Santa Parade: Thanksgiving Weekend 2012

Daddy volunteered to work the Santa Parade. He even got assigned to security detail for The Big Guy himself!  It was their first parade so it was a new experience for them.

It was cold, but the kids enjoyed it a great deal (minus a few meltdowns), but were SUPER sad daddy didn't wave at them or hear them calling for him!  :(

Gardens

We missed going to see the butterflies last year because we let our membership to the Gardens lapse.  But after Maia started asking, I decided we should reup and go see some butterflies!

We found this little area we'd never seen before. It was a large room filled with wood cutouts of trees and all the garden's sculptures, which you could rearrange to your liking.  They also had a model of the tram, which Parker could hardly wait for other kids to let go of so he could get his hands on it!

We checked out the arid garden, and despite many warnings NOT to touch the pokey plants, Maia managed to get her fingers on one which looked soft, but had fine little barbed hairs which stuck in the skin and were difficult to get out and VERY irritating.  We learned an important lesson!

Checking out the Caterpillars

Throwing in our pennies to make a wish!

We had a great time, Parker was very excited and we look forward to going back to the Children's Garden when the weather is nice!

Super Powers

Parker was LONG overdue for a hair cut, and life set it up so I couldn't just pick him up early from school on a Friday to do it.  So I took him in for a 5:30 haircut while Daddy and Maia had a dinner date.

Parker was so dear with my hairdresser, giving her big cuddly hugs, laying his head on her shoulder and patting her back.  She told him that made her so happy.  He did a pretty good job getting his hair cut (for a wiggly two year old) and I went through an awful lot of tricks to try and help keep him looking in the direction I needed (kisses and zerbets on my hand worked nicely to keep him looking down).

When he was done, more cuddles and hugs and she told him she was so happy that he did such a good job. He did a great job using his manners and conned the staff out of some extra candy for being so polite and sweet.

After that, headed for our own dinner date.  He was wiggly, but in good spirits and very curious about anything and everything he saw in the restaurant. Across the aisle from us was a set of parents and grandparents and an older baby having dinner.  Parker was concerned when the baby fussed and whined.  "Why he cwying? Momma, why dat baby cwying?"
"He's not happy, Parker. Crying is how babies tell us something is wrong when they don't have words yet." 
"Ooooh. Why he sad?"

By this time, the baby is being walked around by his grandfather, and Parker asks the Grandpa "Why he sad? Why he cwying?"  The grandfather is amused and talks to Parker a little while about the baby, and finishes up with "And it's his very first birthday today!"

"Oh!" Parker brightened. "Happy Birfday baby!"  and he began singing the happy birthday song, slowing and looking at me at the "Happy birfday dear... baby?" as if I might supply the baby's name.  "... Happy birfday tew yew!"

The parents and grandparents burst into applause and thanked him for singing.  I looked at Parker and said "That was a very nice thing you did. I think you made them very happy!"

"Yeah!" he squealed, "dat's my super power!!"

Yes it is, buddy! Yes it is.