Pre-Easter Egg Hunt Part 2

These are some great shots of Tay in action!





She was on a mission!

"Let's try over there!"

She was delighted with all the candy she got from the eggs!

Look at how many eggs she collected! The trick to getting so many eggs is to wait for the older kids to run through and pop open the eggs and take the candy. Tay then swooped up behind them and gathered the eggs! She did not know they even had candy in them until after the hunt! She had more fun gathering the eggs and matching together the pieces of the eggs, than she did eating the candy! (Notice all the half eggs she has in her backet before we matched them up!)

As soon as I put her in Bunny's arms she froze!! At least she's not screaming and crying!


All pooped out!!

Thanks for caring,

K

No.1 I am grateful for the opportunites that I have to be able to introduce my daughter to new and exciting things!

No.2 I am grateful that Tay did not go ape shit when she saw the Bunny!

No. 3 I am grateful that Tay has such a wonderful Aunt Sissy who keeps her clothed in such cute things! Thanks Sissy without you she would be a "Naked Baby!"

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Pre-Easter Egg Hunt

Yesterday my boss hosted an Easter Egg hunt, (and it was BEE-YOU-TI-FUL outside) complete with games, toys, food, beer and a FREAKING bunny! They had 2 bounce houses, a Thomas the Tank Engine blow up crawly throughy thingy (that's the real name, I swear!), a climbing wall, kiddie pools with ducks and fishing for the kiddies, and a trampoline! I think it is time for a raise!! Tay had so much fun at the party! I was slightly confused because the party started at 1:00pm which is prime napping time in the Carty household! But we just pumped her full of sugar and she outlasted the best of them. Here are just a few pics of the fun day we had!!
I am now so excited for Easter. Last year Tay was 15 mos old, so she kinda understood what was going on, but this year she REALLY gets it!!






Blogger/Photobucket is taking WAY to long....part 2 tomorrow!

Thanks for caring,
K

#1 I am grateful that we are able to provide my daughter with 3 hot meals everyday.
#2 I am grateful for my parents who are LOVING being first time grandparents!
#3 I am grateful for my mother-in-laws red bean gumbo! Yum, Yum!

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Gymnatics

I want Tay to take Gymnastics and Dance and play softball and soccer and volleyball and basketball and play the piano and........ well you get the idea. Naturally I did ALL of this at one point in my life, some of it all at the same time! --EXCEPT soccer-that sport is Hubby's area of expertise. I remember leaving volleyball practice at school and changing clothes in the car while eating burger king on the way to either Gymnastics or Dancing!

I took Gymnastics from age 4 until I was about 12. I competed for most of that time. I don't think I was very good, but I LOVED it! I had so much fun with my teammates. We spent so much time together I knew them better than I did some of the kids I went to my school. We had practice just about every night, for 2-3 hours and meets on weekends, so we had lots of time to bond. We invited each other to our birthday parties. We had slumber parties and pizza parties. We did an exhibition show at the 1984 World's Fair in New Orleans. We basically grew up together. Quitting was one of the hardest things I ever did. (Sometimes, I secretly wish my parents had forced me to stay) I wanted more to life that Gymnastics. You see, I quit right about the time when "hanging out" with your friends and talking on the phone were the important things in life. I wanted to be able to go to the boy/girl parties, I wanted to be invited to the slumber parties where you prank called boys and talked about boys and watched movies and ate popcorn and pizza and ice cream. I felt as if I was missing something by ALWAYS being at the Gym. I mean....I wasn't gonna go to the Olympics! But for at least 4 years after I quit there was not a single day that went by that I did not miss it! To this day the smell of chalk (we used it on our hands) brings right back to the gym. *sigh* (When I buy a scanner I will upload some classic 80's gymnastics pictures!)

"Whatever the challenge, whatever the test, whatever you're striving for, give it your best!" I had a poster that hung in my room while I was growing up that had a girl doing a split on the balance beam that had this quote on it! I must have read this quote 5 million times!

No. 1. I am grateful that my parents gave us the freedom to make our own choices (within reason) growing up!
No. 2 I am grateful for the friendships I made while taking Gymnastics.
No. 3. I am grateful for the opportunity to pass on the life lessons, I learned while participating in a team sport, to my daughter.

Thanks for caring,

k

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Hang on this one is all over the place!
I know this is a little late but here are some really cute pictures of Tay all dressed up for St. Patty's Day! Dee Dee and Pop Pop brought back that cute dress from Savannah! Isn't it the cutest thing?! They made hats at school for St. Patty's Day and I could not get her to wear it on March 17th, but she did wear it the other day so I made sure to take lots of pictures while she was wearing it!


Also included are some pics from this past weekend when I took Tay to the park. Dad was unable to make it, he was STILL laid up from his foot surgery! He got the stitches out today and seems to be doing much better. He is actually going back to work tomorrow. He's not all that excited about it, but at least he's going to be getting out of the house.


"Cheese! Mommy are you done yet, so I can go play?"

I have been in a depressed state of mind lately and after reading several posts on positive thinking/optimism add to that the fact that my daughter is copying EVERYTHING I do, I am making a pledge to have a more positive outlook on things. At first it is going to be like wool panties, VERY UNCOMFORTABLE and JUST NOT RIGHT, but I do want to set a "positive" example for my daughter....HAHAHA, positive example...! Everyday I am going to end my post listing 3 things I am grateful for, hopefully by doing this I can turn my thinking around and begin to see the glass as half full and not almost empty!

FYI-as I am typing this Tay is sleeping in her own bed! For those of you who do not know she is still in the bed with us! Sometimes I really enjoy being able to cuddle with her, she DID NOT cuddle as a baby. But other times I am SO ready to have my bed back!
Oh one more thing I started a new book the other day...firefly lane by Kristin Hannah. There is nothing better than starting a new book. I LOVE it!

No. 1 - I am grateful for the wonderful blessing in my life that I call Taylor!
No. 2 - I am grateful that I have a very loving and understanding hubby-even if he has been laid up for the past 12 days!
No. 3 - I am grateful that I have a roof over my head and food in my belly, that so many people do not have in this eceonomy!

Thanks for caring,
K

Ps. I WON something and it came in the mail the other day!!! I will take pics tonight and fill you in on all the details tomorrow!

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ALL GROWN UP? OR JUST BORING?!

25 SIGNS YOU HAVE GROWN UP-(OR AS IT SHOULD SAY-GOTTEN OLDER)

1. Your house plants are alive, and you can't smoke any of them.

2. Having sans ropas in a twin bed is out of the question.

3. You keep more food than beer in your fridge.

4. 6:00AM is when you get up, not when you get in.

5. You hear your favorite song in an elevator.

6. You watch the Weather Channel.

7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of hook up and break up.

8. You go from 130+ days of vacay to 14.

9. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as "dressed up."

10. You're the one calling the police because those damn kids next door won't turn down the stereo.

11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.

12. You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.

13. Your car insurance goes down and your payments go up.

14. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonald's leftovers.

15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.

16. You no longer take naps from noon to 6 PM.

17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.

18. Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle your stomach.

19. You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and pregnancy tests.

20. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good stuff."

21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.

22. "I just can't drink the way I use to" replaces, "I'm never going to drink that much again."

23. 90% of the time you spend in front of the computer is for real work.

24. You drink at home to save money before going to a bar.

25. You read this entire list looking desperately for one sign that doesn't apply to you and can't find one to save your sorry ass!

Thanks for caring,

k

PS. I've got some great pics of Tay from St. Patty's day that I will post soon!

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I salute you!

Single Mothers and Mothers with husband who do not participate, I SALUTE YOU!

Hubby had foot surgery last Friday and has been laid up ever since. The first 3 days he was flat on his back and only got up to pee. Tuesday was the first time he had been out of the house since the surgery. And the first time he had been horizontal for longer that 10 minutes! It has been a challenge for me because he does actively particiapte in our household. I'm lucky like that! I have been taking care of EVERYTHING around the house and it has taken a toll on me. I guess if you always do it you get into a routine and kinda get use to it, but I was not and am not use to it. So for the past week I have been taking care of Hubby, Tay-who is two, and my dog-who is 10 but acts like a four year old. Needless to say I am exhausted!

The surgery went really well and he goes back on Tuesday to get the stitches out and to find out when he can return to work! The surgery was on his right foot so he cannot drive for about 6 wks so he will have to commute with some to work. See, we do "think green" when we can.

If your week has been anything like mine go visit The R Family Diaries they are hosting a little linky lovin contest all about Fishful thinking and optimism! Something that I am trying desperately to interject in my thinking.

Thanks for caring,

K

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Impressions

I have been thinking a lot lately about impressions. Do you often wonder what type of impression people have of you? Or better yet what impression do people have of you after you walk away. Are they thinking, "Wow that chick is a Wack-a-do.......Wow that chick is really cool....or Wow what is she smoking-I hope she shares!" But I am not just talking about first impressions. I am also talking about impressions that you leave with people. Ya know, that image in their head they have of you when your name is brought up.
I started thinking about all of this because I have been "in contact" -via Facebook-with lots of people that I went to High School with that I have not seen, heard from, or (to be honest) thought of in many many years. I went to a very small catholic school (yes we had nuns) and we were, for the most part, a very tight knit group. Most of the people that went to my high school had come from the catholic elementary/junior high school so many of them had been going to school together all their lives. Me, not so much. I did not go to the catholic primary school so I came into STA as a very new girl!! In four years I went from being the girl that no one asked to the Homecoming Dance my Freshman year, to being on the Homecoming Court my Senior year. What a difference a few years makes! But now that I am "in touch" with some of these classmates, and my 15 year reunion is this year, I have started thinking about what these people remember of me. You know when you hear someone's name some kind of mental image you have of that person pops into your mind. Most of the time this will bring up certain memories of a particular interaction you had with said person. Some of the memories or images in your head, may be things that the other person does not even remember; but for whatever reason it is stuck in your head!
So...long story short.....i have decided that i want people to be left with a certain impression of me. Now, I am still working on what type of impression I want to leave I just know that I want to at least leave an impression. My lack of self esteem is telling me that right now I don't think I even make an impression on people so I need to start with leaving an impression. I guess what type of impression comes later........hmmmmm?!
Boy, have I got work to do.
Thanks for caring,
K

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WARNING: Debbie Downer

Why do I disappoint myself so much? The latest involves my j.o.b. I am not performing the way I should at work. The little things are THE things that count at my job and I am overlooking things that I shouldn't. My boss and I already had one conversation regarding my work and I left crying. (Note-I cry alot and my Aunt Flo came to visit that morning!) I vowed to "get it together" this weekend and Monday was going to be a new day and all that jazz. Well, I freaking did it again. I will not bore you with the details, just know that I am screwing up all over the place and can't seem to get it together. I came home and sobbed! I cannot remember the last time I cried like that! I cried so hard I almost threw up! You know THAT cry...you cry so hard your nose gets all clogged up and you can't breathe out of it?...That was what I was doing! Anywhoo...enough with Debbie the Downer!

Hopefully the week will get better,

Thanks for caring,

K

PS. Maybe my sub-conscious is sabotaging my job because I should be teaching I am just too chicken to do it!

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Found this while I was reading For Better or For Worse:

1. What is in the back of your car right now? Good Grief....Stroller, Super Duper Jack, Aero Bed, Car Seat, Tea Set, Blanket, Cord Jacket, Mardi Gras Beads, Baby George

2. When was the last time you threw up? Food poisoning about 3 mos ago.....YUCK!

3. What's your favorite curse word? Fuckity Fuck Fuck!

4. Name 3 people who made you smile today? Re, Taylor, Hubby.

5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Running late for work....I was NEVER late until I had Tay.

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Watching the end of E.R. I am still bummed that it is the last season!

7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now? Sleeping!

8. Have you ever been to a strip club? Yes, several.....but I have never participated!

9. What is the last thing you said aloud? "Bowden, Stop it!" My dog loves to chew on his feet and it drives me INSANE!

10. What is the best ice cream flavor? Vanilla...I am a plain Jane

11. What was the last thing you had to drink? Dr. Pepper-Of Course.-even though I am limiting myself to 2 a day!

12. What are you wearing right now? Pj pants and t-shirt from American Eagle.

13. What was the last thing you ate? An entire bowl of popcorn!

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? No...we are Brizzzoke!

15. When was the last time you ran? Chasing Tay!

16. What's the last sporting event you watched? The Superbowl.

17. Is your TV on? yep-Hubby probably watching Soccer!

18. Who is the last person you emailed? .....??? Don't use email too often. There are a couple of people I need to email!

19. Ever go camping? Yep. not a fan unless I can have a cabin. I do not do well with mosquitoes and i need some sort of ventilation=fan, a.c. whatever!

20. Do you have a tan? No...I glow in the dark

21. Do you miss someone? Yes

22. Favorite Holiday? I really like Christmas but I think that Easter is moving up in the ranks!

23. If you had to eat the same meal everyday for the rest of your life, what would it be? Probably red beans and rice!

24. Do you drink your soda from a straw? If the cup requires one and usually at a restaurant, can't get past working in a restaurant and seeing how some women's lipstick permanently attaches itself to glasses!

25. What did your last IM say? I don't even know how to do that!

26. Are you someone's best friend? YES!

27. What are you doing tomorrow? Working and taking Hubby for surgery-minor outpatient stuff.

28. Where is your mom right now? Probably sleeping....or staying up too late catching up on work, or watching HGTV!

29. Look to your left, what do you see? A ladder, a bookshelf crammed with books, old toys waiting to go into the attic.....way too much stuff to list it all.

30. What color is your watch? Silver and Blue.

31. What do you think of when you think of Australia? G'Day Mate! LOST!

32. Would you consider plastic surgery? Yes.

33. What is your birthstone? Yellow Topaz

34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? You can go inside those joints?

35.How many kids do you want? It changes daily!

36. Do you have a dog? Yes and he sheds like a MOFO!

37. Last person you talked to on the phone? Re.

38. Have you met anyone famous? Reese Witherspoon, we went to the same summer camp right before she made Man in the Moon! Does that count?

39. Any plans today? My day is almost over......
40. How many states have you lived in? 4physically----Millions in my mind!

41. Ever go to college? Yes and got the paper to prove it!

42. Where are you right now? At home in the purple room.

43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now? Not having enough money, the amount of dog hair my dog sheds on any given day, the condition of my house.

44. Last song listened to? Apron Strings- from the "She's Having a Baby Soundtrack!"

46. Are you allergic to anything? NOPE....stupid people.

47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? Rainbow flip-flops from AE.

48. Are you jealous of anyone? Sure...

49. Is anyone jealous of you? Doubt it!

50. Where is your idea of a dream vacation? Anywhere that I can read uninterruted for as long as I want and someone brings me drinks on command. Oh, and somewhere I can here the waves crashing without actually having to get sandy!

51. What time is it? 10:49pm

52. Do any of your friends have children? Yes.

53. Do you eat healthy? Nah. I would like to....

54. What do you usually do during the day? Work

55. Do you hate anyone right now? NO!

56. Do you use the word 'hello' daily? Yep...I answer phones as part of my job!

58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? 33....UGH!

59. Have you ever been to Six Flags? Yes, before Katrina wiped it out!

60. How did you get one of your scars? Fell of my bike.

Thanks for caring,

K

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I have an itch and I can't scratch it!

I am restless.....I have no idea why, maybe it's the weather who knows?! I really want about 6 uninterrupted hours alone in my house! I NEED and finally have the desire to CLEAN out the crap that I have collected over the years! (No Hubby, this does not include any of my books, sorry!)

Anywho...I want to say "hi" to all of my new followers! I have 20!! Who would've thunk it?! I didn't think that anyone other than Hubby, Sissy and occasionally some friends would take the time to see what is going on in our little ole world! Boy was I wrong! It seems that there are at least 20 people out there who are enjoying what I have to say. Either that are they are laughing about what a dope I am. Oh well, whatever floats your boat or blows up your skirt! Even if you are not a follower but spy on us occasionally I want to say "hello and welcome to my chaos!" Please leave comments and let me know you are out there. I know there are members of the R0bi. clan who are reading this right now...yes, i am talking to you! Say hi...let me know you stopped by! If you do not have a blog you can comment anonymously, just leave your name at the bottom if you want me to know it was you. If ya want.

I have so many plans for the up and coming months with the fam and they all involve taking Tay somewhere new to explore. I want us to do a repeat visit to the zoo! But we must go before it gets too HOT! Louisiana summers SUCK! Also, I want to go to the Aquarium and the beach. Tay has never been to either of these places and I think that she will enjoy both of them immensely. I hope to spend some time with Paw Paw and Dee Dee at their camp down the river. She is either going to LOVE riding in the boat or absolutely HATE it! She has been in the boat before but she is able to understand things better this year. I'll let you know how it goes!

Moving on.... If you have not seen "What Dreams May Come" with Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Annabella Sciorra you MUST rent it today! It is one of Hubby and I's favorite!



Plot Summary courtesy of Wikipedia.
After meeting in Switzerland, Chris Nielsen and Annie Collins marry, having two children: Ian (Josh Paddock) and Marie (Jessica Brooks Grant).
Years later, after Ian and Marie are killed in a car accident, Annie becomes mentally unstable and attempts suicide. She is institutionalized, and although the couple nearly divorce as a result, she eventually recovers. However, on the anniversary of the day the couple decided not to divorce (which they call their "Double-D" anniversary) Chris is involved in a car accident, dying a short time later.
Chris awakes in the afterlife, adjusting to his new environment with the guidance of a man named Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.), whom Chris believes to be his friend and mentor from his medical residency. Both are surprised when a Blue Jacaranda tree appears in Chris's personal section of Heaven, which matches a tree in a new painting of Annie's. Albert indicates the couple are soul mates, receptive to each other's thoughts even after death.
Later, Chris meets a woman named Leona who shows him a children's realm in heaven. Chris recognizes her as Marie, after realizing the location is a diorama she loved in life, and Leona explaining that she took the form of a stewardess because her father once admired a beautiful stewardess.
In parallel to this, Annie, distraught at the loss of her family, takes poison and dies. Albert breaks the news to Chris, whose initial relief that her suffering is over quickly turns to anger when he learns that suicides are sent to hell. Albert claims no judgment has been made against her; it is simply the nature of suicides. This is a reference to Dante's Inferno, where the seventh level of Hell is reserved for sins of violence — including violence against oneself.
Chris is adamant that he will rescue Annie from Hell, despite Albert's insistence that no one has ever succeeded in doing so. Chris is undaunted, and Albert eventually agrees to find Chris a "Tracker" to help find Annie's soul.
Journeying to Hell and encountering hundreds of damned souls (one of which is a cameo by German director Werner Herzog) Chris finds himself recalling memories of his son, Ian. Chris had been disappointed with Ian's underachievement but eventually, after an earnest conversation, told him "if I was going through fucking hell, I'd only want one person in the whole goddamn world by my side." Seeing Albert about to confront a violent group of damned, Chris realizes Albert is actually Ian. Ian explains that he chose to appear as Albert because he was the only person Chris would ever listen to. Ian returns to Heaven, while Chris and the Tracker continue the search.
Arriving at what the Tracker calls their "private deck", Chris finds a field full of the faces of the damned (a further reference to Dante's Inferno). Chris sees Annie's face but as he runs towards her, the ground gives way and he falls into a vast, upturned cathedral. Chris recognizes his and Annie's house at the bottom. The Tracker warns Chris that if he stays with Annie for more than a few minutes, he may become permanently trapped too. The Tracker then reveals that he is Albert, who has been waiting for many years to do Chris a favor.
Chris enters the house to find Annie pale and withdrawn. Chris is unable to make Annie recognize him and decides to "give up," and join Annie forever, even if she will never know who he is. This is the antithesis of his behavior when Annie was institutionalized (which was to ask for a divorce, since he was unable to join in her grief for their children), and enables Annie to recognize Chris and allows the two to escape to heaven.
Chris and Annie are reunited with their children, but Chris suggests being reincarnated, so the pair can experience meeting and falling in love again. The film ends with Chris and Annie meeting as young children, in a rough parallel of their original meeting. The last line is a repetition of the opening line by Chris: "When I was young, I met this beautiful girl by a lake."

(Don't forget to pause the music before you watch the trailers.)





Thanks for caring,
K

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ENJOY!

Thanks for caring,
K

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Writer's Workshop/Womanizer, Womanizer, Womanizer!

****UPDATE-NEW PICTURE FROM BLUE!!
I was planning on telling y'all about the terrific show I saw on Tuesday night anyway, so I am killing 2 birds with 1 stone so to speak.

The Prompts:

1.) Write a limerick.
2.) Normal is...
3.) Describe a memorable camping experience.
4.) What's the best thing that has happened this week?
5.) Did you have a childhood hideout? Where? Describe it.
6.) Words that hurt me.

The best thing that happened this week was I got to spend an entire evening and night with my girls!! Oh yeah and we saw BRITNEY SPEARS in her kick off performance for her world tour!!OK, OK, OK......granted she did not sing one note but the show was UH-MAZING!!! She is almost completely back to her former self, hopefully a little wiser, to say the least. Re, Little Mama, Blue and I met down in New Orleans and had an entire evening dedicated to Britney Spears. Thanks to Blue and her iPhone we were able to listen to Britney songs while we ate our dinner at Mother's!!! Mother's never disappoints! If you ever get to New Orleans and want "traditional" red beans and rice, jambalaya, gumbo, shrimp po-boy, or crawfish etouffee, (and a whole lot more) you must go to Mother's-definitely worth the wait.

OK, back to Britney. The pussy-cat dolls were her opening act. Which I did not get to see because the lines to get an adult drink were ridiculously long! Didn't bother me in the slightest. The stage set up is really cool. It is set up like a three ring circus with a circular jumbo-tron screen thingy that projected different scenes throughout the various acts/songs. Before the show started she had different acts come out. There were jugglers, gymnastics, midgets, she had it all! Perea Hilton actually did her introduction, I guess like the Masters of Ceremonies kinda thing. It was kinda cool. The entire show was AMAZING! The only complaint we had was the fact that she did not engage/interact with the audience AT ALL. At the very end she said, "Thank you New Orleans, I love you!" That was all she said. I guess they did not allow any time on her pre-recorded tape for talking---Ha.... Anywhoo, the best part of the entire night was just being with the girls. After getting married and having babies we do not get that many opportunities to get away and just BE! So it was some good girl time that I think we all needed. We even asked for a later check out because none of us wanted to get out of bed! We just laid around and talked, and laughed and gossiped, and talked some more. I hate that not all the girls could come, but we will all get together soon.

It is late and my computer is taking FOREVER to download my pics so here are some pictures from our great night. I hope you enjoy. (I know they are a little far but floor tickets were $500.00 and the "ringside" tickets-with the comfy sofas were like $1,000.00-$2,300.00 a piecee! Not in my budget!)



Here we are Re, Blue, Little Mama, and Me-obviously prior to the event. I am waiting for Blue to post her pics---we took a fabulous picture right before we went in----but she is STILL driving home to Tennesse!






Here is me in my t-shirt I bought at the show. (cannot call it a concert since she didn't sing one note-she really should have taken off her headset, at least it would have helped her hair!) Can you tell I was excited!?










Thank you Hubby for planning all this and getting everyone together to make this happen. Even though when I orginally said I wanted to go you thought I was joking!! Thanks Big Papa for arranging such great accomodations for us girls.

Thanks for caring,

K

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Britney Spears

Guess where I will be tonight at 8pm?! Give up...It starts with Brit..and ends with ney!! Yep, the Britney Spears concert! Her tour kicks off tonight here in New Orleans and we (Re, Blue, Little Mama, and Me) could not be more excited. I was gonna either dress up as a school girl, or wear a pink wig, talk in a fake british accent and go comando, but I decided against it!! I think Re is gonna go barefoot with her barefoot and preggers tribute!! Gotta run and help Blue shave her head....hey little mama don't forget to pack your green umbrella! Will post TONS of pics later!



Thanks for caring,
K

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Buck's Mardi Gras!

Buck travelled far to get here and we were so excited to see him! I am sure he was anxious to get out of his box and stretch a little too! A certain little one was THRILLED when I opened the box and there was a "reindeer!"

Tay gave Buck the proper hello! I goldfish filled kiss!

Immediately Buck was given his own place at her table to join her tea party with all of her "friends!"

Buck who does not usually get to ride "in" the car was enjoying his ride across the Lake into New Orleans...Little did he know what he was in for.....
Of course he tried some King Cake and some Zapp's! Check out his cup with the Mardi Gras crown!

We decided to show Buck what the view looks like a top one of the MANY ladders that line the streets and neutral grounds along St. Charles Street. (Lots of people build their own ladders to get a prime bead catching or float watching location. This ladder was one of the "Cadillac" versions. It had a padded seat and the oh, so important-cupholder!)

You can only cross the barricades during certain portions of the parades. Do not even think of crossing unless you have permission from an NOPD officer. Other than urinating in public, jumping a barricade during a parade to cross the street, is one of the fastest ways to find yourself in OPP during Mardi Gras!

Here is one of the friendly NOPD officers, who work 12 hour shifts to ensure we have a safe and happy Mardi Gras! He even did the Cupid Shuffle with a couple of the dance teams. (Thank you to all of the officers of New Orleans who are doing all they can to make New Orleans safe again!)

Buck was a huge hit with our "Krewe!"

Little A is giving Buck some lovin and helping keep warm at the same time! It was c-c-COLD that night! Notice she is under 2 blankets and a jacket!

Buck seemed to enjoy his time down in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. He did get a little rowdy towards the end, he kept asking to go to Bourbon Street! I had to remind him that this was a family show and he obliged to stay in the room if we promised to wake him up and tell him all about it when we got in! To be continued.......(I will do another Mardi Gras post with more pictures without Buck.)
We had a blast with Buck and I cannot wait to see what other adventures are in store for him!

Thanks for caring,
K

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