Barnard Fireman's Parade and Carnival 2011

I know it's Summer when it's time to drag our chairs a few streets over for the annual Barnard Fireman's Parade and Carnival.  Luckily the rain stayed away for our annual fun-filled night.

 

2 must be the best age to watch a parade because Adalyn was so animated the whole night.  The joy you get from watching your kids be happy is a benefit from parenting that always surprises me.

We brought out new 'neighbors' too!  Shawn(Wayne's youngest brother) and his lovely wife Lesley bought a house one street over from ours.  I think there may be 5 houses between ours.  They have 3 kids too, close to the ages of ours.  It's been another great thing about our evolving neighborhood to have family so close.  Our back yards are nearly kiddie corner and well within walking distance.

The next night we headed down to partake of the carnival pleasures.  Only that night the rain didn't hold off and there was about a 20 min downpour during which we stayed under the beer tent and ate really-bad-for-you carnival food.

My parents joined us and my Mom and I got a couple dozen clams so of course the girls had to play with the shells.  Who knew clam shells in the rain could be so fun?

Then it was time for rides.  With all the rain keeping people away, the girls had the whole thing practically to themselves.  We learned one important piece of  information:  1 ride on the swings for Willa is fun, 2 rides back to back is very, very bad:(  But I will say she recovered quickly.  Adalyn could only go on a few rides, but she did those in repetitious bliss while the other 2 ran around on the rides they were tall enough for.  Denver and Willa knew more people than we did.  And of course we had to visit the Duck Pond where Adalyn kept trying to get more and more ducks till we had to drag her away from the game all together.  Actually, every game we played seemed to follow that same pattern.  Maybe 2 year olds are not quite so ready for carnival games.  But a great time was had by all and 3 very tired girls were tucked in that night with carousel horses dancing in their dreams.