I Love a Parade...

Jackson's day care had a July 4th parade today. The kids were asked to dress in red, white and blue, and preferably according to the "theme" of their room. The infant room's theme was water play (insert filthy joke here), but Jackson's too small for a bathing suit or swimmies... so we just dressed him in patriotic colors. He wore a red and white striped onesie, a pair of denim overalls, and a pair of white socks with red stripes. I'd love for there to be a picture of him in this adorably patriotic outfit, but...

This morning, we tried to get him to make poops before we put him into this outfit... and of course he didn't. Jesse "admonished" Jackson, and gave him the mnemonic rule of "No Twosies on the Red White and Bluesies" to no avail - as soon as he got to day care, Jackson had a massive blowout, and pooped through his diaper onto his adorable patriotic outfit. So instead, he's in the parade in a red and gray romper with an oh-so-patriotic dinosaur on it. It didn't really matter anyway, as his bib covers his outfit completely. I also had a pair of sunglasses for him to wear, that of course we forgot to put on him!!!

Ultimately though, it didn't matter - Jackson could have been starkers and I would still have bawled like an insane parent as Jesse paraded Jackson up the street with the other children in Jackson's tricked out stroller. I seriously took like thirty pictures in the twenty minute parade, plus some video.



Jackson had a good time at first - he was all smiles at Miss Liz (he's a natural-born flirt, he is). He seemed to dig being outside where there's so much to see. About half-way through the parade he got a little bit cranky, and was asleep by the time we got back around to the day care - I guess all the excitement was too much for the little guy!

Every October, my elementary school held an annual Halloween parade, where all of the kids would line up and parade around the recess yard. My mom always made it a priority to be at the parade. This was easier for her when she wasn't working full time, but got a little harder for her to do when she had a more regular work schedule. When I was in the sixth grade, and it was my last parade, my mom had something that was going to prevent her from coming, but somehow she rearranged her schedule, and she was there... In fact, my mom was at mostly all of my concerts, plays, and stuff, and my dad was at quite a few so long as they were in the morning or at the end of the day where he could take a half day from work (as opposed to if it was in the middle of the day). I always had at least one parent in the audience for my many violin concerts, choral performances, school plays, dance recitals, talent shows, awards ceremonies, graduations... It didn't matter what the event was, or what I was being recognized for - my mom, sometimes my dad, and on occasion a collection of grandparents and other assembled relatives would be there.

At first, I said to myself that it didn't really matter. That Jackson's only three months old, and wouldn't know that I was there or wasn't there. That I'd make the next one. But ultimately it doesn't matter whether or not Jackson knows I'm there, because I know I was there. If I hadn't gone, I'd have been a mess at ten o'clock when the parade began. I would have missed Jackson's first parade. I had to change a marketing meeting and move a doctor's appointment, but I was so there today. And I hope that Jackson knows that sometimes I may have to work, but no matter what, I will do my absolute best to move heaven and earth to be there for him... even if being there for him is really more like being there for me.