I'd say it's been a busy three months, but as you'll soon see, that would be an extreme understatement. Take the fast-paced chaos and exhilaration of Mardi Gras and all of the masquerading and ladders that come with it, add parties, costumes for dogs (and humans), birthdays and other celebrations, and finish it all off with a refrigerator full of cabbages, onions, carrots, lemons from another perfect parade weekend--it will be a shock if this blog entry doesn't become a short-story novel. I'd add moon pies to my list of parade keeps, but I can't lie. I ate them all, even the ones Jasper asked me to save for him.
OK, let's jump right in.
Kids make Christmas so special. Watching their expressions and the sheer excitement they get from opening each present... well, there's nothing quite like it. Whether it's a brand new rocket ship (for Jasper) from Santa, or an apple sauce cup in a stocking (for Sam), they get excited over pretty much everything! (If you're wondering, yes, we totally filled Sam's stocking with apple sauce, pop tarts too.) And let's not forget family time. From visiting Granny and the aunts for Christmas Eve lunch, then moving on to a nice Christmas dinner with CiCi and Grandpa, then a full day of more food and presents for the boys, and more family, Christmas 2015 made for some great memories. We visited our extended families... the Anzalones and the Munstereifels. We ate. We laughed. We played reindeer-ring-toss with Sam's nannan. We rolled Uncle Neil and the boys around in a giant yellow blow-up ball. Daddy and Grandpa tried out Little Eric's new hover board--and didn't break any bones!
Jasper was so excited about his Christmas presents, particularly his new car luggage. He rolls that thing everywhere. We recently enrolled him in swim lessons at Harry's Dive Shop, so he brings his "car" packed with swim clothes to school every Tuesday, ensuring him the reputation of coolest 4-year-old at St. Francis. Thank you Aunt Carol and Debbie, and Amazon! Speaking of gifts from Carol and Debbie, Sam hopped on his new motorcycle and never looked back. Even three months later, it's still his favorite, as he circles the kitchen, dining room and living room over and over and over again. My favorite is when Jasper hops on too, and they drive around together. Sam doesn't even mind. Well, he doesn't mind sometimes...
I pretty much took the Christmas decorations down as soon as I could so that I could pull out my purple, green and gold, which was up before New Year's. But I can't skip over New Year's completely... Jeremy and I figured we only had another year or so of being able to "adult" for New Year's Eve, so I found the shiniest dress I could get my hands on and once Jess and Trey made their plans, we were quick to follow. We enjoyed "Dinner Lab" in the French Quarter. The champagne was flowing, we had a great view of the fireworks, and I had my 5-hour energy to keep me awake through it all. And of course, because it's now a tradition, we ended up at the Goldmine. FYI kids, we may never outgrow that place so when you're older, and you end up at the Goldmine with all the other locals, look around for us first to ensure that we're not there before you do anything too stupid. Thanks to Jess and Trey for always making sure we make time to enjoy each other and good friends.
Next were the Mardi Gras balls. Without going into too much detail on "how," let's just say we ended up with 10 tickets for Endymion's Coronation. And who else would I call but my sisters and Kira! It was a fabulous night with Zetas and so many other close friends taking in the music and fun, all surrounded by elaborate Endymion floats, blinky beads and blinky cups. I just love dressing up. Kids, no matter what, always take your girl dancing. Let her dress up and let loose every now and then. And always, always dance with her, even when no one else is dancing. That's what your dad does, and that's one of my absolute favorite things about him.
And let's not forget the Iris Supper Dance! Iris moved the ball over to the Hilton this year, so it was nice not having to race out to Kenner and go all the way back downtown. Once the ball was over, we walked across the hall to the ballroom--so convenient. The supper dance was fabulous. Again, we let loose and enjoyed the company of our favorite Mardi Gras Texans, Gordon, Julia and Claire, along with Mike, Joy, Neil and Tia. We made sure to corrupt Claire as much as we could in a short amount of time with wine and a shot here and there, reminding her that while she may reside in Texas, she should drink like a NOLA girl. The music was awesome. We were on the dance floor most of the night. Even Mike and Joy were busting some moves. Joy and Julia danced their usual "tango" and we got in some great pictures of all the fun. It was another splendid supper dance.
We celebrated Mike's birthday at Outback this year. He turned 61. Joy brought her entourage of friends, and the boys sat in Mike's lap licking the icing and singing Happy Birthday to PawPaw--I'm talking about Jasper and Sam, not Jeremy and Neil, just in case that needed clarification. I guess I should take a few minutes to talk here about Mike and how he's doing. To be blunt (because I know no other way), ALS is a rapid and ruthless disease. It's taking things away from him so quickly and I hate it. I hate that he and I can't talk like we used to because I don't understand him as well. I hate seeing him tire so easily. I hate that he is losing his appetite, even for my etouffe and pies. And I really hate seeing him sad. But I'm thankful for the time we have with him and for the time he's spending with our boys. They'll remember.
He now has a feeding tube, to help maintain his weight. He's still driving, and working with Jeremy a few days a week. He cut the grass on his own this week. And as far as I know, I'm sure he's still doing a great job aggravating Joy whenever he can. He tried telling me a joke yesterday, but I didn't get it. (It may just be me and not his speech-loss.)
When I reflect on the impact ALS has had on us thus far, and how hard it is making Mike's everyday tasks, as heartbreaking as it is to see, our family is in a good place. I can't speak for Mike, but if you ask me, "living" is more than just the day-to-day stuff. It's making memories with, and loving the people closest to us. To me, love is the best thing about living. And the great part about that is, ALS can't touch love. ALS doesn't hold a candle to the weekends Mike spends with his grand kids, or the memories he and Jeremy made together watching the Tigers win in Omaha. It can't take away the wonderful and hilarious memories we have from our Gatlinburg vacations. It can't erase the 40+ years spent with his true love, or the pride he has in both of his sons. At the parade last weekend, I glanced over and saw Sam hitting and stabbing PawPaw with his toy spear, and for a moment, I forgot Mike was sick. He was laughing and swatting at the spear, tickling Sam and having fun with his grandson. Those are the memories we'll have and keep. ALS can't take those either.
OK, what are we on now, Chapter Five of my not-so-short story? Let's talk about toys and how my kids have an exorbitant and unnecessary amount of toys. The tipping point for me was when Uncle Jonathan came to visit. The house was a disaster and the sad part was that we had JUST picked up everything the day before. But it didn't matter. The kids had ransacked the place in just a few hours. So what did Uncle Jonathan do? He did what any best friend of 20+ years would do. He started picking up the toys and putting them away. That was when I finally realized... I needed a toy room and I needed it yesterday. Thus, we have bunk beds! With Granny's help on the beds and Grandpa's help with painting, we moved Jasper into Sam's room and quickly transitioned Sam from a crib straight into the bottom bunk. They love their room, their bunk beds, and especially being with each other--as cheesy as that sounds, it's totally true. It only took one night for Sam to adjust, and that's because he knew he had his big brother in there to play with, uh, I mean sleep next to. So far, knock on wood, no broken bones. I moved ALL of their toys into Jasper's old room, purged like a crazy woman, and reorganized. Shout out to Pinterest for all of the brilliant storage ideas. I even built my first bookshelves! The boys love their new bunk beds and toy room, and what's great is that they finally have access to toys they haven't seen in months!
I took the easy route this year for Barkus. Instead of making 11 costumes like last year (exhausting), we all bought our own, and all I had to make was Callie's, Cookie's and (some of) Sam's costumes. It was a gorgeous day for a stroll in the Quarter. This year's theme was "From the Dog House to the White House" so all of our costumes were patriotic. As soon as we got there, the boys were rolling around in the grass, having a blast. I even snapped this cute picture of them below. And just after I snapped it, Sam lifted his hand up, and it was completely full of dog poop. I mean, in his nails and all. Barkus initiation complete.
So let's talk about these costumes... When we first heard about the theme, I figured Jasper could be Captain America. I mean, who doesn't want to have a shield and be a super hero!? He was a bit hesitant at first--he was in a Spider Man phase, but when the costume came in, I couldn't get him out of it! As for Sam, it was only fitting that he should be Uncle Sam. And being two, he didn't really have a choice. Callie was a shimmery sailor in her twinkling blue collar and skirt, and of course, a big red bow. The other costumes fell into place, thanks to Google and Amazon. And the night before the parade, Aimee completed "my look" with a red and blue bikini for my eagle costume. I can honestly say, I've never felt so confident in a bikini! Mike got plenty of compliments and a few dirty looks dressed as Donald Trump. I think someone even flicked him off. Gotta love New Orleans!
If you'd have told me 10 years ago that I'd have a closet and attic full of costumes and fabric, and that most of the time my dining room would serve as a sewing room, I never would've believed you. I wish my Granny was here to see all of the costumes and the fun we're having. I wish I would have paid more attention to everything she told me and wanted to show me back then. I'm thankful that not only Jeremy, but Aimee, John, Mike, Joy, my boys and of course the dogs are all so willing to participate in my silly costuming. It has become such a significant part of our lives and the boy's childhood.
Ahh, my beloved holiday of masks, beads, ladders, wigs and "neutral-ground-side" nonsense. Mardi Gras. I can never live anywhere else. Because we have each and every detail down to a science, and because God supplied us some perfect-for-parading weather, our Mardi Gras was pretty phenomenal this year. First off, I have to thank my Dad. Y'all, I called him three days before the first Uptown parade, asking him if he could build something for the kids to stand on, that would box them in. Sure enough, he had a well constructed, sturdy platform, big enough to fit four kids (and/or an adult too) later that night. When I tell you, this made our Mardi Gras 100% easier, I'm not exaggerating. Sam may not look "fast" but let me tell you, we call him "The Runner," and for good reason. Our little Buddha belly is fast and when planning Mardi Gras, all I could think about was him getting away from us. Dad, you calmed my biggest Mardi Gras fears and really came through for us. Thank you. Your platform was a big hit with the kids, and some of us adults too. Putting it together wasn't always easy, but knowing my kids were safe and happy was what made this year's Mardi Gras so enjoyable.
OK, so the kiddie platform and great weather weren't the only wins of Mardi Gras 2016. With the high school still under construction, Mom and the aunts found us a newly renovated apartment to "hang out" in all of Mardi Gras just a block from our spot on Napoleon and Prytania. We had a place to pee! Oh, and we had hot food and a kitchen too! It was fabulous. They really spoil my boys and me rotten. And if that wasn't enough, and because Aunt Carol has strategically planned out every last detail, they parked a van on the route, allowing us to pick up and drop off our ladders and chairs--so we didn't have to haul them to and from the apartment. So freaking convenient. We really should write a how-to book on Mardi Gras parade going. The first chapter should be about the buckets and bungee cords, am I right??
I'm not sure if it's because we have kids now, or we just happened to be around nicer people this year, but I felt like everyone was in such good spirits. There was no bead stealing (aside from Aunt Debbie of course), no random people standing on our ladders or sitting in our chairs, no one crowding our space. If I caught a pair of beads with another person, I immediately let them go, and every time, the person got my attention and gave the beads to me. It was like we were under this Mardi Gras cloud of good energy. Maybe that was Christine's doing.
My Mardi Gras would not be complete without Aimee. We don't see each other nearly enough, except for Mardi Gras (and St. Paddy's Day). During Mardi Gras, Aimee is a welcomed fixture in our house. She has had her own key for years, and she doubles not only as my Mardi Gras soulmate (no offense Jeremy), but also as favorite aunt to Jasper and Sam. The front bedroom of our house is known as Aunt Aimee's room. And we share wigs and masks like sisters. If there's one friend that can change my mood from negative to positive in seconds, it's Aimee. We had a little scare that her cancer might be back, so I know Mardi Gras wasn't quite as fun as it could've been for her, but I hope we were able to offset some of her worries with all of the parading we did. I'm ecstatic to report that the results were negative, and we made up for those worrisome moments the weekend of St. Patrick's day. Am I right A?!?
OK, let's run through the festivities... We had plenty of friends join us throughout Mardi Gras, a night here, a night there. And then there was George. Fondly known as Uncle George to Sam and Jasper, I met George at Point Eight Power back in 2009. We remained friends even after both moving on from PEP. We took Uncle George to his first parade back in 2012, which was also Jasper's first parade--Druids. He's been wanting to come back and do Mardi Gras like a local for quite some time and 2016 was his year! He and his wife, Be, stayed at "The Brunken Inn" for seven days. We had our usual visitors at our spot--the friends, the cousins, the Gegenheimer's... Everyone came, saw and caught beads. Aunt Debbie enjoyed the Mardi Gras platform just as much, if not more than the kids. Aimee and I traded wigs and masks like candy. We watched Jeremy and Neil ride in Druids. Aimee, Courtney and I marched as firefighters with the Nawlins Nymphs in Krewe d'Etat. Jasper only wanted to catch toys, so Joy panhandled the floats. The kids wore silly hats. The adults wore silly hats. Mike and Joy rode together as Maid and Duke in Iris. Jasper caught his first toilet plunger at Tucks. He also slept through all of Bacchus and Rex. Sam paced himself and napped during the day so he could stay up late with the adults. We ate so much king cake! On Mardi Gras day, Aimee and I threw together everything purple, green and/or gold that we had, and if I may say so, we looked damn good. We were back on the neutral ground side on the one open block, despite the Uptown construction. I bought majorette boots and wore them with purple green and gold tassels on Mardi Gras Day. (Best ebay purchase ever.) And despite the chaos of it all, we had so much fun. Jasper's teacher called us the morning of Ash Wednesday to tell us that he wasn't quite himself, and that he possibly had "too much Mardi Gras." If only she knew...
On Ash Wednesday, while most people were recovering from Mardi Gras, Aimee and I were texting back and forth discussing what we'd wear for the Irish Channel parade. The Irish Channel parade has become our "adult day." We dress like goofballs and leave the kids with Granny. Even Jeremy partakes in the silly clothing, sporting his favorite leprechaun attire. He's such a good sport. It was a close call though this year. The weather was supposed to literally "rain on our parade" but it held out, and we ended up having a fantastic day with our friends. Added bonus--the Dahls came in town! We met Brandon and Stephanie in 2008 at doggy school, and became instant couple friends. They had their son, Owen in 2009, and about a year later, moved back to St. Louis to be closer to family. Brandon joined us at the parade for a bit, then met up with Stephanie and the kids while we "adulted" in the Irish Channel. I think what makes the day so fun is Trey's blow-up leprechaun costume. Because no matter how absurd we look in our attire, we always have Trey with us, taking it to a whole other level. This year we wore capes. Aimee pretended to fly. I switched out my tassels to "just green" and sported my majorette boots again. Then there were the jello shots and green beer. And don't forget the bouncy balls!
If Saturday wasn't enough fun for one weekend, Sunday, now known as "kid day" ended up being pretty great too. Cici held our spot at the Whitney on Metairie Road, and all of us met up, kids in tow, to parade all over again. We left our capes and tutus home, but I couldn't part with my afro wig. The boys sported their homemade leprechaun capes. They looked so dapper and super-hero-like. What's fun about the Sunday parade is having almost our entire immediate family out there. Cici and her crew, Mom, Joy, Neil, Tia and Aiden, along with some more good friends all joined us. John brought me my own special stash of "slush." Neil started feeding Jasper pure sugar. And there's a very questionable picture involving a large sugar straw and a beer bottle. Child Services still hasn't called yet though, so I think we're OK for now.
We spent the Dahl's last evening in NOLA at Jacques Imo's, then Puccino's. It's crazy to think how just the four of us have become eight in only seven years. I think Jasper and Clara will be great friends, distance notwithstanding. Dahl's you're welcome back any time. We miss you already!
It should be no surprise that Jeremy and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary on the parade route. We took full advantage of Aunt Carol and Aunt Debbie's house and bathrooms just a block away, and even invited more family to join us for the Irish Italian Parade. With so many good looking people and four adorable kids, it's no surprise that we made a killing, and had enough food to feed a small, Irish army. I am SO over eating cabbage... Happy anniversary to us! Til next year parades...
Tomorrow is Easter. I feel like this year is racing past us. Sam is finally talking, although he sings more than he talks. Jasper had a few discipline issues earlier in the year, but I think we've sorted through them. I'm hopeful and optimistic that they're becoming good, kind people. They're getting so big. We love them so much.
I'm abundantly thankful for this life and the people in it. Happy Easter to all of you. Enjoy the crawfish boils, barbecues, family, chocolate Easter bunnies and God-willing, good weather! Thank you for reading.
