Monday, July 07, 2008
Kiddy Parade: Good or bad idea?
D: We enjoyed a wonderful 4th of July holiday weekend. It's been a pretty tough summer with chilling temperatures and endless rain, so we certainly needed a relaxing holiday weekend full of sunshine.
The 4th is one of my favorite holidays, one that holds so many different memories at different stages in my life. When I was a young girl my earliest memories were running around my family’s farm yard with my brother and I twirling sparklers, chasing spinning tops that screamed across the ground and throwing black cats dangerously close to one another. Later, in middle school, I remember huddling up with my girlfriends on a blanket as we waited with hundreds of neighbors for hours to watch our local fireworks display overhead.
Since I’ve been in Seattle, W and I have started a new tradition of watching the fireworks from our house. We are lucky enough to be able to see the most amazing display in the region right from our front patio and I cannot wait to share it with our children. Unfortunately I’m still too much of a wimp to keep the kids up that late (poor sleep = ultra crabby kids the entire next day)… maybe next year.
Instead, I had heard of a kiddy parade up in a neighboring small town and I thought it would be the perfect way to celebrate the holiday’s excitement with the Deuce. The parade started at 11, and with a naptime of noon I knew there was a chance we were threatening disaster. But in the spirit of the holiday (“we are GOING to have fun, dammit!) Auntie Jessa and I hoofed it up there, made it through the madness of over 100 children and their uber-patriotic parents, and positioned ourselves nicely towards the front of the parade.
The Deuce were sporting their monkey back-pack/parent leashes and seemed (at first) to be enjoying all the excitement. Things quickly turned however, after standing for what seemed like hours amongst the whirlwind of all things red/white/blue: streamers, balloons, face paint, and decked out strollers, radio flyers and big wheels.
My children had ‘over-stimulated’ written clearly across their faces and I knew we had turned the corner onto Melt-Down St.
Right before the parade began to move F decided he could take no more. He threw his little hands onto the ground and positioned himself into a downward-dog stance. There stayed screaming about the indignities of it all for at least 4 minutes. He did not want me to move him or pick him up and clearly preferred me to leave him be to work it out.
Thinking I was amongst allies I did not stress about his screaming charade...that is, until a women (a MOM, no less!) turned to Jessa and said “You know, strollers work really well for these kind of things”. Duh.
We walked 1.5 blocks in the kid’s first kiddy parade before retreating to the car, where they passed out upon impact in their car seats. Next year, I think it would just be easier to let them stay up to watch the fireworks.
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not so good, huh? we had a fairly meltdown free fourth but it was still a bit stressful, what with two and bursting balloons due to uncut fingernails (three to be exact) and so many folks around.
don't you just love that other mamas can feel justified in saying things like that. so much for supportin=g e=ach o=ther.- (sp. courtesy of owen).
HILARIOUS! Love amd Hugs from Indy!