Gasparilla Children's Parade

Our weekend went something like this-
Saturday:
5:00 am: Wake up, drink coffee, eat powerbar, go run 12 miles (It was supposed to be an 18 miler, but my IT band started really hurting and I had to cut it short. Bummer)
2:00 pm: Pack up and leave for the parade.

7:00 pm: Sitter arrives, puts James to sleep, drive over to Wana and Darrin's house to celebrate her birthday.

12:00 am: Get home and pass out from exhaustion!

Unlike last year, we actually got to see the parade this year. The weather was perfect and James was much more entertained by all of the sights and sounds! It was so cute watching him take in all of the people and events.

We went with our neighbors, Mark and Amy, and their two kids. We were invited to her friend's house (right on Bayshore) for hot dogs, munchies, adult beverages and a nice, large front lawn, perfect for the kids! The best part was not having to wait in line for a porta-potty with the rest of the crowd! It was great having such a nice set up to relax and unwind!

My little pint-sized pirate eating some grub! Actually, this pirate outfit was too small for him and he didn't like being confined in it's tightness. So, I didn't keep him in it for too long.

James preferred to be up high for the parade viewing. I found out that he LOVES pretzels! He kept this pretzel clenched in his mouth for an eternity (until it dissolved and fell apart.)

The parade festivities were so much fun. James loved "people-watching" and thoroughly enjoyed himself the whole day. Some very nice little girls showered him with beads, but we didn't want him overloaded so we went back up to the house for some more socializing. We saw some of the most creative pirate ships (strollers and wagons decorated to look like ships). Will said that he wants to try his hand at creating a "pirate ship" for next year. Yeah, we'll see how that goes!