Saturday, December 6, 2008

Parade day...ohhh the drama!!


Hello all, today was parade day in Boerne, Tx. The first Saturday of December is always the day for the Weinachts (have no idea what this German word means) Christmas parade. Boerne (pronounced Bernie) is a small little community with German roots. The parade is always a night parade and each year the children have been in it. This was the first year that most of the kiddies were NOT in it. Holley was the only one this year participating . I'm sorry to disappoint everyone but it was sooo dark that I did not get any good pictures or videos. I've posted what I did take but the quality is very poor.

This is the second year that we have had major drama surrounding this parade. Last year ALL of the kiddies participated. The other three rode on the church's float and Holley tumbled with the gym team. We waited and waited to see her. Their float last year was one of the last ones in the lineup. Finally we could see them coming...yeah...and what did we find???? Holley was no where to be seen!!! She was not riding on the float or tumbling on the street. So where was she??? I started to panic....where was my child??? Then a second later I see her walking up the sidewalk with the gym's owner, Lorna. Apparently Holley HAD to go to the restroom. She could not hold it so Lorna had to take her. ..Big bummer. All that waiting and she did not even get to make it down to where we were. We typically wait near the end of the parade route so that I can slip out easily to pick them up.

What would this year be without drama? I woke the kiddies up early this morning....packed their Christmas clothes in Holley's gym bag, an outfit for each of them, and made sure Holley had everything ready to go by the time her dad picked all of them up this morning. She apparently had taken several things out of the bag but I was not aware of this. At 535 (the parade starts at 6pm) I get a call from her dad saying she only had 1 shoe and could I please run home to get the other one. What?!?!?!?!? They had called the house first and Poppy went hunting for the shoe and found it. Anyway...after some unfortunate yelling at her Dad for not informing me earlier (they knew the shoe was not there around 515) I called my dad (Poppy) and he agreed to meet me and bring the shoe. Now picture this....we live in a small town, pop 6500, ALMOST EVERYTHING shuts down for the parade including most of the streets, So Poppy brought the shoe in, and I was off to try to get somewhere near the staging area. By this time it's 550. They are going to start the parade soon...OMG!!! Holley was still on her way (nope, she was not there by 515 when she was supposed to be). I manage to turn down main street all the while on the phone with her dad getting updates on their location. He manages to drop her off and get her to the gym float (with 1 shoe) by 555 pm. meanwhile I'm stuck in a horrendous line of cars trying to get down main street closer to the staging area. Her dad comes walking down main street towards my location. He kept saying he was near Subway and finally I was close enough to see the restaurant. I was on the phone with him and saying here I am, here I am...but I was in Meme's car and he didn't recognize me....I started screaming in his ear on the phone and threw the shoe towards him out the window....he drops it and I have to slam on my brakes so I don't run over him or the shoe. Thankully I was not hit since we were all travelling at a snails pace anyway.. Luckily, he ran the shoe back up the street to Holley just in time for the parade to start. Luckily they were not first because it was 610 by this time. Now I had to get all the way back across town through the maze of street closures and find another parking spot (next to impossible) and make it back to my chair before she comes by. I finally made it back about 2 or 3 minutes before the gym float came by. They were near the front of the lineup this year, glad we sat at the end of the route again or I would have missed her completely AGAIN this year. One word to the wise my Holley dear when you read this...that will NOT happen again. Next time if you forget something you will sit and watch with the rest of us. I ran in to the other kiddies sitting with their Dad' girlfriend and Allie somehow managed to not get changed into her Christmas outfit. That frustrates me to no end...I was and AM furious so I didn't take any group pictures....next year they'll go with me (even if it's not my weekend) so I can make sure they are dressed and on time....I was so looking forward to tonight...now I just am glad it's OVER!!!


This is Holley after the parade....hot and sweaty from tumbling for several miles.


This is a very dark video of Holley and team passing by my spot on the route. Holley was on the far side of the street from me and in the first row. She has a very long sandy-blond ponytail.



I had Holley try a couple of things after the parade but she was so tired she did not want to.

This was one of the first groups I saw by the time I got back after the shoe odyssey. It was a float of boy scouts followed by a band from San Antonio. They decorated their instruments and themselves but unfortunately you can only see their little lights and hear them play.

So there it is, it is what it is...lousy pictures from a lousy time. I think Holley ended up having fun, and the other kids were having fun at the parade, but for me, not so much. My mom wanted to go home as soon as Holley was done so I got to see like 5 minutes total of the parade. Hopefully the summer parade for Burgesfest will be better. But wait, there is always drama with that too. Last year the gym did not participate but the year before that Holley was not feeling well but wanted to go and ended up sitting on the float instead of tumbling and started throwing up over the side of the float travelling down main street. Can't wait to see wait drama will happen next year. At least it is during the day so we will get to see her, throw up and all. hee-hee. I work tomorrow, and Tues and Wed. and then we head to Dallas Friday for the state gymnastics meet next Saturday....Scott's birthday is next Sunday!!! My baby boy will be 9!!! Stay tuned...this grumpy mama is going to BED!!!

2 comments:

Blessings from the Reeds said...

Oh my Stars!!! Goodness. What a day huh? Well, I bet next year will be different. Nothing like crazy days to make life more interesting:) Hugs

Mary-Austin said...

I know you're not laughing at this quite yet (cause I wouldn't be).... but it IS humorous to read!! Hope sleep helps!