Veteran's Day Parade

Allie's American Heritage Girls troop walked in the Veteran's Day parade yesterday. I knew all week that they were going to do that, but kept going back and forth about whether to participate since Moms were walking with their Girls and for me that was kind of a big deal with three little ones in tow. :) But, when I woke up on Veteran's Day morning, I thought, I really want my children to have experiences like being in a parade and celebrating veterans in a very real way. It would have been so much easier to just stay home and have a regular day, but I felt this was an important experience for them to have. So off to the parade we went. . .

Only we started out a few minutes late because Allie couldn't find her AHG vest. After scouring the house with no luck, I made her drag out last year's vest and wear it instead. Here she is with her friend Gracie. Gracie is wearing the Pathfinder's vest. Allie is wearing the little Tenderfoot vest. I was hoping she would be properly embarrassed by it and remember to keep up with her stuff next time, but I don't think she cared.

Notice my Excursion hopped up on the curb. It was so much fun finding a place to park for the very well-attended downtown parade. J

We miraculously caught up with our troop, #98 in probably 150 parade participant groups. And there we waited for TWO HOURS for the parade to begin. I forgot to mention that Penelope had taken one of her socks and shoes off before we left the house so she couldn't get down and walk around at all for that two hours. Probably good for my sanity anyway that she had to remain strapped down or in my arms, because if I had put her down she would surely have wandered off into the big scary crowd. Here are the girls waiting. Notice Maggie decided just to sit down and play in the gravel.

Since Maggie was so excited about walking in the parade "like a big girl" and had sworn she was too big for the stroller, I only took the double stroller for Penelope and Rosemary and told Maggie she could walk. But, since we had stood in line for two hours in the sun by the time the parade started, Maggie took a few steps and decided she was just too tired to walk. Praise the Lord for friends in the AHG troop, I carried Maggie for a few blocks, then pushed the stroller a few blocks, then carried Penelope and let Maggie ride in the stroller for a few blocks, etc while other mothers helped me do whichever one it was that I didn't have the hands to do. Somehow we made it the entire two miles, waving American flags and smiling (through panting, gritted teeth) the entire time. We arrived at the parade at 10:15 a.m. and left at 1:45 p.m. Of course I forgot sunscreen and snacks so we were sunburned and starving by the time we got to the car. I convinced the girls they wanted Arby's (since I needed a Market Fresh sandwich :)), we ate, and everyone got in the bed. . . at least for a little while. Here Rosemary and I are relaxing, the calm before the storm. . .

Penelope was so tired she was delirious I think, so she was crying really hard about having to take a nap. She does this sometimes, so I was trying to ignore it and just relax with Rosie, when I heard a BOOM! and the whole house shook. Yep. Penelope climbed out of her crib and fell headfirst onto the hardwood floor. I think she fell on her eye. . .

It was puffy and bleeding but she wouldn't let me put ice on it so I'm sure it's a black eye today.

Good times. . .