Memorial Day 2010

Today was our typical Memorial Day - running around like crazy in the morning trying to get everyone ready because we need to be in the car at 9 to get to Hubby's hometown (not far away) before they shut the roads down for their annual Memorial Day Parade.  So, we were a little off kilter ... what else is new??  We were there in time to beat the street closings ... we roasted while we waited for 10 a.m. to arrive ... Twinkletoes, believe it or not, was the best behaved during our waiting time.  She was psyched for all of the candy that some of the floats throw to the kids on the street.  That is what it was all about for her.  DinoBoy - eh - he just wanted candy and to get out of dodge.  I guess, because he'll be 9 in the summertime, parades don't have the *fun factor* that he is looking for?  I'm not sure but he was just trying to annoy Twink ... and he really does a damn good job at it. 

SweeTart, she is a whole different ball game.  At first, she was happy to be in her red, white and blue dress...she told everyone how pretty she looked.  :-)  She even sat in her new pink chair that we got for her to watch DinoBoy's baseball games in.  Then ... she got bored.  (What did it take, a whole five minutes??)  For some reason there were still cars coming down the street so she couldn't play safely in the street while waiting ... she decided to follow a family with their two Puggles in tow down the street.  Yup - she went all the way down to where they were watching the parade from, about a block from us, and about a block away from our church (in the other direction.)  I am not sure that she knew her brother and sister were following her or not but she is very brave....not sure that is a good quality in a 2 year old? 

Everyone did thoroughly enjoy the parade this year.  SweeTart was taken back a little when it started and there were people walking down the middle of Main Street and we were telling her that she needed to stay on the sidewalks.  Once the bands came through, she was loving it!! She was dancing to each of the different bands - they must have had 7 or 8, including bag pipes!  It is a big deal for such a small town!! 

The firetrucks generally signal the end of the parade.  Instinctively, SweeTart must have known this because she took off down the street again - toward the Puggles.  Her brother and sister were following her again so I wasn't worried.  I finally went after them as I saw her little dress down by our church, about two blocks away.  On my way, I bumped into one of my friends whose bridal shower I missed on Friday night - with SweeTart being sick and having a zillion tests done on Friday, I just wasn't in the mood.  Anyhoo, I kissed and hugged her and told her how sorry I was to miss Friday ...blah blah .... hey, did you see my kids running down the street, I finally asked her.  At first she said no then she said "was she wearing the striped dress, blond curly hair in pony tails and a big chubbs???"  Yep - that's her - she was laying at the corner in front of our church because she didn't want to come back with the kids.  Lovely.  I took off after her, got her a water bottle from church and continued to quickly walk back down the sidewalk towards the Hubs - then - I stepped on a cracked, uneven piece of pavement ... my ankle twisted ... and blammo ... my opposite knee hits the pavement with the full force of fatty me and SweeTart.  I didn't drop her!!  Yay - but I am extremely embarrassed and the proud owner of my first skinned knee in ---- It has been so long that I cannot remember when my last skinned knee was!!!! 

Needless to say, I needed to come home, change my shoes and pants, before heading to my sister's house for their parade and my niece's birthday party.  Did I mention that it was as hot as hades already?  It was well over 90 when we got to her house at 1:00 - and the parade was no where in sight.  It is a great thing that I didn't have my watch on because I have no idea how long it took for the parade to reach her house this year, but it really did seem to take longer than ever.  We wound up leaving at 4:00 - the kids had some water fun, saw the parade, hung out with their cousins for a bit - and relaxed with Brother Bear on the way home.  We didn't wind up staying for cake but *happy birthday sweetie!!*  *your crazy aunt loves you and was soooo happy to get hugs and kisses from you today* (even if they were only because I told you I got you DORA presents.)

This is the picutre of our night ... it's only 7:00 and she's been crashed since we got home just after 5:30 .... Thanks for a wonderful day and thank you to all of the vetrans who gave their lives for our wonderful U.S. of A!