If you are not following on Instagram, you may have missed our recent trip to New Orleans. Yes, we went to New Orleans a couple of years ago (check out our family-friendly itinerary from that trip), but this trip was a totally different animal. We had the once in a lifetime experience of riding on a float in “Krewe of Boo,” which is NOLA’s official Halloween parade. We dressed up in circus costumes, had our make-up professionally done and got to throw beads, toys and snacks into the crowd while riding through the French Quarter.

Is it just me or were Mazzy and Harlow born to be Tim Burton-esque clowns?

After our make-up was done, we walked over to the parade route where all the floats were lined up.

We were riding on a float from a restaurant named Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar, which had a big shark on it. There was another hour before the parade started so we just danced and people watched. Everyone was in costume and it was awesome. Seriously. My kids KILLED IT.

I’m just going to keep posting pics because they are so damn good.

I looked pretty decent in my make-up and costume.

But it was Mike who really rounded out our family perfectly as a ringmaster. I bought him the costume but it didn’t include a hat, which Mike realized earlier that morning. Then he ran around the French Quarter looking for one right before the parade because, and I quote— “I CAN’T BE A RINGMASTER WITHOUT A HAT!”

He was right.

After ogling all the incredible costumes around us (people in NOLA really BRING IT on Halloween), it was finally time to board the float and start tossing toys and candy to the crowd.

Now, I am going to say that going into this, my family had petty high expectations. The kids especially. But, really, nothing prepared us for the fun we were about to have. I mean, look at Mazzy and Harlow’s faces as they waited for our float to take off.

Okay, and now look at Harlow’s face at the exact moment when the float started moving…

Truly, I have never seen my family filled with more joy than that night, riding in a shark themed float through the French Quarter. Music blaring, dressed in circus costumes and tossing rubber sharks and moon pies into a crowd of thousands. Mazzy smiled with teeth. Harlow waved to the crowd like she was Queen. Mike danced. IT WAS AWESOME.

Before the parade, someone told us not to throw stuff randomly, but to make eye contact with someone in the crowd for each item and then toss it to them directly. I swear, making that connection over and over again with random strangers was AMAZING. Seeing a guy in the back, or a woman on a balcony, or a kid on their dad’s shoulders and looking straight into their eyes as you both successfully executed a throw and catch was thrilling. The smiles and thumbs ups over such a simple, small thing. It was just so so so great.

When it was over, Harlow said it was her third favorite day ever, after the day she was born and her first birthday. Mazzy said the experience was tied with our trip to Disney World. Even Mike said it was one of the most fun nights ever.

You know what it beat for me? The nights I spent at Mardi Gras with my friends back in college. I mean, those nights were a BLAST, but this was better.

I don’t know how my family will ever top this magical night in NOLA.

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If you want to see video of us at “Krewe of Boo,” I added a story highlight on Instagram! You don’t want to miss it.