Loose Leaf Notes

It was my first time at the Roanoke St. Patrick’s Day parade and the first time at a Paddy’s Day parade since I was a kid marching in the Hull CYO drill team through the streets of Boston.

I was surprised that four-year-old Liam let us change his shirt into a green one and let me stick a shamrock sticker on his jacket.  He seemed interested in the Irish shenanigans I was telling him about on the way to the parade and was especially intrigued by leprechauns with their mischief making and pots of gold.

Even six-year-old Bryce got in the spirit with the wearing of the green.

When we first got to the parade site and were walking through throngs of paraders getting ready to march, Liam and I met our first leprechaun (who ducked down trying to be smaller).  “I’m a little worried about these people,” said wee Lee Lee. They look real.”  “They’re real people in costumes,” I assured him, “but they aren’t scary like Halloween.”

He was also a little concerned about the giant Irish toilet full of gold with a man’s leg sticking out, and he kept reminding everyone that it wasn’t “a real guy.”

The boys were kept busy collecting what I called “loot” that the paraders were passing out.

Mostly it was candy but sometimes they got balloons and stickers. Liam was really impressed (in a Mine Craft way) with this golden coin.

Both boys liked the Vikings marchers, complete with a Viking boat float, because they  had swords and looked like they came from “the knight day.” They were also interested to understand how the stilt walkers could walk like that. Watch some HERE. 

My favorite float was the shark mobile!

But the float with the bubble machine was a close second. Watch HERE. 

There was even a Ferret club of marchers and the both Liam and Bryce reluctantly patted a furry ferret.

Who Let the Dogs Out?  Liam was sure it was one of the dogs that let the other dogs out. Watch HERE.

One of the clowns played a joke on me.  He came up close and said, “We went to different high schools.” Looking confused, and trying to place him, I said, “I don’t think so.”  It took me a moment to realize that I was had.  Of course we went to different schools. I had never seen him before in my life.

Later, during lunch, it was fun to see people drinking green beer, and a bagpipe player walked around entertaining everyone.

Here’s our own little bubble machine boy. And HERE are the boys talking Irish.___________Our World Tuesday