Sam haning out with Faith before it started to rain. Does it look like it's going to rain?
Sam and Perrin riding in the parade.
Perrin's ready to go!7:30am Friday morning and my friend Anna calls me, "We're meeting at the corner near the Post Office for the parade; in an hour". AGH! I have made a commitment to try to participate in more community events lately, including the kiddie parade that the Kiwani's put on every year. The kids get all dressed up (or not in the case of my kids) and then walk or ride their bikes down 3 blocks in the middle of town. That particular day my kids were sleeping at 7:30 and the motto in our house is, "if they're sleeping, let them sleep" which falls under the catch all motto, "if they're happy, let them be". So I got dressed, in a white linen skirt, black tank top and black cute/comfortable shoes (this is important later), had breakfast and then got the kids up. I asked them to dress in something red, white and blue (I do try) and hurry it up cause we're already late. (It takes us at least 20 minutes to get to town, plus parking, plus....) They weren't all that quick until I told them they could ride their bikes downtown in the middle of the street with their friends - then they put a wiggle in it. I got the bikes, helmuts (My mother would whip me if I didn't have helmuts on the kids) and snacks into the truck as well as car seats and children and away we went.
We made it to the meeting spot in plenty of time, if not too much time, as it was probably 90 degrees out already. At least it felt that way. After 10 minutes the kids started whining and I had to borrow water from Anna as I forgot it on my way out. We stood around for probably 20 minutes - which I loved as I got to see all my friends who seem to get out a whole, heck of a lot more than I do - before the crowd of preschoolers and elementary kids started to move. We walked for about 10 minutes by the time it was all finished and we headed over to the free ice cream people were handing out. After the ice cream we mosied over to the grassy section where Amy Buettner from American Lutheran had organized a picnic for the 100 of us (she's got 4 kids of her own from 1 to 8). The kids did sack races, three legged races and....then it started to rain. Just a little at first and then -POW- it poured like it can only do in Arizona. The streets were instant rivers and we all ran for cover. Most of us thought that we could get a little wet and then it would be over but as we sat for 10 mintues trying to stay dry we realized it was going to last a little longer than we thought.
I was up for an adventure so I volunteered to run through the rain and get my truck and drive the other 8 kids/moms to their cars. By the time I got 5 feet away I guess my white linen skirt (so cute dry) was see through. Good thing I chose white underwear that day...or was it? I ran for about 5 mintues to my car and was TOTALLY soaked through - but it was kind of like when it rains in Hawaii, nice and warm. I'm still used to Seattle rain where it's just plain cold. And wet. I like it when it rains here and it doesn't do it too often for me.
After I picked up all the people my little truck could hold and dropped everyone off at their cars, we all headed over to dear Anna's house. The kids borrowed Faith's clothes and we ladies borrowed Anna's while all the clothes were thrown in the dryer for the next hour. Anna fed us lunch, let the kids played and we enjoyed the rain as it continued to come down.
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