(Get Your Photo) Before the Parade Passes By!

Maddie was in our local holiday parade over the weekend.  Grandma asked if she and my niece Shayla wanted to ride on the Red Hat float (Red Hatters are all ladies past a certain mature age who get together to do fun things like eat out—they do that a lot—and ride in parades).  Maddie was absolutely thrilled to don the sequined (red) Santa hat and become a future Red Hatter for a few hours.

We dropped Maddie off at the parade organization point and headed down Cumberland Street to claim a spot.  The parade was great!  Every high school band in the county was there, plus lots of fire trucks and church group floats, midget football teams, local gymnastic studios, and Brownie troops.

Ben sat on my lap for most of it.  I bounced my legs to the beat when the bands went by to the embarrassment of my cringing Ben.  “Stop it, mom!”  he’d say.  Not because he minded the bouncing, but because he thought all the teenagers in the band were looking at him.  GAAA! I’m already making my son embarrassed!  He’s only 8!

Grandpa was also in the parade, playing with a band comprised mostly of grandpas.  He went by so quickly, all I got was this:

…then he  heard us yelling at him and he turned and smiled. Look at this lovely shot:

Then the band started to play:


Oh well.

Finally, the last two minutes of the parade, the float we were really waiting for:
 

Pictured here:  Shayla, Grandma, and Maddie

I actually had to run down the street for the last picture.  I was using my zoom and snapping so quickly, I didn’t realize I missed Shayla in the first closeup picture!  I’m going to talk to the Parade Organizer next year about slowing the parade down for us slowpoke  photographers.

I’ve always loved the musical Hello, Dolly!  Here’s a quote that seems to fit today’s post:

When the whistles blow
And the cymbals crash
And the sparklers light the sky
I'm gonna raise the roof
I'm gonna carry on
Give me an old trombone
Give me an old baton
Before the parade passes by!

Before the parade passes by
I've gotta get some life back into my life
I'm ready to move out in front
I've had enough of just passing by life
With the rest of them
With the best of them
I can hold my head up high
For I've got a goal again
I've got a drive again
I wanna feel my heart coming alive again
Before the parade passes by.