They Did Not Love a Parade

... But they tolerated it.

Burnsville has a little local celebration called the Fire Muster early fall every year, with bands, junk food, beer, smoothies, rides, games, contests, and stuff you can buy -- Pampered Chef, Tastfully Simple, Abdullah Chocolates, and the like.  It's held about 5 blocks from our house so we (and by "we", I mean Aliza and either mom or dad) manage to get there every year.  And anytime we're not there, we're reminded how great it is because we can hear the music and fireworks from our house.

There are two parades -- the firetruck parade, and the one with all the local businesses and community groups and churches and politicians.  The one where all the parade-ers throw candy.

You don't have to be a genius to recognize the boys would hate the firetruck parade.  All those sirens and horns blasting throughout the parade route .. you get the idea.  I might as well just take them to the state fair.

The second parade though, is a little more tame, and we thought we'd try it.  The parade route is right at the end of our street, so we can walk to it -- making it ideal for attempting it with the boys.  If they were having a hard time and needed to leave early, one of us could just walk them home.

So Aliza and I went out there early and staked out our spot with a blanket and a lawn chair.  The sun was awfully bright already.

And we waited.  The waiting wasn't too torturous because all the neighbor kids were there, and waiting is always more fun with a gaggle of kids.

Shortly before the official police car start of the parade (no, it was not started by 76 Trombones, thank God.  But I can't talk about a parade without that song going through my head.), Mark arrived with the boys in the stroller.  We had made our plan beforehand, that the boys would be happier a few feet behind the sidewalk, rather than right there on the curb.  (This isn't our first rodeo.)

They did try to escape back home, but after a few minutes they managed to settle down and watch a little bit of the parade.

I had a fantasy where AJ decided he really wanted to be up at the curb with the other kids, catching candy. 

Maybe next year.