It's Saturday morning. It's getting pretty cold outside. So what better to do than to bundle up and head downtown Toledo. We've never been to Toledo's Holiday Parade and this seemed like a good day to check it out. We didn't head down too early. We left the house about 9:30 for the 10:00 parade. We drove up Erie street and picked a lot at random to turn in to park. It cost us five dollars. Sure we could have driven around and found somewhere cheaper, but that sounded like a headache in the making. If you drive downtown Toledo, you understand. Now add several road closings due to parade and TONS of traffic. I would have paid ten to avoid the anxiety. Ha!
We weren't sure where the best place to stand was, so we just started walking with the crowd of people that were obviously headed to the same destination. We hit a street corner and practically slammed into one of my former co-workers and her daughter. She joined us on the sidelines. We also were joined by Miss Pressly, and her mom, of course :)
Waiting for the parade to get to us, the kids enjoyed the glass store fronts and just running around. We were towards the end of the parade, so we figured we had a bit of time. Amazingly, this parade was booking it, and it reached us before 10:30!
Happy to have Daddy at the parade with us.
Gavin and Pressly have missed each other. We've been slacking on the visits :(
We need to pick those back up soon!
1 happy kid, 2 happy kids...
Three!
They were happy. I promise. But why I try and get three 2-3 year old children to look and smile together is beyond me. I took several shots and this one is the best. I've got mad photography skills in the making.
First down the line were these guys.
I was like "Hey, Gavin..Look! Here comes Snoopy!"
Then was corrected that is was Sparky.
I don't know Sparky. He's apparently a firehouse dog.
Makes sense he would be riding a firetruck.
Whoops.
The next dog is from Imagination Station.
And they all passed out Now and Laters. I meant to find out if Now and Later's were the official sponsor of the Toledo Holiday Parade. Seriously, there were that many.
Lots of Clydesdale's and horses.
The Zenobia guys had two sets of vehicles racing around.
Dancers dressed weather appropriate...
And some not.
(She isn't smiling. Her teeth are chattering rapidly)
Another dressed not so appropriate was this fella.
No idea who this Dracula/pirate man is, but he seemed very out of place.
We weren't sure where the best place to stand was, so we just started walking with the crowd of people that were obviously headed to the same destination. We hit a street corner and practically slammed into one of my former co-workers and her daughter. She joined us on the sidelines. We also were joined by Miss Pressly, and her mom, of course :)
Waiting for the parade to get to us, the kids enjoyed the glass store fronts and just running around. We were towards the end of the parade, so we figured we had a bit of time. Amazingly, this parade was booking it, and it reached us before 10:30!
Happy to have Daddy at the parade with us.
We need to pick those back up soon!
They were happy. I promise. But why I try and get three 2-3 year old children to look and smile together is beyond me. I took several shots and this one is the best. I've got mad photography skills in the making.
I was like "Hey, Gavin..Look! Here comes Snoopy!"
Then was corrected that is was Sparky.
I don't know Sparky. He's apparently a firehouse dog.
Makes sense he would be riding a firetruck.
Whoops.
The next dog is from Imagination Station.
I pretended I was at Macy's.
I've don't recall ever being at a parade with the super-size balloon floats.
Ooooooohhhh, Aaaaahhhhhhhh
Santa believes in recycling.
Good luck getting around the world in one night on that piece of lighted awesomeness.
No shortage of bands.
Or clowns. There were tons and tons and TONS of clowns.
Dancers dressed weather appropriate...
(She isn't smiling. Her teeth are chattering rapidly)
No idea who this Dracula/pirate man is, but he seemed very out of place.
More vehicles. More clowns.
More bands.
This train had Gavin's attention immediately. It may have been the first time he waved the entire parade.
Of course I missed the shot of him waving. Mad skills.
It's not Christmas without the Grinch.
Or Rudolph!
I had to back up several feet to try and get a shot of Gavin looking up him. He turned around looking for me. I need a wider lens.
My superior shot of the Grand Marshals of the parade. Dora and Diego!
I almost completely missed them due to camera malfunction. Mad skills.
Finally, welcoming the holiday officially, Santa and his 8 reindeer.
Escorted by the amazing U.S. Marine Corps.
Christmas is coming, y'all.
36 more days.
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