Christmas Parade of Lights

Tonight was the annual Parade of Lights downtown where 100 floats (decorated trailers) promoting nonprofits, businesses, or service clubs weave their way through the throngs of people leading the way for Santa (who arrives in a horse drawn wagon) and kick off the holiday season. I brought twelve kids from one of the clubs to ride on the trailer from my service club and I discovered some interesting truths;

• The words "No, we aren't going to do that" increases the resolve of twelve year old ornery boys to do exactly what was forbidden.
• The fear of children's safety rises exponentially by number of children factored with the number of wheels in motion.
• Flashlights, kids, Santa hats, and suckers are the ingredients for a nice little dish we call "bedlam".
• Telling kids to stop sucking on the straw from the hay will never have the impact of telling them that rats, skunks, raccoons, and snakes use that hay for nests and also for their own personal porta-potties.
• Older folks stop considering kids "cute" about five minutes into the parade.
• Nothing is more fascinating to city kids than watching a horse make social commentary onto the pavement.
• Perhaps the only thing more fascinating to kids than watching horses defecate is watching people walk through the newly produced parade obstacle.
• Kids love to be in parades because it gives them another opportunity to drive adults a little closer to the edge...

It was a great parade and the kids did have a great time. I am thrilled there won't be another one until next year...