Cold Spaghetti

Our Reigning King and Queen (chosen by Nana, who picked the names out of a hat) will lead our parade and greet onlookers to the Krewe of Abeona parade. All children (infants, too!) will participate.

OUR ROUTE:
Led by a brass band, our wagon-float parade will roll down Oak Street, across Carrollton, pass St. Andrew’s Episcopal to the Carrollton United Methodist Church and back down Oak to Abeona House.

OUR SIGNATURE THROWS:
– The coveted Golden Nunu will be thrown to a select few parade goers
– Hand-threaded beads
– Seed packets with our logo (“Abeona House: Watch our seeds grow”)

WE NEED:
– Decorated wagons/strollers.
– Food for the Mardi Gras Ball that follows
– Friends and family members along the parade route to support our event

After picking Nana Nancy (Paul’s Mom) up from the airport on Wednesday, we headed over to Abeona to help with a special activity: bringing the kids to the Good Shepherd Senior Center to join in on their yearly mini-parade and Jazz event put on by the Krewe of Thoth.
Thoth (think “toe” with a “th” on the end, like saying “most” with a lisp) rolls through our neighborhood and on the Sunday before Mardi Gras and stops to visit the local Senior Centers and Children’s hospital along the way. Before MG, they visit these locales to crown the King and Queen who will reign over the Carnival festivities.
So, the kids (just 2s and 3s… Nancy and I were the only volunteers on hand to help out so the toddlers stayed at the house with the babies) piled into wagons or strollers and the rest grabbed hold of loop in the walking rope. We headed down Oak Street to Carrollton over to Good Shepherd… about a 6 or 7 block walk.
The kids stopped briefly to listen to Charlie at the piano at Oak Street Cafe.
And said “hi” to Miss Norma, who owns the “Queen of the Ball” Snowball shop.

But finally, we got to the Center. We assembled together… kids to seniors and all in between… to wait for Thoth to show. An activities director got everyone singing and dancing — first songs that everyone knew (This Little Light of Mine, If You’re Happy and You Know It). Then they passed out song sheets with Mardi Gras themed lyrics based on Christmas carol melodies. Several of our kids got into the beat!
Abeona teachers brought corsages which the boys handed out to different women in the crowd, giving them hugs and sometimes kisses in the process.
No Anne Geddes picture could top how cute the kids were as they shyly handed out those flowers.
Everyone loved it — kids and seniors!
Thoth arrived with a Brass Band parading in…! Everyone sang Our Song (When the Saints Go Marching In) — even the kids knew when to cue in with the appropriate “Who Dat!”
While the music played, members of Thoth rolled through and handed out beads, doubloons, stuffed toys, and medallions.
The kids went in and out of being in complete shock over all the cool free stuff and throwing their hands up for the next round of beads.
Will, although he was in a bit of shock during the procession, has done nothing but talk about it since.
Everyone got thoroughly canvased with beads.
Finally, the procession receded and the King of Thoth stepped forward to announce this year’s King and Queen of the Good Shepherd. Last year’s court was recognized with applause.
Then this year’s court was announced and given the floor to promenade to their special thrones to watch the rest of the event.
The King and Queen were toasted by Thoth to bless their reign. Then more music, another procession of Thoth members passing beads and small throws, even more music (and very special solo performance of “Bill Bailey Don’t You Come Back Home” — a twist on an old standard — from one of the Center residents) and Thoth paraded out.
We had a fabulous time sharing this special event! For two Abeona teachers, it was their first ever Mardi Gras experience. It made me so happy to hear Emmy explain that THAT was what Mardi Gras was all about. Absolutely. Happy Mardi Gras!

Mardi Gras, Mardi Gras, Mardi Gras Rock
Mardi Gras swing and Mardi Gras ring.
Goin’ and blowin’ up bushels of fun
now that Mardi Gras has begun!
Mardi Gras, Mardi Gras, Mardi Gras Rock
Mardi Gras chime in Mardi Gras time.
Dancin’ and prancin’ in old Jackson Square
In the festive air!
What a bright time, it’s the right time
to rock the night away!
Mardi Gras time is a swell time
to go paradin’ every single day.
Get along people, pick up your feet,
Dancin’ around the clock!
Mix and mingle in a swingin’ beat,
That’s the Mardi Gras,
That’s the Mardi Gras,
That’s the Mardi Gras Rock!

Busy time tonight! Freecycling, putting on new linens (mini splurge on clearance Overstock duvet and PB duvet cover/quilt from ebay), prepping pot roast, cleaning house, planning for Mardi Gras activities, gathering stuff for meetings, outreach phone calls, and more. Paul’s Mom arrives tomorrow… a day earlier than put on our family calendar. Not that it’s a big deal, we have a full open door policy. It is just a very busy week.

We’ve got so many balls in the air that we decided to let Kate feed herself tonight. Kate’s first table food! It’s potatoes from our Mexicali Stew (a wonderful recipe with beans, potatoes, tomatoes, and corn and seasoned with cocoa and chili). However, her bananas, plums, and rice made the biggest mess. I particularly liked how she used her food as a hair styling agent. Genius.

“Daddy, I put my finger in my hole and there was poop up there.”

“I don’t remember Will eating this much at 8 months.”

“He didn’t. He also hadn’t determined that world domination was his life’s course.”

“Good point.”

Thank goodness for breaks. Paul gave us his morning today after over a month of 7-day a week 10-12 hour days. We went to the Aquarium.
Will saw his third IMAX movie (all movies he’s seen have been IMAX) — this one was in 3-D. We were a little concerned that the film would have gratuitous shots of sharks in a feeding frenzy… it didn’t. If things got a little too close for Will, we lifted up his glasses and blurred the effect. He did great and enjoyed it — he told us afterwards that the sharks weren’t scary but “the music was scary!”
Kate woke up about 30 minutes into the 50 minute movie. I picked her up to find she was, as friend and uber-babysitter Michelle would say, primiada. So we missed a portion of the movie while I changed Kate’s diaper outside.
Will fell asleep on the way home and remained out cold as we carried him in and laid him down on his bed for nap. Unfortunately, we forgot to put on a pull-up… and the little guy had a naptime accident. So much for my attempts at getting all fresh clean linens on the bed that morning in preparation for my parents arrival later in the day!

Kate has the pincher grasp down.
We figured it was happening based on observation, but knew for sure she had it when we quickly rushed to baby-hemlich a piece of food (which had rolled under the pocket door out of sight) from her throat. Maybe it was a sign she wanted some food to chew?

Then later the same day, she ripped part of a sandwich from my hand and stuffed it into her mouth. Point taken, Kate.So at some point in the past few days (what a blur of a week) I gave Kate a piece of Zwieback toast to gnaw on in her high chair. (Thank goodness she is finally big enough to really sit in her high chair… the Bumbo, wonderful little plastic mold that it is, has become completely unhelpful in feeding. As a gymnastic tool, it’s wonderful though!)Will asked for a piece of toast, too. I gave one to him. And I spread cream cheese on one and ate it. Then Paul came in:
“Where did you find this?”
“We had it leftover from someone.”
“Did you check the expiration?”
“Of course. It expires at the end of the month; we’ve got some time.”
“Holly. It expired the end of February… LAST YEAR.”
Apparently I didn’t drink enough coffee that day. The bottom line was that everything was sealed, unopened, and tasted fine. No one was sick. Will asked for seconds. And Kate enjoyed her first bread!