The Non-Example Parade

Driving back from seeing David at work, Jacob noticed that people were lined up along the sidewalk and asked if there was going to be a parade. I took a deep breath and answered truthfully that there was going to be one. I try to always tell the truth to my kids, even when it's painful, and this was painful because it was the homecoming parade and I didn't want to go. Of course, we ended up going because Jacob loves parades and thought there was going to be candy, even though I told him there wasn't going to be.

So we went, and it was just as obnoxious as I remember it being, but also a little bit humorous as I tried to answer Jacob's questions about what was going on. The whole parade stopped right on our block, and had a pep rally right then and there. Jacob asked me why the boys (football team) were jumping up and down and shouting so much. I told him they were very excited to play a game. Then there was the line-up of girls with low self-esteem, or that's what it looked like seeing how most of their dresses where probably purchased in the red-light district somewhere. They all got out of their cars and lined up on the street, and Jacob wanted to know why. I told him that they were having a contest to see who would win. (How do explain beauty/popularity contest to a 4 year-old?) I'm sure it didn't make much sense to him, and quite honestly, it didn't make much sense to me either. Next year I'm driving around it.