Everybody Loves a Parade

Everybody, that is, except me. Call me grinch-y, call me whatever, but I am actually somewhat relieved that Jacelyn has been sick (although now she is much improved) and will not be able to attend the parade this evening. The last couple of parades have not been the enjoyable family fun you hope they would be. The attraction is wearing off for Jacelyn, as well. After forty five minutes or so, she is pretty much done. She's ready to go home and eat dinner or watch a Barbie movie. However, the parades around here take about two hours to see through to completion, so forty-five minutes is not nearly long enough. We collect a bagful of beads, that we promptly take home and add to the OTHER bags of beads we have collected previously. The little stuffed animals get lost under the bed, the candy gets hidden, lost, and rediscovered a year later. The beer coozis end up in the trunk, rolling around until they deform with the arrival of summer heat, and the plastic cups bearing the name and logo of some bank or radio station will enjoy a short life in the cabinet, only to be tossed out a week later. It's just more....STUFF.

Two hours in the freezing cold, screaming for trinkets and t-shirts, is not the way I particularly want to spend my evening. Visions of pajama pants, a sweatshirt, a blanket and a good book are dancing through my head. We can do the Mardi Gras parade, if Jacelyn wants to and isn't sick, but I think we're skipping the Christmas parade this year. I say that, but I'm awaiting and dreading the phone call I am fairly certain I will receive later, most likely from Michelle: "She's feeling so much better, so we're all going to come for the parade. Make some coffee!". Sigh. There go my pajamas, blanket, and book. And Jacelyn really doesn't need to be out in the weather. She slept well last night, but the night before....she was up every fifteen minutes, unable to breathe. I had to sit up and let her sleep on my chest, so she would be elevated enough to breathe. She didn't settle in until 4:30am, after some Motrin Cold (which is so good it could be currency, and possibly is somewhere). She finally fell asleep sitting up on a wedge pillow on the sofa. I laid down on the floor with a short blanket and snatched an hour or two of broken sleep. Life the following day is a blur: got up the next morning, got her settled in, and worked all day. Came home, cleaned house, did laundry, took care of Jacelyn. Watched the Polar Express, which had me sniffling and saying, "I believe too!" at the end. Realized again how much I love Tom Hanks, no matter what anyone else might think. I went to bed between midnight and 1AM, and here I am at work, getting ready to jump back into my inventory.

Brian is in town for the weekend. That's really all I have to say about that. Church Sunday, and Jacelyn and I were invited to an ornament exchange at one of her classmate's home, but I think we're going to cancel on that, as well. I'm feeling very anti-social. The thought of having to make small talk for however long it takes to complete the ornament exchange process is making my head hurt. These are all very lovely people, don't get me wrong at all, but I just want to be home. We were invited to a birthday party today, but we're not doing that, either. Mostly due to illness, but also due to the fact that I'm a jerk who doesn't feel like being around other people. Does working in retail do that to you, or am I just becoming cranky in my advancing age? Frankly, I don't care. I've got a hot date with my new pink plaid flannel pajama pants and a big roomy sweatshirt. I'm getting to work, and hopefully a better frame of mind.