Thor and Caesar {Mardi Gras 2013}

Riley’s first parade this Carnival season was Thor, which rolled in Metairie on the afternoon of January 27. He and I were both a little sick, but being out in the fresh air did us good. We had a fun time out on the parade route with some of our friends.

 

Isn’t Riley’s Mardi Gras shirt so cute? My friend Colleen made it, and I really, really hope it still fits him next year!

All of the kids had fun running around before the parade arrived. Grant was in rare form, as always. He cracks me up with his antics: he made sure to tell us to “keep back” from the street until the police blocked it from traffic completely. Safety first!

 

The parade finally arrived and Riley spent most of it perched on top of Kenny’s shoulders taking everything in. He’s getting better at waving to the riders for beads (sometimes shouting out “Happy Mister!”) but mostly he just enjoys the view.

After a quick catch comparison with Landon, it was time to pack up and head home. Our boy was mighty happy with his loot: quite a few beads and a new black and gold football. First parade: done!

Then, last Saturday night we hit our second parade, also in Metairie: Caesar. We had a much bigger group for this one, and lots of us got out there early enough to eat a quick dinner before the parade started.

 

Aunt E and Uncle Jeff even stopped by with Baby Kate to say a quick hello. They decided she’s too young to truly enjoy a nighttime parade this year, so they took her home before the parade even started. But it’s fun to imagine her running around with her cousin Riley next year.

Once again, Riley spent most of the parade with his daddy while I sat in the back in my comfy tailgating chair. Kenny certainly got a workout from lifting Riley onto and off of his shoulders all night.

However, the floats were so gorgeous that I had to take my boy up to the front for a couple of them, even though he is supremely heavy and awkward for me to hold right now. We saw Woody, Sully, R2D2, Harry Potter, and many other hugely familiar characters from throughout recent movie history. I wish I had taken a picture of every float; that’s how well done they were.

 

There was even a float with Mickey and the big ball on the front of it!

We all really enjoyed the parade but Kenny and I agreed that it’s much easier to keep tabs on our rambunctious boy during the day. Luckily, the next one on our list is Thoth on Sunday morning. Our good friend Scott rides in it every year, so we’re looking forward to another fun parade day. Fingers crossed for good weather: no rain, please!

Have a wonderful {Mardi Gras} weekend everyone!