Mardi Gras crazies

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the last Mardi Gras weekend for 2013.  That doesn't mean much to the rest of the world, but to Louisianans, it's pretty important.  We will have two days' vacation so that we can attend parades and parties.  But for this family, Mardi Gras is a little bigger.  One sister is dragging her two children all the way from North Dakota for a visit that just "happens" to coincide with the holiday.  Her kids don't have the days off, but, oh well!  

 Aren't they just too cute in their fall on the farm photo?  I can't wait to see them, especially since it's been over a year since their last visit.  They are excited to be able to go to several parades. 

I've said I'll have to visit on a parade route if I'm to see them at all.  There have been several Facebook posts of dates and times of parades. 

If my family gets to only half, they will be busy all weekend.  Oh, they're crazy enough!  In this picture my niece and her two boys are at one of three parades they attended last weekend. 

Do they mind dressing the part?  Not at all.  Here she is again, with her mom, who is the Mardi Gras queen....she makes sure everyone knows when and where and how good the parade will be.
 

All the crazies together! Gotta love em. (They are family, after all.)

  

 

So the plan is to meet for a parade, talk and laugh, eat too much, drink if you can, and grab some beads, cups, toys, candy, whatever happens to be flying in the air. 

If nothing is airborne, shout, "Throw me something mister" or in Louisiana dialect, "Thro me somthin mista." 

Lots of fun--hope I am able to get to one parade.  There will be, oh, Angie, Courtney, Reese, Lee and Jeanne, and they are the sisters. 

Their respective children and grandchildren will tag along.  A typical parade will call 15 to 45 of the crazies depending on the day and time.  Some of us work and others, well, they need time to recover from previous parades.  I imagine that because Jeanne is home from ND and Lee will be in from Texas, the crowd of family nuts will be a little bigger. 

I, for example, haven't been to a parade in years.  I used to haul my own children to a parade or two every year, but they grew up and I discovered that with everyone off to Mardi Gras, I could get lots of quilting done.  Guess I'm back in the game, or I'll miss being with my family of crazies.  Will I see you there?

Happy Mardi Gras,
Mary