A Pair for my Pair: My Muses Tradition

My wife and I have been riding in Muses for the past decade, and 4 years ago I took my two boys with me for the ride. Well…you see I was pregnant (20 weeks!) and I didn’t know what sex my babies were just yet. Everyone warned me that riding pregnant (with twins!) wouldn’t be any fun at all! But, boy were they wrong. It might be my favorite ride yet!

And, that year we started what has become my favorite Mardi Gras tradition – we make a pair for our pair.

The theme our first year was celebrating Dr. Seuss, so naturally, we decorated  “Thing 1” and “Thing 2” shoes for our bundles of joy. And, every year since, we add to the collection.

When they were babies, they had a green animal themed nursery so we made green animal themed shoes for them!

Last year was their first Disney trip, and they fell in love with Mickey. Watching my boys light up at the sight of their favorite character melted my heart. I will never forget watching them hug him and love on him. And listening to their sweet voices say his name. It is one of my most treasured memories. So, of course, we had to commemorate it with a pair of shoes.

This year my boys are all about Star Wars. They are Star Wars obsessed. I had never really watched any of the movies before having kids, but now I know all of the nerdiest trivia thanks to my twin 2 year olds who know more than most adults! The droids are their favorites, and they are going to flip when they see their BB-8 and R2D2 shoes. We have spent endless amounts of time this year reading about star wars, talking about star wars, and playing star wars. And, this pair is a cool reminder of my kids’ language explosion this year. They represent the growth of play and imagination in their lives. They take us back to visiting Star Wars Land and watching the Chewbacchus parade and how both experiences had my sons in awe.

Today, I lined up their 4 pairs of shoes. They represented our pregnancy, our babies, our toddlers, and now our little boys. They are more than just shoes, they are snapshots of seasons of our lives. That glitter holds precious memories and reminds us of the gifts of presence and love and joy and growth.

I can’t wait to see Remy and Jack’s collection grow as they do. I can’t wait to find out their passions and see what memories we make that find themselves celebrated in Muses glory. But, for now, I find myself looking at their collection and marveling at how cool it is to be a NOLA mom.

Rain or shine, we will see Thursday night NOLA! And if you are looking for tips on how to catch a shoe, as my sons would say, “May the force be with you!”

Catherine Karas
Catherine followed her college sweetheart (and now wife) Claire to New Orleans after they both graduated from the University of Georgia. She is a twin mom, a stay at home mom, a boy mom, a Disney mom, and a 2 mom family mom...just to name a few. She throws a mean toddler play date and loves to host small humans in her home for themed out events! She is often planning her next great family adventure, and she is never scared to pack her twins up for a trip solo! Her parenting mantra is "embrace the chaos", and there is plenty of that when raising twin boys! You can follow her family adventures on instagram @krewedekaras

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