Beignets and Bourbon St.

Just when you thought I was done. I promise this to be my very last post on our Christmas vacation in the Big Easy. And just to give it a little different twist, I decided to create a Whrrl story for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

New Year, New Me?

There’s something about having your birthday coincide with New Year’s that makes resolutions seem almost necessary. A new year, another year older. All at once. I’ve never been good at resolutions. The “keeping them” part that is. But, now in my 40’s, with life glancing by faster than a shooting star, I’m giving resolutions another shot.

We rang in the New Year along with 80 or so of Danny’s family members in Destrehan, Louisiana at the plantation his uncle owns, Ormond. Uncle Johnny always puts on a grand fireworks display at midnight, after a dinner of seafood gumbo and jambalaya and night of mingling and dancing.

We’ve been visiting family here in Louisiana for almost two weeks and the eating has been non-stop. I always allow myself to over-indulge when we visit because the food is so good, and because, well, that’s what you do here. You eat. It’s all about the food: gumbo, etouffee, Po’ Boys, jambalaya, Po’ Boys, muffaletas, red beans and rice, pralines, beignets and more Po’ Boys. To visit New Orleans on a diet would be a sin.

It’s all a great set-up for my first resolution:

#1 Eat healthy.

This of course, is to commence as soon as we leave Louisiana. On Tuesday.

My second resolution falls in line with the first:

#2 Exercise.

Fortunately, I was recently gifted a Nintendo Wii Fit Plus at a launch party hosted by friends and bloggers, Amber of CrazyBlogginCanuck.com and Aimee at Greeblemonkey.com. What a Christmas present! Thanks Amber and Aimee, and of course, Nintendo! I have no excuse now to not squeeze a workout into my day.

#3 Read more.

I’m ashamed to admit, I didn’t finish one book last year. Started more than a few; never finished. My goal is to finish two. Gotta set the bar low and work my way up!

#4 Pray more.

Because we all need more prayer, right? I’ll be starting with this one every day; praying that I keep all my other resolutions!

Happy New Year, everyone!

What are some of your New Year’s resolutions?

Not 21 Anymore!

This is me with two of my favorite sisters back in my college days. It’s been a long time since my last kegger or all-nighter, but on Wednesday night I got to re-live a bit of my glory days with my new sisters.

It was a fabulous Girl’s Night Out with the ladies of Mile High Mamas at the Warwick Hotel Denver on Wednesday. We enjoyed a wine tasting and amazing appetizers served by a very attentive staff on the picture-perfect patio in the crisp cool September weather. And what kind of sisterhood would we be without a charity involved? We brought in a ton of school supplies for Office Max’s A Day Made Better and learned about a great movement called Mom it Forward. There were raffle prizes and, oh, Hostess supplied us with a mountain of chocolate cupcakes. Mmmmmmmmm…. cupcakes!

It wasn’t until the end of the evening when we were invited up to the rooftop to check out the pool area that the professional side of us took a bit of a, er… dip. A few ladies decided it was time to change things up and jumped into the pool. Fully clothed. Had I not been wearing dry-clean only, I would definitely have dipped more than my toes into that pool. But, it was just as fun watching the synchronized swimming competition and Tweeting about it from the edge too.

The next day I was reminded that I’m not 21 anymore, and have even finally succumbed to the cold virus that has been passed around at my house. Lack of sleep will do that. But, it was all worth it for the great memories I’m sure to build upon with my new sisterhood of social media entrepreneurial moms here in Denver.

Check out all the great photos of the event, and the after party by sisters, Aimee and Amy.

Cirque Du Soleil Behind the Scenes Look

Yes, that clown nose was Photoshopped in. And that costume wasn’t really one worn at Cirque Du Soleil. This is our living room and the costume is from Big Lots, but, this is the closest I could come to getting the shot I was hoping for at our exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Kooza. So it will have to do. Just go with it.

The e-mailed invitation that went out to a group of us mommy bloggers with Mile High Mamas, described the event as follows:

…coffee and dessert in the Cirque Du Soleil Kooza Artistic Tent at the Pepsi Center grounds. We’d like to invite you to join us. The event will be on Thursday, August 27 at 2 p.m. The afternoon will give you a back stage look at Kooza, a chance to try on costumes, make up and try a stunt or two.

In addition to all of that, we were going to be able to meet and chat with a few of the Kooza moms who are married to some of the performers. Cool!

We also received notice that bringing our kids would be fine. I had to give that some serious thought as Reagan is a handful if not properly fed and entertained. But, from the description of the event, how could she possibly not be entertained? I even decided it would be engaging enough for her to skip her nap time to attend. Always a gamble. Decided to roll the dice. As long as she’s having fun, we’re usually in the clear of sleep-deprived HOLY-MOLY! melt-downs.

Arrived at the Pepsi Center grounds along with all the other mothers to find out there had been some mis-communication between the PR folks and Kooza. Kids weren’t going to be allowed in the tent! After some back and forth it was decided that they could come in as long as we kept them in line and close at hand. My heart started to pound. I was the only one who dared bring a two-year-old and probably like most toddlers, she is not known for her faithful obedience.

Now, I must point out that the fourth word in that invitation says we are actually going to be IN something. Not only were we not in anything, we were parked outside right next to the train tracks to meet with the Kooza moms. This would be fine if it weren’t for the fact that the trains were indeed running. The entire time. Besides making conversation difficult, two-year-olds to trains, are like a moths to a flame. While introductions were being made, thankfully, one astute Mile High Mama (Ms. Aimee!) rescued me by taking Reagan for a walk around the grounds so I could plug my blog participate.

The Q & A with the Kooza moms was the highlight of the afternoon for me. They described what life was like being married to a Cirque performer and raising children on the road. Having come from multiple generations of circus performers, they knew no other way of life. A few were acrobats themselves. While trying to follow the conversation, I was unfortunately running to and fro, keeping Reagan away from the train tracks, down off the tent spikes and out from under the travel trailer. Two clowns in training we were.

It was finally time to take a peek inside the Artistic Tent! The moment we had all been waiting for! We went in groups of ten to make it more manageable because the size of the group was much larger than anticipated. The opportunity to try on costumes, make-up and try some stunts was scratched altogether, sadly. I had given up on the idea that I was ever going to be able to pull my camera out and snap some pics, knowing I needed to keep Reagan wrapped around me at all times. With that many beautiful costumes about and acrobats practicing their stunts, I knew better than to let Dennis the Menace’s curious cousin loose. Plus, we had some professional photographers among us, so why not leave the picture-taking to them? As expected, Aimee got some beautiful photos and did an excellent write-up.

We did bring an actual clown nose home with us that all the kids received. Eventually I will get a real picture of Reagan wearing it, even if not on the shoulders of a high wire artist, wearing a Cirque mask inside the Big Top.

Just a couple of the Kooza wives we met:
Robin Barcus Slonina, wife of Jimmy Slonina, clown. 
www.RobinBarcus.com and www.SkinCityBodyPainting.com.
Adrienne Lutz, wife of Jim Lutz, Trombone/back-up band leader.
www.dreemama.blogspot.com.

Escaping the Circus in the Box

An innocent, melancholy loner is delivered a package. He opens the box and is escorted into a fantastical world of acrobats and clowns through the magic of the Trickster inside.

Kooza (Circus in the Box) delivers more than just laughs and high wire acts, it transports you back to a time of wonderment and pure joy. For three hours you forget what it means to be a grown-up, shedding the cloak of real-world responsibilities to take up where you left off as a child the last time you sat with your popcorn and cotton-candy under the Big Top.

Part of the joy of parenting is being able to catch a glimpse of what it means to be a child again by watching our own children discover and experience new things amidst their carefree lives. I felt that awe again last night as I watched the colorful and elaborately-costumed acrobats perform physical feats I never dreamed were possible. It was the perfect escape for a week that’s all about escape.

Now on day four of what has been extended to a seven-day vacation from my own personal daily circus, I’ve surprised even myself that I’m rather enjoying it. The “Reagan pangs” come and go, and aren’t nearly as intolerable as I imagined they’d be. Yesterday, Danny called from New Orleans to ask if he and Reagan could stay until Monday instead of returning Saturday. They were invited to a birthday party. I knew I was overdue for some “me time” when trying not to sound too excited, I answered “I guess so,” after pausing the obligatory 30 seconds.

When Monday rolls around, I will be re-joining the circus. But, until then, I’ll be enjoying my life outside the box… and plotting my next escape!

Livin’ la Vida Loca!

Well, not exactly, but just knowing I have that option, if I really, really wanted to is just INSANE! For the first time in two-and-a-half years, I am flying solo, baby! And, for FIVE whole days!

There was a time when I didn’t think I could handle being separated from my munchkin. But, yesterday when I returned home from dropping Danny and Reagan off at the airport, I drank in the silence and quickly became drunk. That’s when I knew I had it in me. While they’re visiting MawMaw and PawPaw in New Olreans, Mommy gets to re-live the glory of her pre-diaper days! Whoot, whoot!

So here’s what’s on the agenda:

1. SLEEP!

2. Cirque du Soleil’s “Kooza” with Crystal, AKA Sarah’s Mommy. This will be the first time we’ve done anything together sans the short people.

3. Dig out that massage gift certificate I got for Christmas. I wonder where I put that thing?

4. SLEEEEEEEP!

5. Happy Hour and a movie with Karen where there will be sure to be lots of reminiscing about our fleeting youth as bow heads at ASU.

6. Trip to Costco where I sample every sample, twice. Leisurely meander down every aisle and leave only when I’m ready to and not when someone starts hanging off the side of the colossal push cart screaming hysterically because she dropped her cinnamon churro on the floor somewhere between the 50-jet, 6-person lounger spa and the giant tubs of pulled pork.

7. Did I mention, SLEEEEEEEEEPPP?!!!

One day down, four to go. Gotta’ make ’em count!

Photo by Chaps1