Jazz Fest

We left for New Orleans around 4PM, immediately after Eli got off of a bus returning from a school mission-prep trip. That landed us at our AirBNB just after midnight. While the kids did get some sleep in the car, that made for a late night for us all. But our clockwork girl woke us up at 7, ready to go.

Since it was May 4th, the little cafe we walked to for breakfast was serving Star Wars themed doughnuts. Well, not so much doughnuts as huge pastries that were filled with all kinds of things. (To eat one by yourself would be a mistake.) From there we loaded up the car and headed to Fest for Day 1. Our friends, the Overlys and the Hambricks, were joining us from Atlanta as well, but sans kids. We agreed to set up base camp at one of the bigger stages each day so that we all had a place to come back together for the closing set. On this day, we set up at the largest stage so we could catch Jason Isbell and Beck. The kids really really liked Beck. They were familiar with his latest album, but the older stuff stirred up an interest in Eli.

We haven't stayed until the very end in a while, mainly in the name of getting the kids some dinner and rest before the next day, but Beck's set went until 7, so until 7 we stayed. Then we leisurely made our way to our car (about a mile away), stopping through the neighborhoods to listen to and dance with street performers. This is easily one of our favorite parts of Jazz Fest. By the time we made it back to the Pilot, it was dark and there were only two cars in the entire lot.

Day two started similarly, but with beignets instead of doughnuts. Today's 'big' show was The Revivalists, so we set up at a different stage, prepared to rock out from a safe distance. (Holding the rail all day for a front row spot is a little harder with kids, and it makes it hard to enjoy the rest of Fest!) Maddux and Eli consumed so many favorites, from crayfish beignets (Maddux's go-to) to red beans and rice (my and Eli's favorite), from mango freeze to snowcones...the food flowed freely. This year was the first time we let the kids occasionally go (together) alone to buy food while we stayed at our base camp. I'm still not sure how I feel about that (them growing up and the safety factor).

We had a few moments of rain, so the five of us took that opportunity to visit the Economy Hall tent where there is a dance floor. While Lehr and the girls were dancing, a fest regular approached them and asked to dance with Ruby. She declined, but Maddux accepted and an impromptu lesson followed. She had a great time being twirled around the dance floor by someone who knew what they were doing!

All nine of us made our way back to base camp for the act just before The Revivalists to make sure we were in place. It's a good thing too because that stage's lawn is smaller and it was MOBBED. So much that even the 'moving' areas of walkways inched along slower than Snowmaggedon traffic in Atlanta. Once the music started for the Rev set, we all settled in. But maybe two songs in, we got very distracted by some swarming in the sky just to our left. It was maybe 30 yards away and appeared to maybe be termites (they are big and active right now in NOLA). But then some started flying over our heads, leaving the swarm, and we realized they were too big to be termites. Sure enough, they were bees. No one appeared to get stung, but somehow their home was disrupted (we never saw a hive) and they were all abuzz. By the end of the Rev set, medical staff was around the area (just in case), and the bees seemed to have dissipated. But when I walked over to look at the area they were, I saw that the bees were still there, but congregated on the underside of a chair. Apparently the queen decided that was their new home, so they all followed her. It was the craziest thing we'd ever seen!

Bee drama over, we started the final set of Cage the Elephant (my favorite of the weekend, probably!). Maddux hula hooped the entire day, I think, using the break apart hoop we bought for her birthday many many years ago. At the time we had no idea we were raising a fest-kid! Day two found us closing the fairgrounds down again, and dancing in the streets again. Every time we would stand and watch street brass bands, Ruby would get in front and dance and make her general 'horn' imitation. And every time, one of the band members would walk over to her to let her see/touch their horn. And every time, she would try to grab it and run. After a few bands, we stopped by a friend's house for a quick birthday celebration before heading back to our car. Only in New Orleans do you swing through for a piece of birthday cake for a child at 8PM, and get served dinner in the process, just because.

Day three was back at the big stage for Jack White and Trombone Shorty later in the afternoon. We set up camp and then ran to the opposite side of the fairgrounds to catch Flow Tribe opening. Ruby loved that, especially when they played her song. She was sitting in the BOB, but when she heard the opening notes, her eyes got big, she got out of the stroller, and she bolted to the front lines. (It was so early in the day that it was easy enough for Lehr to catch up with her, thankfully!)

At one point I took the girls to the kids' tent, mainly to get a break from the sun. There was a Chinese dragon dance troupe on stage. Ruby loved them, standing up front and mimicking their jumping (she called them 'puppies'). But at one point they came off of the stage and into the crowd, and when they approached her, she freaked out. Apparently large colorful dragons/lions are frightening?

Eli pushed his way to the rail for Jack White, and I think he videoed the whole show. He loved being so close to one of his favorite musicians...he had a great view of all of his guitars and how he played each one. Trombone Shorty followed and closed down Jazz Fest for the year. We spent a lot of time hula hooping (Eli and Maddux are AMAZING, but the rest of us are not) and blowing bubbles. Once again, we are raising fest-kids, obviously! Our Atlanta friends packed up their car and drove home, and we slow played it back to our car. Once again, New Orleans treated us right.

Jazz Fest

Always my favorite time of year.

This year the kids rejoined us (last year, I gave Lehr the 40th birthday gift of a fest with just the two of us for the first time since they were born), and they couldn't have been happier. We drove in late Thursday night so we could attend all day Friday and Saturday and only have to miss one day of school.

Despite the fact that we arrived at the hotel at midnight, Ruby was up just before 6AM, ready to go. Lehr snuck her out and the two of them went for a mini tour of NOLA. They got some beignets, coffee, visited Breaux Mart...some of the staples. The kids and I were up at 8, ready to get some beignets also. (Yes, Ruby got to visit Morning Call twice that morning!)

After a quick meal, we went to the fairgrounds. We wanted to be there when gates opened at 11AM, which meant getting there by 10 to buy tickets and wait in the gate line. Even with all of that prep, we were still not the first ones on the line at the Acura Stage. We planned to set up camp there for the afternoon Revivalists show.

Because they are awesome, the Overlys joined us again this year. I say awesome because their boys were not with them, so they could have had a kid-free weekend, but they still chose to hang out with us for most of both days.

The kids ate, danced, and people-watched through the day. We stuck pretty close to that stage all day because of the great line-up. The weather was amazing...even a little cool to start with (which is why you'll see sweatshirts in some of our photos).

After our boys performed, we ended the day at another stage with another family we love. We didn't leave until the music was done and we had to shut it down. On the way back to the car, we stopped by many street performances for more music (because NOLA!).

Day two was more of the same. Ruby woke up early again, but not as early. We hopped out of bed quicker so we could get a bigger breakfast. And by bigger, the big kids each got a pancake that was the size of their large plate. Ridiculousness.

After stuffing ourselves, we were at the gates, ready to go before they opened. On this day, we hit almost every stage, taking in so much great music with amazing weather supporting the whole thing.

Ruby got to drum in the kids area, all of them danced in Economy Hall, mango freeze was flowing freely... Eli and Maddux got to see Big Freedia and Snoop Dogg (which Eli referred to as "The Snoop"), so we've officially earned the Parents of the Year award. I'd like to think we made up for it by ending the day with Rockin' Dopsie. Another day of shutting down the fairgrounds at 7PM, only to walk through the street musicians to our car.

While her early morning wake-up call frustrates me, she does wake up because she has to relieve herself (she rarely wakes up wet anymore). And she did an AMAZING job with bathroom habits over the weekend, communicating to us when she had to go and not having any accidents (quite the feat when the port-a-potties you have to use have a line or are far away).

 

Jazz Fest 2014

Ruby's first fest did not disappoint! We had AMAZING weather this year; far better than any year ever (and this was our 8th Jazz Fest with kids!). We arrived as the gates opened on Thursday. Between the early arrival and it being a weekday, the crowds were VERY minimal. I think the high was 72-degrees and there was an amazing breeze. (Seriously thought we were in San Diego for a minute.) Ruby napped on and off a few times, ate some red beans and rice, and posed for many pictures. We hit 4 or 5 stages that day, leaving fest somewhere around 430PM. The highlight was probably Stanton Moore, in the Jazz Tent. Eli and Lehr sat up front for that one, taking in all of the drum acrobatics.

We left fest to grab a quick dinner before an evening show. Lehr planned ahead and got us front row 'reserved' tickets at Preservation Hall for their 8:15 show. We walked past a line of about 75 people to go through the velvet rope and sit up close for the awesome performance. Ruby nodded off at the end, but I think she enjoyed it.

The next morning we got up early enough to get breakfast and still arrive at fest just as things were getting kicked off. We danced and did a few second lines in the Economy Hall tent, ate some delicious food, sang along with Cowboy Mouth, painted our faces, ate some more, met up with friends, danced some more, blew some bubbles, hula hooped....did I mention that we ate? I think we lasted until 5:30 this day. By that point, we'd done so much and the kids were itching to hit the pool at the hotel. (You'd think it was some great pool the way they built it up.... It's a very standard, indoor pool, but I guess they have so many memories of it that the excitement takes over.)

The underlying story here is Ruby's sickness. We left town Wednesday afternoon and she was a bit congested and was starting to cough a little. While she was happy and 'fine' throughout the day(s), each night got worse and worse for sleeping. By Friday night, Lehr and I traded off almost the entire night; she could not sleep if she was lying down, so we held her upright so she could doze off here and there. By the time the sun came up on Saturday morning, Lehr and I agreed that we needed to head home to get her to a doctor. Unfortunately that meant we missed out on a trolley ride, beignets, and a bang-up line up for Saturday's Jazz Fest. The kids were great sports about it though, never complaining at all.

2014NolaJazzFestWEB from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Jazz Fest 2013

Another great year at fest! This year is was just the four of us making the trip and we stayed in a hotel we've stayed at in the past. Eli and Maddux were very excited about this because they remembered that the hotel has an indoor pool. Perfect for post-fest relaxation.

We arrived in time for a late dinner with Uncle Catfish and his family on Thursday night. The kids had a great time playing with Caleb and Emory (who just turned 3) while we ate. That night was the only rough bedtime we had - the kids were exhausted from school, the long drive, and the late dinner, and that mixed with big excitement over Fest the next three days was a bad combo for 'happy hearts'.

The next morning the kids woke up early early....a real struggle for us since it'd been such a late night. We ate breakfast at the hotel and then went for a drive. Unfortunately this was the one day we knew we'd be getting rain. It poured all morning but started to let up just in time for fest to open at noon. However, the temperatures did not let up...it was so cold! I'd warned the kids, so Maddux and I had sweatshirts, but Eli left his in the car. Guess who had to borrow Daddy's shirt! We walked around to a few tents and stages (through some pretty intense mud and muck) until about 4PM when we called it quits and left to get an early dinner. We even had time to visit the pool before bed!

Saturday morning was the complete opposite of Friday. The kids slept in a little longer and kept themselves very quietly occupied (together!) in their room while Lehr and I took our time waking up. (We had a two-room suite...thanks, D!) The sun was shining, but the kids still took their sweatshirts into fest; I guess they learned from the day before. We planned to be at the gates when they opened because The Revivalists were opening on the Gentilly Stage. We got there early enough to snag a front row area and also plant a chair back where they were allowed. It was our loose plan to stay at that stage for several bands. Maddux made a friend right away: a chef who lived in NOLA. He was so nice and totally helped entertain the kids for a few hours with hula hoops, face paint, flags, and more. An added bonus: he had pink stickers promoting his new popsicle line.

After about four hours, we left to find another stage. (Gentilly is one that leaves you in the sun the whole time, so we were pretty beat by this point.) The kids got their first mango freeze of 2013 and we stopped at a few tents while they ate. After we finished our last show, it was too late to try for any mainstream restaurant, so we went a little off of the beaten path to the burrito place where Chef Neal worked. We ate and then tried some of the famous popsicles - the kids were very excited about that!

Sunday was windy, but sunny again. We met Uncle Catfish's family for beignets before fest. The restaurant was located in a park, so we ran around with all four kids for a while before we ate. And after we ate. We arrived at fest just after noon and went to the Economy Hall tent right away so Maddux and Eli could use their umbrellas in a Second Line. After that we made our way to the big stage (Acura) to try and grab a spot for Trombone Shorty. Of course we were all of the way in the back, but given the muck still on the field, a spot on the track behind the field was a good call. I set up a blanket to sit down on and Maddux almost immediately laid on my lap for a nap. She got about 15 minutes before she woke up and cozied with Eli for a few songs. The two were tired, but very well behaved and happy. We stayed for The Black Keys, but not for Shorty. After hitting a few more stages and having one more mango freeze, we headed back to the hotel. The kids wanted to swim just a little more, so Lehr ran out and grabbed a pizza for dinner. All in all, another great year at Jazz Fest!

2013 05 NOLA Jazz Fest from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

NOLA Jazz Fest 2012

Where to begin... This year's Fest was one of the best ones we've attended. Just like last year, we had three days at fest and NO rain! (No other years since we started going 12 years ago can boast that.) We also had no meltdowns by Eli (bonus!), and we had some new travel companions.
The four of us hit the road early on Thursday morning. On the other side of the country, two grandparents boarded a flight at the same time. Somewhere around 4PM we all met in New Orleans and the kids got the surprise of their lives. We took a trolley to one of our favorite restaurants and spent the evening making Fest plans. The kids could not contain their excitement; sleep did not come easy Thursday night!

Friday morning we woke up with plenty of time to spare, so we drove to Metairie to visit Morning Call and partake in some beignets. Our temporary residence was well within walking distance to the fest, so after breakfast we loaded up and made our way to the Fairgrounds. We wanted to be there when the gates opened so that we could see The Revivalists at the first show. What a way to kick off the weekend :) From there we moved from stage to tent to stage to tent again, stopping here and there to get more food, do a dance, or take in a 2-minute parade. The four of us met up with some local friends for dinner that night; Maddux caught a nap in the car on the way. Everyone fell asleep a little quicker this night.

Saturday morning we opted to head to Jackson Square for some sightseeing before Fest. We took in a Muffuletta, some art, and the boats in the river. It was just after lunch by the time we hit the Fairgrounds, but we still managed to fit in a full full day. Maddux fell asleep promptly on my lap while we sat in the Blues tent, mid afternoon. By the time we hit the Soul Rebels show to end the day, she was full of energy for dancing.

Sunday morning we went to Fest even earlier; Trombone Shorty was playing the second show on the big stage. That stage is one we usually avoid, but the kids wanted to see Shorty, so we gave it a shot. Maddux slept through the first act while the rest of us held down our front row spots. Just about the time Shorty's show was finishing up, Eli and Maddux were both asking to leave. (That stage puts you in direct sun and forces you to stand and watch.) We hit a few more tents, a few more stages, and ate our way through the rest of the day. Our final stop was Tuba Tuba where the kids danced their feet off. No problems sleeping this night, and the kids even slept until 8AM the next day.

Jazz Fest 2011

What a weekend! The four of us drove to New Orleans on Thursday, and arrived just in time for bed. We were staying with friends who were awesome enough to offer up TWO rooms for us to sleep in. I got Maddux, the Twister-player through the night, while Lehr stayed with Eli, teeth-grinder extraordinaire. We did not sleep much.

Friday morning we woke up and hung out with our friends and their twin boys all morning before heading to Jazz Fest in time for the first show just before noon. Satchmo, the dog, was a big hit with the kids. Maddux does not understand that dogs don't all know her well, so 'gentle' was something I had to remind her often.

Of course, red beans and rice was on the menu as soon as we arrived at Fest. Maddux got her face painted almost immediately by a traveling artist. Just before our second show started we ran into friends from Atlanta, and Eli ASKED to have a nap in the BOB. The rest of the day we visited a few stages, ate a few helpings of awesome food, and took in some great music. Dinnertime found us at a great restaurant we visited last year. Both kids opted for red beans and rice...AGAIN.

Saturday morning was great; we had awesome weather and spent most of it on a trolley. The twins had never been before, so Eli and Maddux got to show them the ropes. Once at fest, we hit a few tents early on in anticipation of a few stage (outdoor) shows to come. One of the tents we visited early on was the Economy tent where we dance and 'second line' every year. It was a blast until Maddux took a kick to the shoulder. She was fine, but yikes!

From there we went to a stage and Eli got to ride Daddy's shoulders up front to see Trombone Shorty really close. Maddux napped most of that show, so I remained towards the back and just listened. We didn't last long after that show. Dinner was really close to our friends' house, so we walked there once we returned home. Grilled oysters, fish, cornbread...we had it all. When we finished, we walked to a gelato shop and the kids were beside themselves with excitement over a sugary treat. Eli even commented, "This is the best day ever...I'm gonna dream about this tonight!"

Our last day included beignets...yum. We stopped off for the sweet dough before fest; Happy Mothers' Day! Sunday was another awesome day of music. We saw some brass bands, Michael Franti, and closed out with Robert Randolf. Maddux napped hard at the end, but Eli lasted the whole day. Both kids rode Daddy's shoulders during the Franti concert; they had a blast!

NOLA Jazz Fest 2010 - Day 3

We kicked off our last day with a trolley ride. Eli remembers the trolleys from previous years, but I think this is the first one Maddux will remember. We rode the train about half way out St. Charles and then turned around. The kids liked it, but it is rather stressful holding them in the VERY open windows. Not only are they in danger of falling out, but lamp posts, trees, and other trolleys pass by extremely close as the train is in motion. Regardless, we all had a good time and were able to make it to Fest before they opened again.javascript:void(0)

I was in charge of the 'schedule' today, so we did a lot of moving around and we stayed mostly on the opposite side of where we'd been. The music tended to be more traditional in NOLA style too. We started at the Kids' Stage with the Red Hot Brass Band: a band made up of kids no older than high school. They brought their newest member on towards the end (part of a program called 'pass it on'). He was four years old and he played the snare drum. Eli loved this band, joining in their Second Line after their performance. From there we went to the Jazz and Heritage Stage. That stage is all about big 'street' brass bands, feathered costumes, and Second Lining. Two or three of the older 'kid' musicians jumped in to join the Storeyville Stompers Brass Band, providing an awesome show. Maddie was getting tired (and hot, due to the sun) at this point, but she did let me dance with her for "You Are My Sunshine". We also heard "When The Saints Go Marching In" for the eighth time...it never gets old. Mad Dog even chimed in wiht her own "WHO DAT?!?!"

We then went to the Gospel tent and the Blues tent. The kids were both exhausted by now, and Eli fell asleep in the BOB. Maddie had no choice but to nap on me, which I loved. Then, when Eli woke up, I transferred her to the BOB and she slept for another thirty minutes. That girl was tired!! We ended our day at the Blues tent with an awesome performance by Jonny Lang. Eli loved the music and learned that the band was 'playing filthy' for the last number. (It was pretty insane!)

Another Mango Freeze was shared, lots of red beans and rice was consumed, Ya Ka Mein, craw fish beignets, and bottles and bottles of water were put to rest. And yet we were still hungry for dinner. I picked up a few re-heatable pasta dishes from the local farmers market to eat in the hotel room. The kids ate in their underwear - awesome pictures.

2010 04 NOLA Jazz Fest from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

NOLA Jazz Fest 2010 - Day 2

Before we drove to Jazz Fest today, we met some friends for breakfast. "Uncle Catfish" (and his wife "Mrs. Catfish) met us at a fun neighborhood spot. The kids had a blast hanging out and being silly with the names we call them. We got a tour of their new house and both kids were totally awestruck by their powder room downstairs: blue walls, blue sink, blue lights.

So today was a perfect example of something the other side of 'shoulda/coulda/woulda'. It shoulda rained all day. The tornados coulda come through and ruined Jazz Fest for everyone today. We woulda been sad, oh-so-sad. But instead we were incredibly lucky with the weather. We arrived before the gates opened to find very windy conditions. As long as you didn't take any dust directly in the eyes, it was ok. Once again, we camped out at Gentilly. We were convinced we would be at fest for only a few shows, so we decided to head back to our great location again and enjoy while we could. (I don't think I mentioned the location: RIGHT next to long long lines of porta potties with no wait and perfect views of the stage.)

The main event for us was Bonerama, with their four trombones and awesome New Orleans sound. Eli and Maddux loved them, recognizing a song or two during the set. More food was consumed, more dancing occurred, and lots of air drumming took place. After 'lunch', we granted the kids their coveted Mango Freeze. After we let them share one last year, they've been obsessed. It doesn't help that we have this picture hung in Maddux's room, so they are reminded of it every day. (Maddie often tells me, "I want to go there again, Mommy. To Mango Freeze.") Long story short, all we heard on the car ride down here was Eli telling us, "I want to share Mango Freeze with Maddie again, Mommy. I will hold it and share nicely with her." Sure enough, he did a great job. They sat next to each other and Eli did his best to divvy up the sweet treat between them. At one point I noticed the small bites he was giving both of them. Eli assured me, "I don't want to give her too much cuz she'll get a brain freeze."

Sometime after that, Maddux was wearing thin, so I threw her in the BOB and took her for a stroll, convinced she'd pass out. She did: first sitting up and slumped over and then finally against the back of her seat. I got to see some Cowboy Mouth while we walked and she got to recharge in time for more craw fish and Overly boy interaction. She and Russell hit it off quite well, sitting on each other's laps and running around. He was so sweet with her...she's a lucky girl to have such nice boys to look out for her!

Bathrooms were the theme of the day with both kids going about twelve times each. It was noticeably warmer today (but still not bad), and that meant more water consumption. How, I'm not sure, because Maddux drank so much yesterday you'd think she'd float away.... Anyway, for one trip, Eli told me, "I won't touch anything inside, Mommy, because it's disgusting." (I let him go in the porta potty by himself - I just stood outside of the door.)

On our way back to the car we were treated to a street concert. This is so common around fest, but it was the first one the kids had seen. They were both wide-eyed and silent. Neither would dance with me, but Eli talked about it a few times on the way home.

NOLA Jazz Fest 2010 - Day 1

After a rather uneventful drive into town yesterday, we were ready to hit Jazz Fest today. However, the kids weren't thinking about Fest when they first woke up. Eli got up to go to the bathroom, followed by Maddux. Eli then asked us if Maddux could snuggle in his bed with him. His exact words were, "I wanna snuggle with Max cuz she's my best friend." We got her and her blanket set up under his covers and the two stayed there in the dark, giggling, for over ten minutes. We heard several kissing 'smacks' and lots of loudly whispered, "I LOVE YOU!" conversations. Serious cuteness overload....

We planned to camp out for most of the day at the Gentilly stage, alternating turns walking around to hear other music. Dr. John and John Cleary were playing back-to-back at Gentilly, so we got there as soon as the gates opened to set up our spot.

The weather was awesome: cooler than usual and breezy (it's rare to be in NOLA and not sweat and 'stick'). We got our chairs and blanket set up before the stage crew finished the sound checks for the first band, so we took that time to walk up to the stage and hang out so the kids could see some of the music up close. (Chairs, etc. were not allowed past a spray-painted line in the grass. We had our stuff at the front of that line, but it was a good ways back from the stage.) The crowd was still pretty thin, given that it was a weekday and still only 11AM. This meant Eli and Maddux could watch and wander around without much worry of them getting into trouble. We didn't have to worry about that once the music started though. The Revivalists kicked off the show with an AWESOME set. Maddux loved the lead singer because he wore pink socks. Eli wants to play the drums like the drummer (of course). At one point, Rebirth came onto stage with the guys....awesomeness. And then for another song, three burlesque dancers joined the band....Lehr was able to distract Eli with the trombone on the opposite end of the stage. (Safe for now!) The coolest thing was there were little 'holes' in the barricades up front. Just big enough for a smaller person to peek through and see straight to the band. Of course, as long as Eli had two straws to use as drumsticks, he was content.

We saw another band before we opted to start the gorging for the day. Eli went with Lehr and came back with a huge bowl of craw fish. He was SO excited to eat them. Maddie was unsure of eating them, but she loved playing with them. And later, when we met up with William and Russell, Maddux figured out that William was a little unsure of the crazy crustaceans, so she chased him around with one.

Unfortunately, just before the main acts (for us), the storms came through. Big rain drops, lightning and thunder for a few hours. We made it to the Economy Hall tent (traditional dixieland jazz) before getting too drenched, thankfully. It was packed tighter than any even we'd been to in a while in there, but at least we were sheltered from the elements. Eli and I did a few Second Lines and then danced on the dance floor. He was fine in the Second Line until the guy behind us started yelling instead of clapping. His loud voice took Eli by surprise; when I asked Eli later if he liked the Second Line his eyes got wide and he said, "No, Mommy".

Maddux fell asleep in the madness of the rainy tent. She snoozed in the BOB for about twenty minutes before rejoining us. When she woke up, she and Eli traded about forty kisses. So sweet...no clue what prompted it, but they were very amorous with each other.

When we tried to go to another tent, it was still drizzling. Despite Eli telling me he wouldn't melt, as soon as we left that tent to find another, it started to pour and he started to complain. So we camped out in the music 'store' tent for another twenty minutes before meeting up with the Overlys in the grandstands. The boys had discovered a 'shower' of rain water coming off of a tent and all four kids got themselves sufficiently soaked while we watched one last performer.

Despite the great time we had, as Eli and I walked back to the car, he told me, "Mommy, today was NOT a good day. It was rainy and cold and not fun." I beg to differ.

Getting Excited......

2009 New Orleans Jazz Fest from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Jazz Fest Video

We only brought the little camera into Fest with us, so the video (and pictures) are a bit limited. Here is a quick montage of video shot this weekend. Pictures to follow....

2009 New Orleans Jazz Fest from Nicole Eliason on Vimeo.

Jazz Fest 2009: Day Three

Day two of jazz fest started later than day one, mercifully. Maddux didn't do her little 'scream' until 8am, but then she fell back asleep and didn't want to wake up. Finally we woke her just before 9 because we had to get downstairs for breakfast before 10am. We headed to the fairgrounds as soon as we ate, so that we could get better parking and avoid some lines. Both kids were already whiny when we arrived (1145-ish), but that was to be expected. What I did not expect was a full-on show-down with Eli so early in the day. We went to the Economy Hall tent first, so the kids could dance and participate in a few Second Lines. Almost right away we had an issue with Eli not apologizing for an accidental injury. Something that is SO silly, but such a big deal with us. It escalated when I took Eli out of the tent for a time out. He swatted at me several times. This is totally not allowed, nor is it normal for Eli. (*Please know that Lehr and I were very aware that Eli was exhausted, which most likely caused this situation to get crazy quickly, but some things are never allowed in our family. Not apologizing when you've hurt someone is one of them, as is striking someone, especially when you're mad.)

I had Eli in a time out next to a fence for about five minutes before he calmed down and showed self-control. I stooped down to talk to him about the situation and he was not having it. He did not want to participate in the conversation and that is part of our 'process', so in time out he stayed. Another ten minutes passed, with me checking in with Eli a few times, with no improvement. I was tired of missing the show, so I moved his time out back to our tent. I had Eli sit next to the tent stake behind our chairs. I could see him, but he couldn't see the show. Again, I checked in with him, but another huge chunk of time passed. Eventually I took Maddux over to the dance floor (ten feet away) while D & CC stayed and kept an eye on Eli. When we returned, Eli's head was drooping and he appeared to be falling asleep. All the while in self-control. I showed him some much needed grace and put him in the stroller so he could sleep. The poor kid slept through the rest of that show, walking across the fairgrounds through crowds and bumpy terrain, and part of another show. Once he woke up we got closure on the issue, but that officially goes down as the longest time out to date.

While he was napping, Maddie tore up the dance floor. She had a blast jumping and twirling with everyone as the music played. She also picked up some straws and played the air drums, just like Eli does. When Eli got a mango freeze (sorbet-type treat) later in the day, he shared SO well with her. While he and I were in line to buy it, Eli kept telling me, "I gonna share a bite wiff D. Then I will share wiff Maddie." And he did. Without any prompting. Again and again. He shared the whole treat....lots and lots of bites. From one extreme to another, that boy!!

After the treat, Maddux was exhausted, but she does not know how to turn her energy off. I put her in the BOB and went for a walk. Three minutes in, she was out. Completely dead to the world. She slept through a show and a half before coming to again. We ended the day a little earlier due to storms in the area. Just before 5PM it started to sprinkle, so we started back for our car (about 1 mile away) to avoid getting drenched. Perfect timing because it started to pour just as we were buckling the kids' seat belts! When we realized the rain was coming, Eli put on his rain boots, just in case. He was very excited about wearing them, but disappointed they didn't really get wet. Maybe next year, Eli! This year was by far the best weather. Both days were breezy and a little cloudy, and we had no wet grounds to deal with at all!!