Knowing the Knolls: NOLA Knolls: Mardi Gras Edition

First a few non-Mardi Gras-related items that have happened in February, including but not limited to Jack's shooting up like a weed, Ada & Paul's Baptism anniversary days, and Aunt Mollie's wedding. We also used our MN snow sled on the grass in 70º ... it's be an unusually - and amazingly - warm and sunny February.

Plus he's crawling. And loves it.

Her choice of mac-n-cheese, fried chicken & veggies.

Ginny & I doing our best impressions of all the little old ladies who sit back to watch and gossip about all the other little old ladies ... each appropriately drinking what she needs most.

Paul's Baptism anniversary day was the same day as Aunt Mollie and new Uncle Mickey's wedding, but we still managed to squeeze in his choice of spaghetti & meatballs later that night. Just no picture to prove it.

Next, a quick Pete-selfie enjoying? the king cake Mom & Dad had shipped to him in SC

Now to the Mardi Gras festivities! We spread them out quite a bit more this year than in years past because of the family's being in town for the wedding. So with Nana & Pappy, who hadn't been in New Orleans for a Mardi Gras parade in 30 years, we spent Sunday the 19th on St. Charles Ave watching Femme Fatale & Carrollton.

Then we made it out on the Wednesday night (for the first time because, hello, work night!) to see our good friend, Kelly, ride in her first parade as a member of NYX - the kids really had fun seeing their friends' mama on the float!

Then, we skipped our usual Friday night parade, Hermes, and one of Dylan's faves =/ , because doing it all just isn't possible, but Saturday morning brought with it the our-side-of-the-river parade, NOMTOC, and beautiful weather. That evening, we skipped the usually electrifying Endymion, thinking the night parades aren't the easiest with the little one anyway, and there was the horrible accident of a drunk driver in a pickup truck plowing through some of the crowd! Several were hurt, yes, but thank God no one died in that Mardi Gras parade!

Next on the list, because we had to do at least one more night parade, came Bacchus on Sunday night. The kids had a ball, quite literally, as the theme was 50 yrs of the Saints (football).

NOLA baby

Monday was a little lower-keyed with Dylan baking a king cake and lots of prepping for Tuesday's big day! We had plans for an early morning for Zulu, followed by the best of them all: REX!