Canada Day

Every year our family ventures out to the main strip in Abbotsford, South Fraser Way, and gathers with other family and friends to watch the Canada Day Parade. Last year i had just bought a double Bob stroller and the two little ones sat in there the whole time. If it had not been for that stroller, i would not have even attempted to take Marshall along. I thought last year when he was 2, that he would really enjoy the music and of course, all of the cars and emergency vehicles as they honked their horns and had all their lights flashing. Well, the parade barely started, it was just past 11am, and M fell asleep!! He wasn't even napping every day at this point and if he did, it was around 1pm so the whole thing of him taking a nap was just strange. Anyways, point is, he did not experience the parade at all.

I had decided a while ago already that i would try to take both kids again this year. We were going to be sitting with several other families, all of whom have kids ranging from ages 3-8. I knew that if i brought the stroller, M would be the only kid in one and he would not be content to watch all of the other kids sitting on the curb and running out to the road when candy was tossed their way. So i decided that i would grab 2 little plastic chairs and maybe i could convince M to stay sitting in one of them beside his sister. My husband is off of work today, but we are doing some big renovations to the front of our home so he needed to be at home taking advantage of the day... so i was flying solo for the parade.

So this morning we got up and put on our red t-shirts, put on sunscreen, got out our Canada flags, packed a few snacks and the chairs, and headed to the parade. Oh, i must mention that i had some Canada tattoos from a years back that i found so we put some of those on... M even let me put one on him :) We got to the parking lot and M for whatever reason, started whining and crying. He was eager to get out of his carseat. He was starting to freak out about me not taking him out quickly enough... like he thought i was gunna leave him in there (i have never, and would never do that... fyi)! My brother in law came to my van to help with the kids which i was greatful for as we had to walk through cars and people to get to our spot while carrying everything and making sure the kids were by my side. My BIL took Marshall out of his carseat and tried to carry him but M got mad and just wanted me... he always wants me. So i took M from him and tried to get him to walk holding my hand, which he did willingly. Then we got to our spot and Marshall decided he didn't want to be there... i don't know what was up, but he was mad. He didn't want to sit in the chairs but our group had some blankets curbside so i tried to get him to sit with me there which he kinda did, crying and burying himself into me. Then he decided he wanted to venture out onto the road which would be ok if he'd stay close, but once he gets an ounce of freedom, he bolts. He did this as i expected he would and i got up and grabbed him and brought him back to the blanket... and that made him unhappy. Then he noticed that the people on the other side of the street were getting balloons. Marshall loves balloons. He started reaching and saying, "loon! loon!" and my sister offered to go across and get him one, but i declined. Why, you ask? Past experience had me think twice. I'm sure everyone in our area was wondering why also as when i didn't get M one, his screaming escaladed and he was trying to break free of my grip. Marshall doesn't fully understand a helium balloon. He loves that they float. At home in the house, he can let it go and then pull the string down (or ask for help to get it if it's too short). This is a game he always plays. Marshall will not allow a balloon to be tied to his wrist, or to anything for that matter. He gets really mad if you even try. I know he will be so excited to get a balloon, and then within seconds, he will let it go and not realize what letting it go really means... that it is gone, lost forever. I knew that once this happened, M would be less angry and more sad.... or a terrible combination of both. So today, Marshall did not get his balloon. The first 45 minutes of us being there and waiting for the parade to come our way, were pretty much a disaster.

Then the parade came and the police department led the group. Flashing lights and sirens... M was interested. He stopped fighting me and just sat with me. It was nice. He ate candy, he waved his flag, he enjoyed it!... and when he's enjoying it, it means the rest of us are too :) Marshall's favourite take home? The Gideon Bible. lol. D showed it to him when she got one and he had it in his hands the rest of the time, flipping the pages and showing me the cover of his little book. He took it to bed with him tonight :) At the end of the parade, Marshall let me take his hand and we calmly walked to the van with a little help from my cousin who was holding D's hand for me. Always nice to leave on a good note! Maybe next year he will know why we are there and what's going on and he won't get so upset right off the bat... we'll see.