Homecoming Parade

We live in a small town with a small college and yesterday they had a, you guessed it, small parade. Amelia loved it. When the lion (mascot) came walking down early in the parade, she wanted to run out and hug it. I stopped her in time, though. Then the floats came along with college students throwing lollipops and candy. She wasn't sure what to make of that at first! She scored a small bag of teddy grahams and some dum-dums, so she was pretty happy.

Prior to the parade we walked around the quad area and Amelia was mesmerized about the fountain. It was her daddy who realized it had never been on during any of our early evening outings to campus. Her daddy helped himself to a couple of balloons and she enjoyed those immensely. She played in the leaves while we waited for the parade. After it was over the regular traffic just followed the parade and Amelia kept looking to see what else might come along - she didn't realize the parade was over! Daddy was trying to introduce her to some of his old friends and she kept turning her head to look towards the post office. Too cute.

Was on the receiving end of a Good Samaritan deed yesterday and it was awesome. We got home from her friend's birthday party and after putting Amelia in the bathtub the home phone rang. (See, there's a good reason to still have a landline). I answered and a guy said, "Who is this?" and I told him and asked, "Who is this?" And he said, "I'm Matt. You probably don't know me," (I am thinking the entire time he is calling on behalf of McCain since I live in a swing state and have had numerous McCain calls lately) "but I am calling from your cell phone." Turns out his grandmother and aunt were walking and found my phone on the side of the road - where I had turned on the way to the birthday party! Needless to say, Daddy took over bath duty and I went and got my phone - when I hadn't even realized it was missing. When I had, it would have been too late and I never would have found it! How awesome is that?!?!?!? I figured I had put the phone and Addyson's birthday gift on my car trunk, buckled Amelia in, threw the gift in the front seat, totally forgot the phone and took off. Thing is, I had turned right three times and it didn't fall off until I had turned left. Plus I had gone up two sizeable hills. Crazy.

Amelia had fun at the party, too. It was at a local park we hadn't yet been to and it had a few things, like a pseudo climbing wall that she really liked. It also has a spinner and Amelia and a girl named Macy had a blast on it, both of them squealing with Amelia yelling, "Go dizzy!!" (Even now, one of her favorite things to do in the living room is to spin around until she falls.) She also had her first porta-john experience - and went twice. I was a little wary at first, but it wasn't as bad inside as I was expecting. (The other two parks we usually go to have regular facilities.)

[picture dated 10/11/08]