It's not all French Quarter and bare chests, y'all.  In fact, in the past decade of living here, I haven't seen one breast that wasn't nursing a baby.

So without further ado, here are my top 10 reasons that my kiddo will always be at Mardi Gras:

1. It fosters a great sense of community. If you stand at the same corner every Mardi Gras, you know a whole group of people that you might never see throughout the year, but come February, you notice that Drew with the boombox and the great mix is late. Or how fast Gina's kids are growing up. They're your parade friends. And if you're rolling up to a new spot, no worries! You can bet that you'll soon have your own krewe.

2. Being in the crowd at a Mardi Gras parade means becoming friends with new people. Yelling together with friends that were strangers just an hour earlier is the best. Your best bud is on the next float? No way is she going to hear you if you're screaming her name all by yourself. But with your new krewe of 25 people, all of you can chant her name in sync, greatly increasing the chances that she'll hear and spot you in the crowd.

3. Mardi Gras fosters empathy. Missing a throw can be disappointing, and seeing someone (usually a kid) upset that they missed a throw always makes me want to share mine, or help them get one with the next float.

4. Speaking of missing a throw... Mardi Gras teaches a good lesson on persistence. You want that Muses shoe? That Cleo cup? That Zulu coconut? You gotta hustle and not give up. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

5. It teaches a good lesson about disappointment and being a good sport.  Missing a throw or someone taking something meant for you sucks. But sometimes other people can be jerks, and we can learn to steer clear of those people. Also we can learn not to be the a-hole.

6. It's beautiful and magical. Seriously. Iris floats?  GORGEOUS. Muses' Goddessy float? STUNNING. The Flambeaux? MAGICAL. Mardi Gras is Disney-level magic.

7. It creates family traditions: see #1. 

8. It's free. The best free party there is. You can legitimately walk up to the parade route and leave with so much stuff that was just thrown to you. Some really SPECIAL stuff that krewe members and artists painstakingly made by hand through the past year; themed stuff that's only available that season; not to mention the experience. I know of nowhere else where a family can pack food and drinks, all go to a party together, have a great time watching parades and catching throws, and not spend a dime.

9. MARCHING BANDS AND WALKING KREWES.

10. It creates an opportunity to talk about history, traditions (ones that were/are both good and bad), and how we can move forward making Mardi Gras more egalitarian, accessible, and sustainable.