Fourth of July Parade!

My editor invited us to ride on the Valley Journals float in the West Jordan parade on the 4th of July. It was the first time the boys had ever had the opportunity to be on the other side of the parade and they were so excited!

Drew is still holding a grudge from a time when he was 3 and we were at the Riverton Town Days parade and one of the teenagers riding on a flatbed truck carrying the Riverton High School football team threw a piece of candy and hit him in the eyeball. He's still angry about it! So when he found out we got to throw candy to the kids, his first reaction was, "Sweet! If I see a teenager, I'm going to throw it right in his eye!" I tried to explain that that kid who threw the candy is probably 22 years old now and surely karma had settled the score by now so there's no sense harboring such ill will toward the entire population of teenagers... but he still couldn't wait to get even. (That must be the Jeffy in him who is the master grudge holder!)

Well, he never got a chance to get even because the parade runs down Redwood Rd. which is a HUGE road for a parade and the parade officials wouldn't let us throw candy from the moving float, so the only way to get candy to the yelling crowds of kids was to run along side and throw it to them... so needless to say, we got lots of exercise that day but I'm pleased to announce that Drew was on his best behavior and did not hit any teenagers in the eye with candy!

You may notice our cool firecracker hats that we made to wear in the parade... I'm afraid this might be the last year I can con Drew into wearing funny hats. He said "Mom, I kind of get embarassed when I wear this hat. Do I still have to wear it?" And of course I said "Yes! You have to wear it!" because that's just the kind of mom I am! If I spent the time making it, you better wear it! But next year I may let him off the hook.

One other funny story... as we were running alongside the float handing out candy we heard a group of people yelling "WILL!" And I couldn't think of who would know my sweet little Will... but it turns out one of his little friends from preschool who was on the side saw him and recognized him so his whole family was shouting to get his attention. Will was so happy to see him but confused that he was there at all. He kept asking "Why is Gage here?" Still he ran over and gave him some candy and said hello and then ran back to the float... As we were driving home later he asked again, "Why was Gage there?" Too funny!

Happy 4th of July everyone!