Another Day in the Life of a Ninja

Tucker wears a lot of costumes. Star Wars "guys", chef's aprons, G.I. Joe Snake Eyes (even though he's never seen the movie) and Ninjas are his favs. It doesn't come as a surprise to me, considering he is named after a Mardi Gras parade that I really loved and couldn't attend because I was busy birthing said child.

Where's the connection you ask? Mardi Gras, for those of us who live in New Orleans, isn't about naked girls on Bourbon Street (mostly) or sucking down Hurricanes at the speed of light (okay, that part is involved a little). There is a huge portion of the holiday that is family-oriented. For two weeks parades float up and down the streets of the suburbs and of Uptown New Orleans and entertain families perched high on ladders tricked out like mini-carnival rides.



You can wear costumes, you don't have to wear costumes. People can think you are in costume even though you left the house feeling F-I-N-E fine in your new purple shoes and your husband can ask, "where did you get those clown shoes?" and you can then not answer him and refuse him the snack bag you brought along and eat the snacks with gusto even though chips really aren't your thing just to spite him. Well, you could.



With a birthday that falls near or on Mardi Gras every year, Tucker thought that people gathered on St. Charles Avenue in costume just for him. And I let him think that - think of the money I saved on birthday parties! "Yes, sweetie! This is all for you!" I would grandly gesture at all the parades, marching bands and people.



He's old enough now to know that Mommy didn't arrange Mardi Gras for him, but he's not too old to stop wearing his costumes. Here we are today, celebrating the day off from school due to Hurricane Ida. What else could we do but dress like ninjas and prepare for battle?



The lake is really high and I made the boys crouch low "like Ninjas" because Little C wanted to go overboard in a big way.



We lost a big batch of costumes in Katrina, but Tucker would be too big for them now. It's funny because Charlie is the age Tucker was when Katrina struck. Tucker wouldn't fit in to those old costumes, but Charlie could.



I love Mardi Gras. I love Big Old Oak Trees in the Park. I do not love Hurricane Season.



I do, however, love the sweet, cool breeze off Lake Pontchartrain when a storm is just about ready to graze over. I love wearing shorts in November and barbequed oysters.





It's going to rain this afternoon. Going to go throw winter rye grass on the lawn and let Ida water it in.