Happy Thanksgiving - Macy's Parade

We decided to stay in the city for Thanksgiving this year.  So far the city has been feeling very festive with lots of Christmas lights already up and windows decorated for the holiday season.  I can only imagine it will get more and more festive as Christmas draws near. So although we went without family this Thanksgiving it has still felt very festive.

The day before Thanksgiving from 3-10 pm you can see them blowing up all the balloons for the Macy's Parade.  It's a huge party and from what we heard was complete chaos. We wanted to go but unfortunately I wasn't feeling up to it due to a procedure I had done earlier in the day at an outpatient facility.  Not to worry, I was okay with not going since I knew the next morning we were going to the parade.

Yes, I was sooo excited, like a little kid on Christmas morning.  We, the Muir's were going to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  The very parade that I grew up watching every Thanksgiving morning on TV.  It was also our first parade in the city too!

Scott went with two other dads at 5:30 am to head over the Central Park West and 74th street to set up shop while us mom's and kids got to sleep in.  We went to the park with our friends the Pohlman's and their friends who were in town.  Jenny and I both got calls from our husbands at the same time at 6:30 telling us to get moving because they weren't sure how much longer they could "hold the line".   We were so thankful to experience it with friends.  The more the merrier and we all had a blast!

So we were all scrambling in the morning getting dressed, making breakfast, getting snacks and a diaper bag ready and making sure we had on layers and coats/hats/gloves/stroller etc.  We managed to get out the door at 7:15 and booked it over to Central Park West by taxi.  Once there we had to push through about 60 people to get to the front where our husbands were holding our spot!  People would not move.  I lead the troops holding Mikey, Katie, a stroller and bag.  I think I may have given a well deserved wack to a few people with my stroller for not moving.  It's like they didn't even hear me.....anyway we pushed through and had our group had front row spots to see the parade.  We waited for about 80 mins. for the parade to start at 9:00am.  About 10 minutes to 9 people just swarmed us from all over.  A mass of people just pushing their way closer to the fencing.  It was standing room only and I honestly think Katie had the most room sitting in her stroller. 

We stayed for about 90 minutes of the parade before our kids started to get antsy.  We saw lots of balloons and novelty balloons including Hello Kitty, Kermit the Frog, Diary of a Whimpy Kid, Spongebob Squarepants, Julius, Spiderman, and Kung Fu Panda was the last that we saw.  They are enormous in person flying right over our heads. We heard bands and saw some pretty famous people (so we have never heard of), Carly Rae Jepsen, Neon Trees, The Wanted, Flo Rider, Olivia Culpo (Miss America 2012), Jimmy Fallon, Whoopie Goldburg, Neil Diamond, some Food Network stars.  We had lots of confetti thrown on us and danced to lots of music and of course took way to many pictures.  All it all it was exhausting, exhilerating, fun and very special day.  We made many memories and are so thankful that we are living in NYC and could experience the parade!  Although our kids may be a little young, we are both so glad we went.

After the parade, we all came home and the kids took naps while I went to the grocery store to get all the food for our Thanksgiving dinner.  Yup, I waited until the day of to get everything.  We have enough leftovers for an entire week I think.  One of our friends was suppossed to come over but bailed at the last minute so it was just us!  I quickly thawed out the turkey, stuck it on the oven and even found time to run a quick 10K turkey trot!  Such a busy day and one that we won't forget any time soon.

First pic. of the Macy's Parade that I took.

Our confined spot.

The view behind us.  See the green baloons all the way in the back by the tree, there were people way back there too that we had to fight our way through.

Mikeys vantage point. He spent most of the time on our shoulders.

Jen and Jack.

Wish Katie was in this pic.  She was snuggled below in the stroller.

She had the most room of anyone sitting in her stroller.  She had a good 2 feet clearance in front of her so she could look up and see the balloons.

Laughs with Daddy before the parade.

And snuggles too. 

As the parade start time neared we all got squished tighter and tighter together.



The Macy's Day Parade Sign.

The first marching band.  They were awesome and fiesty.

Mikey watching the bands go by.

Start of the parade.

Amazingly detailed floats!

Food Network float.

Kermit and Mikey.

The balloons went right above our heads.

Prime real estate.  Every window had people hanging out of it. 

Charlie Brown.

Lots of little floats to see.

One of Mikey's favorites, Kung Fu Panda.

Float with Jimmy Fallon on it.

Spiderman was awesome!

Mikey loved all the balloons and Katie too.  She definitely noticed them when they went by.

The 80's dancers were a hoot to watch.  Close up they had the hair and makeup done right too and the high waisted leotard.

Sponge Bob.

The smurfs!

Confetti at our feet.  I'm still finding pieces of this in our apt.

We finally pushed our way to the front just in time to see the NYPD band.

Love this of Mikey peering through the gates.  He was totally enamored with the parade.



Flo Rider- whoever he is.





Diary of a Whimpy Kid.  This was the last balloon we stayed for before the kids were ready to go. Wish we would have seen Buzz.  Till next year!

Turkey time.

Gobble Gobble.  Our turkey prints.