My big kids holiday

Fat Tuesday. Love, love, love. As I was growing up here it was never really a big deal for me. Yeah, Ash Wednesday is tomorrow, and as a Catholic that was a big deal. Until I moved to Biloxi, I never thought much about it. Not quite on the New Orleans scale, Biloxi and that are always goes all out (as much as they can) for Mardi Gras. Jessica and Brandon grew up with that. Every year, multiple days...Mardi Gras! Before Katrina, so many parades! D'Iberville, Gulfport, and 2 in Biloxi on actual Mardi Gras! If we were lucky we could hit one on Saturday, and both on Tuesday in Biloxi. After Katrina, Biloxi dropped theirs down to one on Tuesday. But still, we made as many as we could. Every parade the kids would get to come home with a backpack (each)  FULL of beads and toys!!! They always closed schools for it! Jessica asks me every year when she knows it's coming up if she can take something for school for Mardi Gras. This is Jessica and Brandon's holiday in my mind. THEIR HOLIDAY. Not mine, not the little ones', theirs. This is something they remember from their young childhood and miss. As they are out of school for ice/road conditions today...they aren't able to take something this year to school (although if Kroger has something today they can take something tomorrow), they don't get to go to a parade (someone said that they may do one downtown- and if they don't they don't really advertise for it), no beads, nothing. As they do get excited about Mardi Gras they are also past the point of construction paper crafts that I could do for them. I have really failed this year on Mardi Gras for her. Somethings are beyond my control (weather), but I could have prepared more anyway. In my shaken up world of Isaac therapies, and everyone sick in a different week with something, I have overlooked something that means alot to my oldest child, and I am crushed over it. So, I guess in a way this is my vow to realize that even though we try to make things even in the house (chores, special days, etc) that some things are just for the big kids and this would be one. I'm not totally beating myself up over this, but I need to pay a bit more attention. O.O
I do have to "work" a bit this morning, but hopefully while I'm cleaning I can come up with something super cool (or at least go get her some beads) for tonight!
Laissez les bons temps rouler!! Bon Mardi Gras everyone!!!