Happy Birthday, BabyCakes

When you were born, I made one specific request: "Please, Kate, don't grow as fast as your brother. I need to stay little just a little bit longer..." Apparently, doing what you're told has not exactly been a strong suit. Good thing you're cute.

Fresh out:
Two weeks (Will is 2 1/2):
Four months:
(with Will, almost 3):

7 months:
12 months:


15 months:
17 months:
18 months:
23 months:

Kids with Ears

To my children, who have decided to let me live.

I am surprised and impressed that now, in my moment of weakness, neither of you seem willing to make the final blow and do me in. If you had done it after this week, no one would have blamed you. With your illness(es), days off from school, living back and forth from freezing house to city apartment, bags and bags of laundry dragged around searching for a washer, terrible meals on the fly, us working crazy hours, and finally, Mom coming down with a bad cold. You've been troopers this week, and I couldn't be prouder.

After hair cuts first thing in the morning, I took you both to the Zoo. Will: you were a champion helper. Running after Kate, making sure she didn't go too far from us, listening to my requests. I was sweaty, clammy, and miserable, but focused on getting through the day. I managed to take a few pictures of you and your monkey-kin...

Chillin'

Cowgirl Kate

Sunday Parades

We weren't up for braving the rain Friday night, nor the cold Saturday afternoon.

We did get out Saturday night (see post with loot, below), but didn't go with all the gear until Sunday. Minor error in that we thought both parades rolled up Napoleon... in fact, Carrollton rolls down Napoleon and King Arthur rolls up. But give us credit: we figured it out before the WDSU channel 6 guy did (and boy, was he pissed).

Paul and the kids, with the ladder, on the corner of St. Charles and Napoleon (obviously.)
Looking up Napoleon. See the King's float ahead?

Queen of the Krewe of Carrollton. (Each time we see a Queen of Krewe float, Will calls out, "that's just like Ana!")
Kids and Paul. We did get a "My wife is from Norway and HAS TO KNOW WHERE YOU GOT THOSE HATS" regarding the head-gear. They were $3 from MardiGrasOutlet.com out of Baton Rouge. Supplier to all our bling this year. (We got 3 of the helmets to go with our Mardi Gras Superhero themed costumes, which are still in-the-works for Friday's debut.) Kate was all eyes for the parade. (Note that she is wearing different mittens on each hand -- her request -- and the multicolored one MUST go on the right hand.)

Floats, throws, and riders.






Kate's favorite throw of the afternoon was this crawfish, which she held in a vice grip for the remainder of the parade.


These cops hung out on the corner chatting through the whole parade. I was sure one of them was going to get accidentally bonked on the head by a throw.



Right after Carrollton, we quickly moved a few blocks down Napoleon away from the congestion at the corner of St. Charles. This stretch of the start of most parades, in the neutral ground on Napoleon, is our favorite area for parade watching.

Side note: We've heard that folks can rent port-a-potties for the Mardi Gras season... according to the forums, you can't put a rented port-a-potty on the neutral ground. But we saw at least two with "private" signs and locks on them -- one of them was marked as a fundraiser for a local school! We are totally looking into getting a potty next year. Anyone have more detailed 4-1-1 on this?

We set up near this awesome viewing platform. I totally want Paul to build one. I have no idea how we would store or transport it. I think we'd have to leave it out the whole season in the neutral ground chained to our rented port-a-potty.
Once moved to the new location, Kate was OVER the parades. She was DONE with being on the ladder. See her below? She is trying to strangle herself with beads. Even Will was begging for her removal.She was all about climbing the ladder. Until she realized the bounty on the ground around her.
Paul took a few pictures of the parade while I wrangled squirmy Kate.

She was so squirmy that we couldn't get her back up on the ladder, even for snacks. Finally, I wised up and realized she had a serious diaper. Damn... and we were without the diaper bag! (Totally my fault!) I took her to a church across the street that was selling food (i.e.: location for napkins) and scooped out the mashed mess as best as I could. This helped her remain somewhat content until the end of the parade.

Paul took this great picture of the cars across the street and managed to get me and Kate in front, walking back from the scary diaper incident.
After the diaper, Kate spent the rest of the parade playing Mardi Gras scavenger, picking up all the beads strewn through the grass. She then found every dog within the 6 blocks up and down Napoleon and proceeded to give each animal all of the beads she found. I'm not kidding. She even took my beads off to give them to a Golden Retriever she particularly liked. I drew the line when she started to dig beads out of an ant pile. (I think she was more unhappy with my interference than she would have been if an ant had bit her.)

Finally, the parade was over and we headed out. This is how we roll... Kate in the stroller and Will on the ladder:

Will LOVES this fish from King Arthur. He brought it to school and slept with it at nap time today... he loves it THAT MUCH. So thanks, rider from King Arthur!!!
Happy Mardi Gras!

2007: The Video Review

It's no great shakes (in Paul's words, "you're definitely a still photographer") but it's still a little fun. Just a collection of photos from the year. Think low tech. And enjoy.





The jury is out on whether the quality is any better, but it's also on YouTube. Music nods to Louis Armstrong (Basin Street Blues), Buckwheat Zydeco (Mardi Gras Mambo), and Preservation Hall Jazz Band (Shimmy Like My Sister Kate).

Attempts for a Holiday Family Photo...