It's a Parade!

Starting the decorating of the banner....

** All the kids from both classes got to help in the decorations, and they also made their costumes**

What: Spirit of the North Valley Parade, 10th annual (the north valley is an old area of Albuquerque, where there are families living on the same properties for generations after generations! We used to live here from 1993-1998, and we loved it!)

**Fortunately, the paint came off easily**

Theme: Outta this world

Costumes: paper shopping bags spray painted by parent volunteers, then 100% decorated by the kids, head bands made by parent volunteers, faces painted and hair sprayed various colors, all to make them each into a form of alien from the future.

**The finished banner, with the unintended artwork that remained on the wall!**

Float: trailer with rainbow table skirt and front banner on truck made by children's hand prints with printing by teachers.

**Our Christopher, waiting for the float to get organized and started**

Place: Met at El Pinto Restaurant and the parade went south on 4th street for about 1 mile, ending up at the Raymond Sanchez Community Center, where there was a carnival, dancing, live entertainment (music, canine show, acrobatics, more) and raffles.

** Float in progress**

We met early at 8 AM to decorate the trailer, which was not that complicated, but given that we were expecting anywhere between 20 to 40 kids, you have to factor in extra time. Got the bales of straw arranged, tarp in place, blankets on top to keep the babes from scratchy bottoms and legs. Then, inside to paint faces, spray hair all the colors of the rainbow, and have the kids pick out their favorite head bands and choose an alien costume. Too fun! Most of the girls wanted flowers and mariposas (butterflies), and the boys wanted dinosaurs, stars, and race cars. Two of the boys present recently lost their dad, and they and their little cousin all asked to have his name painted on their little round faces, so we did, and gave hugs too.

Ever tried to herd over 30 kids to get organized and make sure all have used the potty before embarking on a parade?!

**Some of our little alien parade kids, waiting for the float to start**

Then, loaded the little ones up, some on the trailer, some on the truck bed, and they all fit, plus some of the parents, too. Thankfully, a shuttle took the rest of us parents to the starting point, so we didn't have to walk both ways. Parking was at a premium by this point! Fun fact: besides the Christmas party and end of year party, this is the biggest parent and student participation we've had for any event all year!

Check out the pictures, to see some of the interesting folks we passed on our way. The parents all had baggies of candy that we were asked not to throw at the spectators, and to instead to hand them out. So, we did, even though several really wanted to wing some of the candies from the float instead.

**One of the parents throwing candy to guy watching parade from the top of his camper**

**Spectators sitting on the old style mailboxes, still in use here**

Passed the judges station and all the kiddies did their thing and waved and yelled loudly. Worked, because they won 1st place for Best Decorated (which was extra great, since the kids were the majority of the decorations, and the artwork was also theirs!) For the benefit of the school: Prize is $200 cash, plus a $100 gift card from Party City, and a case of El Pinto salsa, what a winning day, and from the looks of it, everyone had a blast! Most of the kids got to go to the community center and enjoy the carnival that was setup for them.

The "check" is about 18" tall and 4' wide. For fun, we stuck it behind a pillar near the doors of the school entrance. When the teachers arrive in the morning, they will see it peeking out from the pillar and then they will know their hard work in assisting the children paid off!

Reality Check: one of their signs said

"future graduates, class of 2021 and 2022"

Jeez...... it'll be here as we blink our eyes!

**Riding the "train" around the carnival grounds**

He insisted on trying the climbing wall...even though this was not long before we left for the day and he was TIRED as can be from playing in the bouncy jumpers for literally hours! You should have seen the look on the guy's face when he told him he was "going to turn 5 on my birthday in May"

It was a great day today! then, got home, did the dinner thing, bath for the little guy, read a book, and off to bed for him. He was even too tired to eat all of his dessert, but he was coherent enough to know he liked it a lot and asked if he could put it in the fridge to have again tomorrow.

So, it's true: everybody DOES love a parade!