PARADES!!!
So, I wrongly assumed that everyone’s childhood involved attending parades. Because, yeah, mine did. BUT THEN! I found out my husband NEVER went to parades as a kid. NEVER! What did he do on Memorial Day/Independence Day/random city celebrations?! I HAVE NO IDEA!
Oops. Sorry for all the shouting.
Was attending parades part of your childhood experience?
Last week, I was in Guttenberg, Iowa, where my Grandma lives year-round, and my parents have a cabin that they mostly visit during the summer. Guttenberg’s Independence Day celebration was that Saturday, and we planned to attend the parade, but had a minor issue – we had no children with us. How were we supposed to collect candy?
At first, we talked about how it might be more beneficial to sit near the children, and grab some of the candy that the paraders (word?) naturally threw their way.
But then we decided we would just look like a-holes stealing candy from kids!
Heh.
So we kind of sat off a bit.
And my family encouraged me to beg and dance for candy.
It worked.
Most of the time.
The funny thing is, my grandma kept talking about how she really wanted to get candy at the parade… but how she never eats it a home because it’s so bad for you. Ha ha ha. She was being really funny about it! I think she said she ate at least 15 or 20 (little) tootsie rolls at the parade.
Also, in Iowa, they throw meat and cheese at you. During parades.
And one more note… the awesome thing about being an adult – I can buy candy and eat it WHENEVER I want! Muah ha ha. I mean, of course, I rarely do… (riiiiiight)
Themocracy
hahahaha!!!
looks like fun!
Thought 1: Dance monkey, dance! I’d give you more than just candy. I tell you what.
Thought 2: That parade sucks. If you are going to throw cheese at me, please make it battered and fried. For reals.
Thought 3: We went to parades as kids. I even have this super cute picture of me (obvs)waving a flag at one of them. I think I was about 4. Given my history, you would think I would have been all about taking Miles today but … didn’t occur to me. I just wanted to run a race.
Small town parades are the way to go! Its been years since I’ve been back home for one, but they have the best candy/treats! And at ours they sell stickers for you to put on the road – if the parade horses pooped on your sticker you won like $500!
Oh my gosh! That is the most hilarious thing ever! Did you ever win? 😉
We ALWAYS went to parades! Even now, the 4th of July parade that i take my kids to is the same one i went to every year of my childhood. Nostalgic 😉
MEAT AND CHEESE??? ohh iowa….
I didn’t grow up with parades, but I went to undergrad in New Orleans and HOLY PARADES. I love me parades now!
We always went to parades growing up but my dad was (is) really into that stuff. He loves going to crowded events just to watch people. My favorite parade was one they used to have on the main drag a few blocks from my childhood home. They haven’t had it in years though and I can’t even remember which holiday it was for!
HA! You are fabulous! Love this post!
Love this!!
We were so disappointed yesterday because our parade barely threw any candy! Booooo….
It was funny, before going to this one, my grandma was telling us how they were saying you couldn’t throw candy anymore (because people got hurt in the past) and we were worried there wouldn’t be any. Ha. I think it was the same.
They throw cheese and meat? So strange! So awesome!
Good dancing.
We went to parades as a kid. We plan on taking Leo, too, but not quite yet. He gets really freaked by the sirens right now so parades would be more traumatic than fun.
I think two years ago, I was sitting down and got hit in the face with a cheese stick! Ouch! This year I was more prepared 😉
My mom was talking about how kids are afraid of the sirens! I wonder why they still run them. Even I don’t like the loud noise!
I was forced to go to parades. I was in middle school/high school marching band, in Florida (about 6 years worth…). So even in December for our local Christmas parade it was probably 75 degrees and couple that with our suave polyester uniforms and hats + carrying-playing our instruments, it felt like 100+. Oh and never mind the Spring parade where we sweated our balls off… I kind of avoid crowds and parades now..
So interesting Steven never went to a parade… That’s like so unAmerican! Hehe The candy thing- it’s the rush of getting something vs the actual need for it 🙂 I’ll push little kids out of the way to get the cheap ass beads or plastic cup so I can have a memento to add to my hoarding 🙂 plus, the candy tastes better after it hits te street anyways vs store bought. Ha!
I always look at those poor kids in the band costumes and wonder if they are miserable! Although, I think this hs band hand on jean shorts and t-shirt from their school. I spent a lot of time noticing how they all had cool kicks.
LOL! I didn’t peg you for the hoarding type!
I didn’t grow up going to parades. And, we didn’t really watch them on TV, either. In fact, my family took days off from work for the Jewish high holy days and then never went to services (just hung out at home). That’s pretty bad, isn’t it?!
The just hanging out part sounds awesome to me! 🙂
Yesterday, I begged a frisbee guy in the 4th of July parade to throw me a frisbee. He did, but it reached an older gentleman to my left. The older guy, seeing how much I wanted it, handed me the frisbee. I felt like a little kid. I regret nothing! BTW, I later gave the frisbee to my nephew. 🙂
You needed two! One for you and one for your nephew! Hee hee. I bet your nephew was super excited 🙂
Aw, man, God bless Iowa. 🙂 Also, this is quite possibly the best photo sequence EVAR. I’m glad you were able to collect some candy for your grandma, although I’d be that if she were the one dancing around in the middle of the street, she might get even more candy. (No offense to your dancing skillz–people love dancing grandmas.)
My grandma and I did get up to dance when the polka band came by. Hee hee. But they weren’t throwing candy. Sigh.
I have no idea if my husband went to parades as a kid…I should ask! They were definitely part of my small-town living as a kid. We only had a homecoming, Christmas, and Memorial Day parade, though. They’re fun!
When i grew up in Southern Calif I used to go to the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day. I think, if memory serves me right, we went for 7 years in my single digit and pre-teen years. I have many memories of it being awesome.
Ahh! And I have never been to a NYD parade!
We only really went to parades if we were at the beach for a holiday celebrated with parades. My favorite were the fourth of July parades because it’s my sister’s birthday and we always told her that the parades were for her. She believed it for a while, and one year it helped too that they announced her (and the other birthday people’s) names during the parade. She lit up!
Aww! That is so cool! And how fun for your sis to have her birthday on the Fourth of July! Fireworks for her birthday too! 🙂
We always, always went to parades. As a girl scout, I marched in my share of them as well. When we were in NC visiting the in-laws though, we were hard pressed to find a parade of any kind. The one we finally found was totally lame. Who am I?
My little town always has parades on Memorial day and July 4th. There is also a lot of tractors! Yesterday Matt went to a parade and they handed out homemade cookies! They were good too!
My parent’s neighbor girls brought over a huge bag of the chocolate tootsie rolls for my dad since they don’t like that kind. I ate way too many.
When I looked at the second and third picture one of the first things I noticed was that all those artists on the trailer were going to be at the Jones County Fair! I guess they must be advertising it in Guttenberg!
Yes! I think all these small IA towns get together and advertise all over for these fairs in different cities!
Homemade cookies?! Schweet!
Every year when I was a kid we’d go up to Detroit (the big city for us – ha!) to watch the Thanksgiving Parade. But we’d usually watch from a hotel rooftop or something like that, so I was never on the sidelines like you were. Until I started going to the Von Steuben Day Parade in my neighborhood a few years ago. It happens as part of German Fest in Lincoln Square each fall, and it’s a fun little neighborhood parade. We used to take Jude, but there’s inevitably a kid on a pogo stick, and for whatever reason that makes him go nuts.
What if it were a CAT on a pogo stick?! AHHH!!!!!
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnxkzalrjP1qlewqxo1_400.gif
Hahahahaha, thanks, I needed that 🙂
I recall going to the Fourth of July parade…once? Maybe twice? It was always SO HOT and my mom didn’t want to drag stuff out there just to be hot. I have been to parades, though, and I love that they throw candy. I also love that you danced for it 🙂
I love those photos of you!
I used to go to a Richmond Christmas parade with my parents. I remember that there were shriners who drove around in little cars wearing fez hats.
Now, though, I don’t really like crowds, and I’m not that into parades. I like watching the Macy’s Day one on TV though!
A few years ago at the Richmond holiday parade, some of the balloon handlers totally punctured the Rudolph balloon IN THE HEAD, and it deflated right in front of the crowd. It was so sad/funny:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk1Lf5BQTwE
(I didn’t see it happen, but the video made national news.)
Aww, thanks!
Poor Rudolph! That is sad!
Yeah… big crowds… Steven and I do not function well. Stabby time. Little small towns are okay 🙂
I thought I took that picture of you with the Juice and Cheese, I’m I going crazy did Steven take that?
You took one too, but I don’t think I got the pictures from your camera. Look at how the background is blurred out and I am in focus. You can tell it was on the DSLR 😉