I love a Parade!

Corey and I searched and searched for a tradition for our family. We wanted it to be something that was specific to just us, not something that we had grown up doing. 3 years ago we decided to go to the Dallas Adolphus Children's Parade and we knew right then we had found our tradition. We spend all year looking forward to the parade. Our kids love it, we love it, and I hope it is something we will make them come home from college to do!

Our good friends, The Bryant's are part of this tradition too. Each year we all get hotel reservations downtown so that we can walk to the parade. This year we swung a deal at the Fairmont and had a HUGE suite that attached to another room. It was great! Corey and I had a room, Wendy and Stacey had a room, and we put the kids on the fold out bed in the living room. We started Friday night with dinner at Twisted Root Burgers, one of our favorites from Drive-in, Diners, and Dives. Afterwards we checked into the hotel and got settled. We always bring goody bags for the kids and we let them exchange Chirstmas presents. They played, colored and had plenty of candy. The most interesting thing to them was the closets! We hardly ever saw them once they discovered the walk-in closets and made the "clubhouses"! Hunter and Makinley took their notebooks and markers in one closet and drew while Maddie and Morgan took over the other closet and played house. It's amazing how they can entertain themselves in a hotel!

Wendy and I scout out Starbucks every year with no luck. We usually stay at the Marriot and there is not a Starbucks anywhere close! This year however, we discovered upon arrival at the Fairmont that they have their own right there in the hotel! We were pumped!

Saturday morning it was a brisk, 27 degrees! Luckily we had prepared for this! We put on so many layers, we all gained about 10 pounds in clothes I'm sure! We got our Starbucks, coffee for us and hot chocolate for the kids, and started our hike with our wagon full of blankets to the parade at 8:45. It wasn't a bad walk at all, pretty nice actually. We ended up right in front of the Adolphus, which is cool because that is where they film for TV. We found a planter's ledge and steps in front of a building and it was THE PERFECT spot! There were people in front of us but since we were on the ledge, we were above them and still only about 5 feet from the street. We spread out our blankets put all the kids in their spot and then covered them all up. We had to wait about 1 hour before the parade began, but there was plenty of entertainment. There are clowns, jugglers, and all kinds of tricks being done while you wait. We did start to feel the cold while we waited. Part of that may be because the ledge and steps were MARBLE. Marble doesn't get warm, just so you know! Even after you sit on it for 2 hours, it is still cold when you get up. We had to bust out the hand warmers and we even used them to stick down in the kids shoes! Yes it was cold! But the kids never complained! They had so much fun looking for the character balloons that were coming, the interesting cars, and the bands. By the time the parade was over, the wind had picked up, so the walk back was a little more chilly than that morning. Morgan and Maddie decided they needed to ride back in the wagon, so the 2 little divas snuggled under all of the blankets and thought it was great.

I must say that this had to be the best year yet! The hotel was fabulous! Starbucks was a lifesaver! We had the perfect spot for the parade! And no one got sick(Wendy!)

What a great weekend....and what a wonderful thought that we have some many more parades to get to attend! And by the way, Makinley, Hunter, Morgan, and Maddie, you will go to this parade with your parents every year, even in middle school and you will have fun! And one day you can tell your kids about the wonderful tradition that your parents started just for you!