My cousin, Gina and I have been close since we were young. Our daughters are only a few months different in age and we try to get them together as much as possible. These two gals are great! They enjoy each other's company, talk, play, laugh...we really love that they can share this time. Gina and I have a deep respect for family and the need for close relationships within families.
Gina and I have started a tradition of meeting up for the annual Saxonburg Firemen's Parade. Gina and I have a history of parades. She and I were both in the marching bands at our respective high schools. We were both colorguard (flag twirling gals). I was a majorette instructor and went back to my high school to be their colorguard and majorette director for a few years. Gina and I are marching fiends! For me to tell you that we love parades would be an understatement. I know that there is a parade SOMEWHERE in this area EVERY Thursday night in June and July. They all commence when you hear the fire whistle blow. I tear up when I hear that sound! Seriously. I do. With all of that being said, let's get back to the "why" of this post.
As I was deleting hundreds of pictures, I came across the pictures from this year's Saxonburg Parade. These pictures literally make me laugh out loud. Gina and I had made plans to meet. She set out the lawn chairs days in advance. She chained them to a tree, so they couldn't be moved or stolen (did mention we are hardcore?). We kept an eye on the weather. Forecasters were calling for storms. We decided that if it was rained during the day, we would scrap our plans. Lord know that there is no way that I'm going to try to fight three kids in the rain. The skies were clear at parade time....OK...maybe clear is a misleading word. Let's say it was partly cloudy.
I took my kids through the Wendy's drive thru for their chicken nuggets and fries and made my way to Saxonburg. I found the dream parking lot (no, I'm not telling because I plan to use it FOREVER so I don't have to walk far), unloaded the kids, their stuff, my stuff, and piled everything onto the double jogger stroller. It took an act of God for me to hold everything on top with my one free hand.
Just a side note to anyone who has not piloted a double stroller. These wheeled demons are WIDE! They are not always easy to maneuver, especially in crowds, and especially not when piled with ALL of our stuff. Therefore, if you see someone barreling in your direction with one of these beasts, MOVE! Kindly step off the sidewalk and let the extra wide load pass. I only say this because I literally ran the stroller into a woman walking in the opposite direction. I couldn't get out of her way and she wouldn't get out of mine.
We got our lawn chairs set up. Kids set up with chicken nuggets and fries and candy bags ready to gather the treats tossed by the police, firemen, and cheerleaders in the parade. I explained the rules of parade etiquette to my two younger children who had never been to a parade.
At 6:30, the fire whistle blew and so began the fleets of firetrucks, marching bands, etc. As the first few minutes of the parade progressed, it began to get increasingly cloudy. Black clouds were rolling in. Gina and I are the type of people who are looking for the bright side and the literal silver lining. We thought whatever weather was coming would pass quickly and without incident. RIIIIGGGHHHTTT!
As the kids enjoyed group after group, the wind picked up, the sky grew darker, and I became increasingly aware that I was ill-prepared for the weather that was really going to take place. Gina, on the other hand, is always ready for ANYTHING. She had at least four umbrellas open and ready when the first drops of rain fell. We thought the light rain would pass quickly. Ummmm...no. We sat in hopes of a quick passing shower only to find that the raindrop size increased, as well as their intensity. We started packing and stacking. At one point, I looked in the stroller to find the seats completely filled with water. I started grabbing little kids and buckling them in the stroller. Both sat waist deep in water, whining. The girls were able to share an umbrella and started headed toward the dream parking lot. By the time we reached our cars, I was so wet that my pants were falling down from the weight of the water. I looked at Gina, looking an awful lot like someone who had bathed fully clothed, and couldn't help but laugh. We were both struck by the hysterical look of each other. We had peeled clothes off of soaked boys, buckled two girls who were nearly dry, and just laughed at each other.
Dripping, out of breath, tired, but our kids were all happy. The boys got to experience their first parade and the joys of collecting candy (it's like trick or treat without the work of going door to door) and our girls got to chalk up another parade and time spent together. What more could a mom want for her kids? No, the conditions were not ideal, but what in life is? Moms are the kind of people who sacrifice themselves, time after time, in order to give their children experiences that they might not otherwise have. Moms bring families together to share experiences, to learn new things, and to make memories.
Gina and I have tons of memories because of what our moms did and our kids will have some pretty awesome memories, too. The two memories that I'll have from this experience are seeing Gina soaked to the bone and my kids smiling away as we drove home.
