Parade!

At some point in his act, comedian Daniel Tosh asks the audience if they prefer fireworks or a parade. He then says something like, "I don't even have a response to the idiot who yells, 'Parade!'" Well, I am one of those idiots, because I LOVE parades. Smalltown parades where you can wave to people you know.

Last night was our little town's Halloween parade. It's the most wonderful day of the year. The high school marching band shows up (btw, you haven't lived till you've seen a tuba player dressed like a nun), and a bunch of little kids register to win prettiest or scariest or most original costume. Did I mention there are firetrucks and ambulances with sirens, too?

And even though it seems like most of the town is in the parade, there are lots of people on the curb waving and cheering. I think I look forward to it more than Christmas. My six-year-old daughter likes it, too, which is good because, without her, I'd just look like some weird lady walking in the parade by herself.


So, yesterday, I rushed home from work to make sure everyone was ready. My daughter was fully on board and had already dressed herself in her pegasus/unicorn outfit. My husband was on the computer and didn't have his shoes on. It was 5:15 and registration lasted only until 5:45 before the parade started at 6! I reiterated to my husband the importance of registering before the cut-off time. We rushed out the door and drove to the parking lot of the Lutheran church. Yeah, it was 5:20 by then. I told you it was a small town.



Look out! Pegasus throwing candy!

"It's gonna be awhile," my husband explained to our daughter. "Mommy gets really excited for the parade, so we're VERY early."

I love that he knows this about me and accepts it.

Besides, our punctuality gave us time to take lots of pictures and see everyone's costumes.

Since this was our third year walking in the parade, I got smart this year and bought 2 pounds of Tootsie Rolls to toss as we walked the parade route. I wish we'd brought 10 pounds, because we ran out of candy before we wanted to. We tossed it to bunches of kids waving from the curb and pretty much felt like rock stars. (You know, if rock stars attended parades.) Everybody was yelling, "Thank you! Thank ou!" Throwing candy to little kids at a parade is probably the most fun a girl can have.