Tuesday, February 7, 2012

MARDI GRAS PARADE 1

This was our first Mardi Gras Parade!
 Before the parade starts all these Vendors start walking down the street with their carts!  There were so many I started to wonder if they were the parade!
 The boys were actually playing keep away with a little ball in the street while they waited for the parade.  These 2 little old people gave them a bigger stuffed Mardi Gras ball, which was very nice of them.  Brent was joking around and said there's me and you when were old.  I have to admit I do see the resemblance.  Me in my hat and Brent in his wife beater!
 The Girls waiting for the parade!
 Me and Brent prepared at the parade with our sticks for grabbing beads so we don't have to get off our chairs and a big bag to collect our throw's!  I bet your wondering what throw's are, well if you haven't guessed it they are all the things that they throw off of the floats.
 The ice cream man Vendor.  His cart actually played music.  There were a few other ice cream carts.
 Brent giving me that look again!  He never knows what I'm talking about!
 More Vendors!  We were actually in Slidell, Louisiana.  It is rather close to our home.  There are tons of parades all up and down the coast.  They started the beginning of Feb. and will run every weekend until the end of February.  We were actually going to go to one in Gulfport but had to go to the bank in Slidell.  The bank took a lot longer than we anticipated and so ended up finding this parade!  SCORE!
 Yeah it is starting!  I'm not a big fan of parades, but I think I could get into these parades.  I'm used to crowded parades where they throw candy and your lucky if you actually find a tootsie role on the ground.  They pull out the big guns for these parades.  You'll see what I'm talking about when you get to the bottom of this post.
 POLICE!

 Da Marines!
 The Marines have a great band!
 Very Cool!  The Few The Proud The Marines.

 I usually don't take pictures of the parade, but just want to give y'all a little taste of the South!
 Here come the floats!
 It's weird how the trees all lose their leaves, but it's still so warm.  It looks cold out, but it's warm.
 Some dance group:)

 Louisianian's 
 Here's what I'm talk'n bout!  O.K. I'll stop with the Southern talk.  Sometimes I just can't help myself.

 Now were having fun!  So your suppose to say "Throw me something mister."  Then they throw you  trinkets like beads, stuffed animals, logoed cups, doubloons, food items called "Moon Pies" and more!!!

 Look at all the stuff we got and we didn't even have to tackle anyone for it!  They just through it right into the kids hands.
 Hey you might call it junk, but you know you would have paid good money for this junk at the carnival!
Plus I just filled my treasure box up for free and got some free throws for Halle's parade at the school!  

 I started this treasure box for Scouts, but it basically is filled with treasure box items my kids have gotten or carnival items I want to throw away, but instead I put them in my treasure box!  It was funny because I got the treasure box out for the Scouts and Halle and Kelton were both like "hey that's my toilet, that's my football, etc."  It reminded me of when the step sisters started tearing Cinderella's dress apart.  Any who I still think it's a good idea to reuse those treasures.  The kids get so excited about them!

 Mardi Gras is celebrated like Christmas here.  They put up trees and wreath's decorated in Purple, Gold, and Green.  At school they celebrate by eating King Cake.  Who ever gets the baby in the King Cake has to bring the King Cake next.  I would elaborate on the celebration but I'm short for time these days.
 I had some pretty happy kids!
 I think they made out!
As soon as the parade was over it started pouring down rain!  I have a big list of parades that are going on this months.  There are 4 in our area this coming Saturday so I think we'll try to hit as many as possible!
We also get 3 days off of school to celebrate Mardi Gras.  

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