Parade & lollipops

We went down to the Greenville Ave St. Patrick's Day parade this morning. I've never been before. DH & J went last year and had a fun time. A really wanted to go this year.

I had heard stories about the parade crowds and I wasn't enthusiastic about going. Luckily we did it right. We found a spot in the median of Greenville about a 1/2 block south of the start. The kids were able to stand right in front and catch all kinds of beads and candy. We even got 3 t-shirts and a nerf football. I saw footage on the news of the parade further south and I'm glad we weren't down there. Bigger crowds, more alcohol, barricades holding people back, not fun. Just what I didn't want to be a part of, the top of the parade is a much better place to be.

B didn't like the parade for the first hour or so. There was a group of Harley riders at the beginning that stopped right in front of us. They revved their engines and were extremely loud. I looked down at B, knowing he doesn't like noises, and he was shivering like a scared dog. I held my hands over his ears to block out some of the noise, but it pretty much ruined his enjoyment for a long time. After about an hour and 5-6 lollipops, he finally got out of the stroller and waved his hands for beads.

I asked him about the parade this evening. His assessment was:

"LOUD! Ears hurt! Lollipops all gone. More pops, Mommy."

I guess the lollipops won out over the loud noises. Nothing like a dum-dum to soothe a 2 year old.