Why Do We Love Parades Anyway?

What a great vantage point I have for today's Santa Claus parade.  My two kids are participants and are so excited not to be on the sidelines for the first time.  Their swim club will all be dressed as Smurfs. (I can't believe my spell checker doesn't recognize that word!)

The weather is actually not too bad - partly sunny, -1, along with the ever present refreshingly brisk wind.  The kids' mom has made sure that they are dressed appropriately - for the North Pole!  They can hardly walk because they have so many layers of clothing on.  I don't recall Clumsy, Brainy, Handy or even Lazy Smurf ever wearing much more than a white hat and white spandex.  Even the only female smurf, Smurfette, wore just a hat and a flimsy dress.  At least if all the kids in the parade dressed like a true smurf, then the blue skin would take care of itself.

Frost bite will never happen, certainly not to my kids.  Their mom is planning on shadowing the group as they move along the narrow downtown streets of St. John's.  She has an armful of extra clothing - just in case.  She says she will move in and out of the crowd in order to keep up.  I hope no one gets in her way, so all those kids in strollers better watch out.  Such is a mother's perogative.  They are the protectors and nurturers of their own children.

I suggested to Lynda that she may fare better if she walked on the street with the kids and not through the crowd.  I said she could pretend to be the evil Gargamel, which caused daggers to shoot from her eyes at me.  Ultimately, I must learn to keep my thoughts to myself.  Things would be so much more smurfy.

The parade is almost over.  I just received a text from Lynda.  Apparently, our youngest daughter chickened out and didn't go in the parade.  Someone must of told her to be Scaredy Smurf and she took the role seriously.  Now that's dedication.  With one kid in the parade and one watching, I'm not sure how Lynda is managing in her motherly duties.  From my vantage point it is hard to see.  Oh well, I'll just sit back, relax, and have another sip of my tea.  By the way, did I tell you that I have the best seat in town for the parade?  I'm at Starbucks, sitting by the fireplace.  I haven't really abandoned my family and I really am being a good dad, I'm pretending to be Papa Smurf.