1000 views, Snow, B and Mardi Gras

2-19-15

Thanks for the views! We hit 1000 on the 17th!!! I know there are blogs out there that hit that in a day but they aren't my blog. I'm grinning ear to ear and loving it, here's to another thousand views!

The question of the day is, "Why is there snow on my front lawn" and so far I have not received an acceptable answer!

This is the view from my front door at 9 pm last night. Due to the wind chill factor of one below, this was as close to going outside to take a picture that I was getting! The record breaking temperatures had kept the ice storm ice from melting so the snow is now covering a half inch sheet of ice that had been lingering on the lawn all day. Woke up this morning and the snow was still there, thus prompting the above question. Of course, I understand the logistics of cold weather, lack of heat, inability to melt yada yada. None of that changes the fact that there is snow on my lawn.

All of my family and friends up North realize that Joe and I are well aware of how to deal with snow and ice. They also know how much I disliked it. Unfortunately, here in our little corner of the South we don't have the luxury of snow and ice removal equipment to facilitate life in the aftermath of an ice storm. Basically, an ice storm here is the equivalent of a Nor'Easter up there! No school for two days and lots of fender benders and burst pipes. The saddest part, my pansies didn't make it, they clung on for dear life but the last little purple petal is wilted and browning as we speak. Not sure if the little buds are going to make it, we'll see next week! 

Yesterday was also my day with B and of course the frigid temp meant no outside time. Having a giant playhouse and slide in my den is entertaining but we needed to burn off some of his excess energy. This involved me deciding to teach him how to jump. I wish I would of thought to take a video of him, imagine little bent knees then he squats and acts as if he is going to jump and instead he falls on the carpet and says, "all fall down" followed by giggles and "again"! This evolved into ring around the rosy and dancing to the Wiggles and a rousing game of hide and seek! 

He isn't very good at hiding! When I came around the corner he
looked up at me, said boo, then giggled and ran.

We did have some fun with a new toy that H and I found at the consignment sale. This creation is called the boogie bus. Had to look it up on Amazon because at first I thought it was broken! You push down on the driver, the bus flashes lights, revs it's engine, then shakes (which sounds like it is broken) and then rolls about four feet. This is a very strange toy and B is not sure if he really likes it or not so this is how the game goes. B says, "Grandma" and brings me the bus. He then runs to jump on the sofa, I push down the driver, and then after it shakes I say, "Ready, set, go" and light flash and the bus rolls away. Once it comes to a complete stop, B jumps off the sofa, runs and picks it up and brings it back to me and so it goes. Now, if the driver happens to fall out, he'll push the driver back in and then run! Go figure. 

I'm interested to see what the Cabinet Spirit is going to think of this toy! I have no trouble at all in picturing this bus in any number of horror flick scenarios...

All of this coldness prompted me to actually pay attention to the news on Tuesday and this is how I found out it was Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras. I have very limited knowledge of Mardi Gras but it did occur to me that New Orleans has a cruise port and last year we cruised in February and had a blast and this year we had an ice storm and snow on our front lawn. And folks, that is how it all began! Research has begun and it looks like a very doable trip! Evidently Fat Tuesday is the last day and in 2016 it will fall on February 9th. Looks like a short cruise the week before, back to New Orleans on Sat, rent a room for four days and fly home covered in beads... I've narrowed it down to a few choices for cruises but I am truly stumped on the hotel part. Any intell out there would be greatly appreciated! Trying to figure out the different quarters and parade routes, maps are not my strong suit.

I'm not sure which part of the trips are my favorite: the planning and research phase, the eagerly anticipating the departure, the actual trip itself, the reunion with the kids and B or the return home and fun of reliving the trip while I make our Shutterfly book and trip board! Luckily, we have a few trips in the works to keep me busy for awhile!