Just like the stores, we are jumping ahead to Christmas.  Why am I?  Well, the local Christmas parade is held before Christmas.  Makes no sense to me, but apparently it isn't uncommon.  So we went to the Christmas before Thanksgiving Day parade.  :)

We met friends downtown and managed to get a decent spot on the sidewalk not too long before the start of the parade.  Getting there early as others had advised is not really an option with young kids.  They don't do well hanging out on the sidewalk for very long.  And we had a total of 5 kids between us ranging from 10 months to 6.  So we opted to go close to start time.  As soon as we got our spot the kids (minus the youngest) immediately took to playing in the rocks around a tree.  Luckily we didn't have to wait too long for the parade to start.  We were also lucky that it wasn't freezing.  I don't think they'd have made it until the end in the shade if it had been. 

She was up front on the street with her friend.  So honestly I didn't see her much during the parade (she was parent supervised, just not by me).  In contrast, he was by my side the whole time.  That is how he prefers it.  All. The. Time.  Sigh.

He managed to get a small candy cane during the parade.  He was so excited!  However, once it was opened he was not quite as impressed.  But there was NO letting go of it.  He held on to it until we left the parade and stopped to get lunch.  Only then could he be separated from it.  Which reminds me that it needs to be washed.  :)

I'm still not sure about the whole date of the parade aspect, but everyone had a good time!