Bringing the Parade to Life

Tonight we made good on a promise I had to myself to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade inflation some year. It takes place the night before Thanksgiving on the Upper West Side near the Museum of Natural History. And the only other time we went, Nacho and I subjected ourselves to a sleeting rain and didn't last very long before popping back underground to come home. This year was definitely better but it was a little chaotic to start. I did zero research but fortunately our friends Mindy and Andy were heading up there so I figured we'd meet up at some point and just see whatever we could. But when we came up out of the subway at 81st we were already somehow inside the barricades and seeing plenty of floats. Then I tried to figure out how the heck we were going to find them in the mass of people exiting our first block and looking for the re-entry point along 77th. The streets were mostly blocked off as we approached the other set of barricades. There was a bag check area that seemed to be creating a bottle neck, and after finally reaching Mindy and Andy we opted to walk along the outer edge of the barricades just to say hi and bye before packing it in. Elisa had been bugging us since we arrived about seeing Poppy and so I figured it was enough to see her and then split. But the more the crowd lurched forward the more I wished we might be able to join them. And then I pulled a total dick move. I asked the cops guarding the last barricade before Mindy et al went past us if we could jump in there and join our friends. I offered up my purse for a bag check and the cop said, "Bag check? Don't get me in trouble." Then he asked Elisa her name and waved us in. I didn't look back in case there were angry throngs. I figured you're allowed a few of these moments in life. So we used ours tonight and it was wonderful. Mindy and Andy were relieved to have some company in this adventure and we ended up seeing even more floats. The craziness was paying off. 

Of course nothing involving children out past their bedtimes in the city ever ends entirely well. There was Poppy falling (possibly because Elisa pulled her too fast) on the stairs at the museum and then there was Carolina getting boxed in the ears in this photo. It's hard to say exactly when it all went south, but for the most part, they held it together pretty good. Elisa begged for a drink I didn't have. Charlie got a little over eager bouncing around his seat on the train. But we made it. And really, when I think back about what these kids will remember, it will hopefully be the pure magic of sneaking up under the cover of darkness to check out some giant balloons before a very special day. I often think we have years and years ahead to do these things, but then again you just never know where you'll end up in life. So we seized the moment and went for it tonight. And I'm so, so glad we did. Tired but glad.