Old Town Parade

For the past 4 years our family has joined the Rings for the Old Town Temecula Parade. It's the kick off to the holiday season.

It goes something like this....Barry goes really early and parks the motorhome. We show up an hour or so later with kids, pizza, blankets, chairs, hats, scarves, etc. and we are in for what seems like "the night". Note: Michael runs around, plays tackle with Cleveland, rolls down the hill, etc. so he makes his own heat and doesn't require a jacket the whole time. The parade starts around 7 by the time we are stuffed and ready for hot cocoa. We have our chairs (don't know why we bring them as we rarely actually sit down) and blankets on a grassy area and watch the parade. The first 30-40 parade groups get really loud fun screams from our group.. the kids go WILD! The last 40-50 well... we give a few hollars and hoots, but by this time the kids are so over it and just want to play and run around. That is until Santa comes around. The kids are stoked because it's Santa and the grown ups are stoked because the parade is finally over. I mean come on, how many boy scouts, Mom's Clubs and Cheerleaders can we see in one night. It really is a fun tradition! Wouldn't miss it!!

This year was especially cool because our Kennedy marched in the parade!! She joined her brownie troup and the rest of the Girl Scouts of Temecula and march the whole long parade route singing Christmas carols all the way. She had a huge melt down right before we left the house to go to the parade. She didn't want to be in the parade. She wanted to hang out with Cleveland, Reagan, Lainey, Michael and the rest of us. She said that "she was going to miss EVERYTHING" if she marched in the parade. I explained (ok not so much).. mostly said that she made the commitment to brownies and she was going to march, have fun with her friends and better have a good attitude or.... FORTUNATELY... She had a BLAST!! She was glad that she did it. We screamed, hooted and hollared for her as she marched by. Here is a picture with her best bud, Randalyn.

The night ended with a slumber party with Michael, Kennedy and Lainey. Lainey became a "Big Sister" while we were at the parade as her Mom Lori, gave birth to Hudson James Hoopingarner - 8.8oz 20 1/2". We were blessed to have Lainey most of the day and overnight. The kids had so much fun.