competition. Little did we know just how seriously kids take their shoebox floats around here. When we took Big Apple's float in and dropped it off at the library, I knew immediatly that we were out of our league when I saw floats attached to remote control cars and floats with lights and sounds.

*sigh*

But fortunately for us, another Mardi Gras tradition lives on...the Krewe of _____ Elementary School Parade! Anyone that had a decorated wagon was welcome to participate. The Big Apple was specially chosen to ride in a float. She had the biggest smile on her face as she rode around in her little wagon float, throwing beads to everyone standing on the side of the road. The float, I thought looked like an igloo, but someone said that it was a King Cake. You be the judge. It was such fun for her...quite possibly the most fun moment that she has had at that school this year. Did I mention that schools are closed 3 days for Mardi Gras. My girls were very happy about that.

We attended 4 other parades over the weekend. The parade's atmosphere itself is very special. People pull their pickup trucks right up to the parade street, lower the tailgate and grill their lunch. The icecream man drives his truck up and down the street, chiming "When the Saints Go Marching In", and charging double price. The highschool marching bands practice their tunes under the overpasses of the highway, and the floatriders organize their throws and costumes. It's all very fun and festive.

I made a sign to commemorate our very first Mardi Gras.The sign worked. A little too well, in fact. You can see the Big Apple hiding behind the sign in this picture because one particular float rider read the sign, and proceeded to throw an entire ARMLOAD of bead in our direction. I later counted 5 clusters of 12 necklaces that that woman had thrown. The massive amount of beads hit my daughter in the head and the weight leveled her to the ground. She was pretty shook up for a while, and later asked if she could wear her bike helmet to the next parade. But she continued to either stand behind the sign or behind me for the rest of that parade. The floats are gorgeous...some very elaborate, some not so much. Some of the smaller ones are not much more than a flat bed truck with a couple of recliners thrown on the back. All very fun, and add to the flavor of the event.

Then there is the loot. I am afraid that my dining room table is in danger of collapsing under the weight of all the loot that we brought home from the parades. Don't believe me? See for yourself.....
Anybody need beads? We have plenty. Our favorite throws you ask? The Little Apple likes a blinking pacifier and a baby doll. The Big Apple has enjoyed some sidewalk chalk, while The Middle has favored some of the many stuffed animals tossed her way. My husband has enjoyed the beads with medallions on them, and I like the cups with lids, myself. I will be using them to enjoy my ice water this summer.

It's been a great Mardi Gras season. And now onto Lent. Did I mention I am giving up OREOs for the next 40 days for Lent? If I seem a bit irritable for the next couple of weeks, you know why.

The Angels in Heaven have smiled upon me.....

Otherwised titled....There is a God, and He really cares about me and my whiney little needs.

Many of you will remember this post (click here) where I described with weeping and gnashing of teeth my whoas of my kitchen. Every single time that I turned on the dishwasher in this house, and heard the sounds of grinding metal and dying camel, I prayed for the dishwasher to die.

And die it did.

One day after washing a particularly dreadful load of dishes, the blasted machine gave up the ghost and refused to drain, and refused to even turn on. I did a happy dance as my husband called our Landlady to tell her that the dishwasher's time had come. I sung "Ding Dong the Dishwasher is Dead!" (think Wizard of Oz) when the repairman came out and said that the ancient machine was not worth repairing.

And today, the new dishwasher came. Shining new, in all it's glory. Granted, it's not the dishwasher I would have chosen (I might have chosen a bare chested Italian man, myself!), but any dishwasher is better than what we had. So, with that being said, I introduce my new Dishwasher.
I have named her Patience. Is it wrong to name a dishwasher? Well, it's my blog, and I'm naming my dishwasher on it. (ps....on my blog, I weigh 115 pounds too!) Patience, because through prayer and faithfully waiting, I got my reward. I would like to point out that with Patience, I am now able to open up my drawer and cabinet, where I was not able to do that before. Thank you God, for my new dishwasher. I will take care of Patience, and make sure she gets all the dirty dishes that her little heart desires.

Let the good times roll....

The Big Apple was asked to participate in a Mardi Gras Shoebox Float contest for school. She and her father worked very very hard with a glitter, scissors, paper and a glue gun. I don't know if she will win any of the prizes since she is up against 5th graders...but, you never know!Barbie, you have never looked better, girlfriend. This is my first Mardi Gras, throw me something!

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Big Apple and I spent a long time on our Valentines for her class yesterday. She said she didn't want ordinary ones that came out of a box, she wanted to make them herself. Music to this Mama's ears....Nothing says "I love you!" like something you made with your own 2 hands.

Here is what we made. The larger one is for her teacher, and 22 smaller ones for the children in her class. She made each one a little bit different. And she taped a penny inside for each of the kids as a treat. I can't wait to hear how that goes over.

We interrupt this blog to bring you....

......an announcement from The Middle Apple.

Go ahead, you have the mic.

Hello?!?!?!? Is this thing working?!?!?!? Good. Because I don't want anyone to miss this.

Okay....so I learned how to do this really neat thing today. And I want you all to see it.

Today I sat down and did this to my shoes.

Then, I made a loop. Then I wrapped it around.

Finally, I pulled the string though the hole. And pulled.

Are you proud of me? I am. Okay, Mama, you can have your blog back now.

Why thank you, darlin'. I am very proud of what you learned to do today. Now you are in charge of teaching the Little Baby Apple to tie her's, okay? Love you!

Not Me Monday...evening edition....

It's the Monday Bloggey Carnival, hosted by MckMama! Weekly, we confess our shortcomings, shrouded by "Not Me". There is NO WAY I did any of these things this week.

This week, I was certainly not complimented on my grandchildren while waiting at the deli at the Walmart. And I was not the least bit offended as I explained to her that my 3 CHILDREN are a blessing to me...at the age of 33. I certainly did not run home and cry on my husband's shoulder for almost an hour after that.

I most certainly DID NOT wake an hour earlier the next day and take special precautions so that I would not be called a grandmother again...I didn't shower, shave my legs, apply a bunch of make-up (including lipstick!) and a set of nice brightly colored clothing just for a playdate at McDonalds.

My feelings were not a little bit hurt when 23 invitations went out at my daughter's school last week for her birthday party, and only 2 from her class showed up. No, I let that just roll off my back...BUT, I wasn't secretly relieved that the party was low key and easy.

I was so prepared for this party. I most certainly remembered everything that I needed that day....I would never forget to pack matches to light the birthday candle, nor would I even think of forgetting something to cut the cake with. Nope! Not me!

I certainly DID NOT lose my 5 year old for 10 minutes at the same birthday party. She didn't run off and get lost while we were searching for something to light the candle with. And she certainly WAS NOT found about a quarter mile away ankle deep in the lake. No, I claim to be a perfect parent that can keep track of all of her kids all the time.

Finally, I most certainly DID NOT get so frustrated with my baby blowing baby food all over me today, that I did not just roll her high chair right out of the kitchen, into the hallway and put her in the time out corner. And I certainly DID NOT laugh with my other children so hard that DID NOT dribble in my undies with tears running down my face.

So, tell me about your week? What have you Not Done? Want to read more hilarious people and their Not Me posts? Head on over to MckMama's Blog, and enjoy!