Ugh, it's snowing pretty hard and it's such a wet snow, because it's right around freezing. Even with being wrapped in a blanket, jacket, sweatshirt, turtleneck, hats, mittens, knit pants, sweat pants, and boots, I was still freezing while I watched the parade. By the end of the parade, my gloves were wet and then my fingers were freezing. This is the first one I've been to, that it's been snowing, during the parade. Emily marched with her band and only had on little black flats. She said her toes were freezing. She did knit herself some black wool gloves, though, so she said her fingers fared okay.

I saw a mom with 2 younger children, who had on winter jackets, but no snowpants or boots. If I'd taken young children to the parade, they would have had on snowpants and boots, just to keep them warm. I saw plenty of schoolage children with boots and snowpants on.

Emily's a junior, so will only have to march in one more Christmas parade. When she's in college, I won't have anymore motivation to go freeze my butt off for 40 minutes.

With the wind and snow, tonight's parade was sparsely attended. I came late (4:45pm for the 5pm parade) and still got to park fairly close.

By Emily7 on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 08:47 pm:

I remember going to games and parades my sister marched in. When she was in HS she opted not to play her clarinet and was a flagger, those outfits were horrible for bad weather.
I am sure your last parade will be bitter sweet.
Tell Emily to knit something for her toes too!

By Dawnk777 on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 08:56 pm:

Yeah, really! She should have had boots on! LOL! She was wearing her wool handknit sweater, underneath her band uniform.

They all had to take their band uniforms home tonight, so they can air out and dry. The cabinets in the band room, are almost not big enough, so on a good day those band uniforms are CROWDED, while being stored. Those last few uniforms are hard to hang up. So, can you just imagine damp uniforms, in plastic bags all crowded together? Ewwww. So, she has the jacket, overlay, and pants on 3 separate hangers, hanging on the shower rail in the bathroom.

Emily's band doesn't have a color guard. Sarah played clarinet and had to deal with freezing cold fingers. Emily was lucky, that she could cover her fingers. I played French horn, so I could wear mittens, too. I just had to keep my mouthpiece somewhat warm. It often lived inside my mitten, at football games.

By Momofmax on Sunday, November 30, 2008 - 10:02 pm:

Even though that sounds very uncomfortably cold, I would love to experience that. DH and I have never lived in a place where it snows but we are determined to do so one day! We wore shorts this Thanksgiving. It's hard to get into the holiday spirit when it's warm.

By Karen~admin on Monday, December 1, 2008 - 07:57 am:

BRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

Haven't been to one in years - Jen used to perform in local ones when she was dancing years ago.

RE: cold weather - I am actually going to wear my leather boots for only the 2nd time this year, today. It's finally COLD here (at least for a few days! LOL)and we are leaving for FL.

I told DH it would actually be easier going through security, not having to untie and tie sneakers today. LOL

By Dawnk777 on Monday, December 1, 2008 - 08:22 am:

I would think that boots would be easier to deal with. I'm realizing today, that I was trying to stay warm with a quilt around me, but the snow was so wet, that the quilt soon became soaked and then it ceased to keep me warm. So, I may have looked warm, but I really wasn't.

By Bobbie~moderatr on Monday, December 1, 2008 - 08:28 am:

Dawn you will miss it... DD was so involved with the choirs in her high school. This time of year we had caroling at the nursing homes, programs at the high school, singing at the JR high and elementary schools. A couple of competitions, practices, etc.. Now there is nothing... We drug our selves out in the cold to go see the high school play, Once upon a mattress, because we were both having performance withdrawl.. We are also planning to freeze our tushes off next Saturday to watch the Christmas parade. We also have a date set to go see a performance of Babes in Toyland.

It is odd, while rushing around for performances we hated it and now that she is no longer performing we miss it. She is talking about getting involved in the local theater group, we will see.

By Missbookworm on Monday, December 1, 2008 - 10:43 am:

That sounds like us parents here who attend soccer games in the cold, wet rain! There is no point having a blanket so we all layer up and all you see is a sea of umbrella's as we all try to stay dry/warm!

We always feel so bad for the kids out there in the rain with their soccer 'boots' on wearing shorts and t-shirts with just a long sleeve shirt underneath to try to help. brrrrrrrrrr it's awful!

My daughter and I always stop for hot chocolate on the way home. She's not playing this year but next year she wants to be in again.

I can see here in highschool being involved in every possible extra curricular activity she possibly can. I hope she picks the ones where we're inside and warm! LOL

By Dawnk777 on Monday, December 1, 2008 - 03:36 pm:

I can see going to the plays. I went this year, and no one was in it. That's a warm thing, though. The 2 high schools share the musical, and they do a good job! I get in free, because I work at a school, so it's cheap entertainment. I probably won't go to anymore football games, though, after Emily's done, too.

By Cat on Monday, December 1, 2008 - 03:41 pm:

Oh, I remember marching in ALL kinds of weather! lol With our uniforms we just had to wear black shoes or boots with white chaps over them (school provided the chaps). We also wore white gloves, so we had a little warmth, but they were THIN little gloves! lol I can honestly say I do NOT miss those days. Marching in nasty weather, sitting in the stands during football games in October in Michigan... Oh, and the worst? Marching in a parade behind horses AND being the drum major having to march backwards!!! The flag girls used to warn me of the land mines!