we packed up the kids and were out the door before 7.30 on monday morning. we had places to go, people to see and things to do! our plans for the day were to get to kandace and duey's so that we could leave their place by 9 and get decent parking for the parade at 10. we were successful! it was both cole AND madison's first parade, so i took way too many pictures... *sheepish grin*
cole waiting for the parade to start- he started getting a bit antsy after awhile!
miss madison safe in her carseat, wondering what mommy and daddy dragged her out into the wind and noise for...
daddy helped cole get a flag from one of our nation's bravest.
and this is what madison thought of the goings-on: need i say more?!
and what about uncle duey? what did HE think of all the excitement?
zzzzzzz.
after the parade we went back to kandace and duey's for lunch.
he ate plenty of jello salad! he had it all over... his shirt, his hands, his face, the tablecloth, the floor...
... and after he was cleaned up, he crashed. he took a nice long nap, almost three hours. and when he woke up, he got off the bed by himself, jiggled the doorknob to let us know he was awake and met us with a big smile. that's my little man!
did madison nap? only a little- she was wide awake!!
now, about the parade candy thing. it's like, half the excitement! but here's the problem: greedy kids. seriously. we were next to a bunch of kids between the ages of about 7 and 12, and when candy started being tossed, those kids went NUTS. i mean, grabbing and diving without any thought of people around them, or even their own siblings/ friends/ whoever. yeah, kids get carried away sometimes, i get that. but this was kind of ridiculous... they'd have overflowing handfuls, stuff them into their candy bags and then go for more, taking from anyone who didn't have a death grip on theirs. it was crazy. the worst part? their parents were ENCOURAGING this behavior! they even told the kids to run ahead so they could get more. meanwhile, there were smaller, more timid and definitely more well-behaved kids standing around with one or two pieces, looking a little disappointed. i wasn't upset that cole only got a tootsie roll (we snagged it for him); i felt so bad for the other kids that were deprived and to be honest, i was embarrassed for the greedy ones and their parents. embarrassed because if it were MY kids doing that, there would be apologies and sharing with others. these parents were not that much older than us- they'd have been raised in the same generation and yet their idea of proper behavior and ethics is the total opposite. i remember when we were young that we never really went to any parades, but at birthday parties that involved pinatas, we were always the ones who got a few pieces. maybe we were disappointed for a little while, but the next day, it was a distant memory. seeing those kids yesterday and the way they've been taught, well, it makes me that much more thankful that i was raised by parents that taught us to be humble. i only hope that we can raise our kids with the same mindset, that greed never gets you anywhere. really, despite the fact that seeing kids being so selfish it literally turned my stomach, i feel sorry for them. they're going to be SO disappointed when they realize that they're not always going to get the most and the best in life!
cole waiting for the parade to start- he started getting a bit antsy after awhile! 
miss madison safe in her carseat, wondering what mommy and daddy dragged her out into the wind and noise for... 
daddy helped cole get a flag from one of our nation's bravest.he also got a tootsie roll- what's a parade without candy? we were right on the curb and managed to snag a grand total of three pieces. more on that later...
this is what cole thought of the parade; he was so absorbed into watching everything go by, it's like he was shocked into silence! he's never been that still for that long while conscious. i think he enjoyed it!
this is what cole thought of the parade; he was so absorbed into watching everything go by, it's like he was shocked into silence! he's never been that still for that long while conscious. i think he enjoyed it! 
and this is what madison thought of the goings-on: need i say more?! and what about uncle duey? what did HE think of all the excitement?
zzzzzzz. after the parade we went back to kandace and duey's for lunch.
he ate plenty of jello salad! he had it all over... his shirt, his hands, his face, the tablecloth, the floor... 
... and after he was cleaned up, he crashed. he took a nice long nap, almost three hours. and when he woke up, he got off the bed by himself, jiggled the doorknob to let us know he was awake and met us with a big smile. that's my little man! 
did madison nap? only a little- she was wide awake!! now, about the parade candy thing. it's like, half the excitement! but here's the problem: greedy kids. seriously. we were next to a bunch of kids between the ages of about 7 and 12, and when candy started being tossed, those kids went NUTS. i mean, grabbing and diving without any thought of people around them, or even their own siblings/ friends/ whoever. yeah, kids get carried away sometimes, i get that. but this was kind of ridiculous... they'd have overflowing handfuls, stuff them into their candy bags and then go for more, taking from anyone who didn't have a death grip on theirs. it was crazy. the worst part? their parents were ENCOURAGING this behavior! they even told the kids to run ahead so they could get more. meanwhile, there were smaller, more timid and definitely more well-behaved kids standing around with one or two pieces, looking a little disappointed. i wasn't upset that cole only got a tootsie roll (we snagged it for him); i felt so bad for the other kids that were deprived and to be honest, i was embarrassed for the greedy ones and their parents. embarrassed because if it were MY kids doing that, there would be apologies and sharing with others. these parents were not that much older than us- they'd have been raised in the same generation and yet their idea of proper behavior and ethics is the total opposite. i remember when we were young that we never really went to any parades, but at birthday parties that involved pinatas, we were always the ones who got a few pieces. maybe we were disappointed for a little while, but the next day, it was a distant memory. seeing those kids yesterday and the way they've been taught, well, it makes me that much more thankful that i was raised by parents that taught us to be humble. i only hope that we can raise our kids with the same mindset, that greed never gets you anywhere. really, despite the fact that seeing kids being so selfish it literally turned my stomach, i feel sorry for them. they're going to be SO disappointed when they realize that they're not always going to get the most and the best in life!
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