Mardi Gras '13

Went to school to help the kidlets make some masks

Headed out for the Krewe of Barkus parade (a parade of dogs dressed up - hilarious.)

Didn't take my camera or cell phone - but did snap this before we left.

My little Cyndi Lauper.

There was a carnival at the Civic Center too.  I don't think we've ever gone to one until this year.  She had a ball. Road her first roller coaster - 3 times in a row - with hands in the air and all. I think she's got that need for speed. 

It had rained the entire Mardi Gras weekend and we were bored out of our gords so we went to the Children's Parade in the rain. It was actually super fun and we caught a TON of stuff.

She's a lot like her momma.  She likes the idea of a parade, but there are a lot of elements that she's not fond of....the sirens of the police motorcycles and cars to start the parade, being one of them.

She also detests cigarette smoking and she stood downwind of a lady getting her fix. Against my warning, she approached the ladies husband and said, "Hellooooo......" in the sweetest little voice, and then declared, "...I sure don't like cigarette smoking." to which he snidely replied that she shouldn't smoke cigarettes, then. I grabbed her before she really went off on him.  That munchkin can PREACH!

On the way home she told me her lungs hurt. I said, "Show me where?" and she pointed to her chest. When I asked why she thought it hurt she said it was because of the cigarette she smoked.  I said, "Gianna! You did NOT smoke a cigarette!" And half in tears she said, "But Mommy, I breathed it in!" She kept saying she was going to die because she now had smoke in her lungs.  She should do a commercial for the National Lung Association.

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Now, if I was smart - I would have let the Children's Parade be IT. 

But due to five days of inclement weather and a severe case of cabin fever, we braved the big parage on Fat Tuesday.

What was I thinking?  She melted down a couple of times - first because "the honkers were too loud!"

  

Then because she wasn't catching many beads.

(There were many more people at this parade.)

Kinda hard to catch beads when you won't remove your hands from your ears....

Next time, we need to know our limits. (MOMMY!!!!)

But we did do an art project with some of our beads.

Should have used a different green for the stem and leaves, but overall it turned out really cute.

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And then came Ash Wednesday...

She was SO proud that she got "ashed."

She has a lot of questions about Lent and is a little obsessed about the crucifixion and death of Jesus.  She wants me to tell the story over and over and wants DETAILS about all the horrible, violent parts.  What an interesting kid.