A Parade Experience


A Parade Experience
By Allan Olson
About a month ago I got the bright idea to take part in the Rib Fest parade this year. My original plan was to have the kids to throw candy and newspapers from their bikes. However, I wasn’t sure if the kids were coordinated enough to do that without crashing into each other or the spectators. Then family plans were changed – the girls were going to be gone. It would be just the boys and I at the parade.
After some discussion, an idea was formed about how I would “dress” up the boys for the parade. I wanted to have some newspaper carrying bags for the boys to use for throwing newspapers. After some searching online, I found what I wanted, but most came with the names of other papers. Not good. I enlisted the help of my wife, and after a trip to the fabric store, proper material was found. About a week later, with just a picture to look at, using a scissors, a sewing machine and some talent, the bags took shape in just a few hours.
The end product looked awesome and authentic, and with “newsboy” hats donned on their heads, they looked like the real thing. Stocked with candy and rolled up copies of the latest edition to distribute along the parade route, we were ready to go.
The day of the parade, I taped newspaper pages to the sides of my truck to give it some Cass Lakes Times “class” and we were set.
I had no idea how this was going to work. I wondered if we would be out of candy after the first five minutes, or if we would still have a bag full at the end of the parade.
I instructed the boys several times: “Make sure the candy lasts the whole parade!” “We know,” they replied.
Soon, it was time. The parade line finally started moving, and we were ready to roll. A few minutes into the parade, the kids started unleashing candy and newspapers.
Nikolai was on my side in the back of the truck. I could see what he was tossing out as we went along, and I cautioned them to make sure it lasted the entire parade route. Marcus was on the other side and, while I know he was throwing some candy and newspapers, it was difficult to see if he was giving his fair share or if Nikolai was doing extra.
Somewhere along the route (or perhaps before, since I caught them digging in the candy bucket) a conspiracy theory must’ve been plotted.
As we neared the end of the parade, I said, “Get rid of the rest of the candy and the papers, boys!” Since they still had some left at that point, I thought they had done a fine job.
About a week before the parade, we had a visit from some out-of-town aunts who were “kind” enough to buy my kids candy. Of course, when I was a kid, I thought this was kind; as a parent, I realize that it’s their job to spoil my kids. We let the kids have a couple of pieces each; I added the remaining miniature candy bars to the parade candy.
I also made sure they were at the bottom of the bucket so I wouldn’t be easy access for anyone, including me. Perhaps that was the mistake. At the end of the parade, when we stopped to get rid of the garbage, I discovered there was a small stash of candy bars left. The boys made sure they saved the best for themselves.
“We wanted those ones,” they said. Since it was only a few pieces each, I let them be. If they would’ve sat and watched the parade, they would’ve come home with many more pieces. I helped myself to one of the melted pieces of chocolate, and we moved on to watch the end of the parade.
“Did you have fun, guys?” I asked. “I want to do it again!” Marcus said. “Is there a parade tomorrow?”
I think I had better plan on being in next year’s parade, too, and perhaps this time the girls will join us. Taking four kids in a parade might take a little more planning. It’s a good thing we have nearly a year before the next Rib Fest parade!
Please be safe on the lakes – wear your life jacket, keep the kids safe, and remember to take a picture to preserve a lifetime of memories.
Thanks for reading, and have a great week! For more of my columns visit: http://allan-crazykids.blogspot.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Hunting Season to Remember

Image
A Hunting Season to Remember By Allan Olson The orange clad army headed into the woods this past weekend in search of the mighty white tail to attempt to fill the freezer with some tasty venison and I was no exception to this party. I too was clad in orange and out on the mighty hunt. Every year there are new stories to tell, old ones to bring up and memories made, some deer seasons for me, after over 20 years of hunting have faded into the background, one year blurring with another, not remembering which year I shot what deer or if I shot a deer. Of course there are a few years  stand out more than others and some are just a blur altogether. However, I find it hard to believe that anything will top this year’s remarkable deer season. This year, I had the honor of bringing Nikolai with me. Not just to sit in the stand, but to actually hunt, he was going to have the ability of harvesting a deer also. Recently he completed his gun safety certification and he wa...
Read more
Image
Thank you for being our friend Frey Olson May 19, 2018 - April 26, 2024 By Allan Olson 4.26.24 Thank you for being our friend, thank you for making us your forever home, if we could’ve saved you, we would’ve. Losing our four legged friends is never easy, in our house they aren’t “just a pet” they are our family. Frey, our nearly six year old English Mastiff came into our lives in August of 2018 and crossed over the rainbow bridge to be with others before him on April 26, 2024. Frey was our gentle giant, he was our protector, our laughter and most importantly I think it’s more than safe to say, he was Alivia’s best friend. Have you ever seen a teenager and a Mastiff sharing a twin size bed - or perhaps more aptly put the teenager getting what’s left of the bed when he’s in it. Or perhaps a giant of a dog, staring at her from the doorway of the bedroom saying, “it’s bedtime,” while she’s playing a game or watching something.  He was taught to react to “who’s here” or the alert of the...
Read more

Thankful for Family

Thankful For Family By Allan Olson published 11-24-10 Cass Lake Times Eat until I can’t eat anymore is the plan for me this Thursday. This is likely the case for many others as well. The food that will be prepared is just one of many things to be thankful for this week. I can honestly say I’m thankful for a lot of things in my life. I’m especially thankful for my beautiful little family. Do I always feel overwhelmed with joy while dealing with the everyday tasks of working and raising four children? I would be lying if I said yes. My children are great kids. They are great at making me smile with their questions and antics. However, they are also great at driving me up a wall. Asking them to help clean a room sometimes and it’s like you put them in a torture chamber by daring to ask for a little help cleaning up the mess they made. Other times they are willing, eager partners ready to help with whatever task you need them to. Of course, there are also those times when ...
Read more