Our Canada Day To Remember

Happy Belated Canada Day to everyone! Hope you all had a great holiday. Ours was fun, but it had it's moments.

Friday, June 30
Friday night we took the kids to see the fireworks. After driving up and down the street a bazillion times, we finally found a place to park. We thought it should have been the best seats in the house, right down close to the lagoon, and wondered why there weren't more people here. We didn't realize that this year they decided to try something new and set them off over the park. We still had a pretty amazing view, with just one tree blocking a little bit of the low ones. I must say, this year had to be Blackville's best yet. I kept preparing the kids for the end, saying "Okay guys, here is the grand finale!", but it wasn't. It went on and on and on. Very nice!

Every year we go up to my Aunt Donna's house to watch the parade and have a big family BBQ. This year I thought I would be a keener and instead of just taking my usual salad, I thought I would make ice-cream pies. One chocolate-strawberry and one peanut-butter. So after we came home from the fireworks, and the kids were in bed, I stayed up extra late making them. They looked pretty good if I do say so myself. So....the pies had been made, the kids had already been bathed, .... I thought that the next day I would be well ahead of the game.

Saturday, July 1
I awoke to a beautiful sunny day. I made myself an ice-cappacino, sat down in front of the computer and sent everyone I know a humorous Canada Day e-card. I felt so energized that I mowed the lawn. Our big-ass lawn in the hot sun! I drank two bottles of water, had to reapply sunblock, but I got it done and felt good about it. The lawn always looks so much better when it is freshly mowed. After recovering from my mild sunstroke, I painted my finger and toe nails - half red, half white. Very patriotic! :) I showered, did my hair, got dressed and donned my usual Canada Day necklace (red & white beads w/ little flags). Jason helped the kids put on tatoos and then we put a few on ourselves. And before we knew it, it was time to go! So I grabbed my two ice-cream pies from the freezer, set them on the dash of the van, and away we went.

As we were pulling out of the driveway, it started to pour. And I mean pour! It was like a river coming down the Barnettville road. We wondered if they would cancel the parade, it was so bad. The parade was not scheduled til 3pm, and anyone who lives here knows that they rarely start on time. We had left the house at 2:47pm, normally plenty of time to get there...... But not this year!

I don't know if it was because of the rain storm or what, but this year they actually started early! We almost made it, but not quite. We could see up ahead, that they were lining the floats up. A few cars ahead of us managed to pass through, so Jason tried to do the same. But just then this big fire engine decided to say "Not so fast!" and blocks us! The kids started crying "We're going to miss the parade! We're not going to get any candy! I want to see the parade!". I turned around and promised them that I would not let them miss it. Jason had thought about turning around and speeding down through the rapids, but I knew we probably wouldn't make it. We managed to get our van to the parking lot where the Metro used to be. It looked like the parade hadn't really started yet, like it was stalled. So we decided that we would walk to the bridge, watch the parade go by from there, and then drive to Donna's.

It had just stopped raining, so the ground was completely soaked. We started walking as fast as could for the bridge. But, just as reached the end of the parade, the thing started moving! Jason put Abby on his back but we still couldn't seem to walk any faster than the parade was moving. Maybe it was because the kids kept picking up soggy candy off the street. The kids saw a lot of classmates from school. Every few feet, we would see someone we knew and wave. So there we were, my whole tattooed family wearing red and white, marching in the parade along side the last fire engine. Video cameras were everywhere. We got a few looks of "What are they doing?" or "Who do they think they are?". If they only knew.

We cut through the road where you can go over to the rapids and then onto digby lane. Jules had been asking for us to go for a walk as a family... well, she got her wish. We were almost to Donna's house and now the parade was coming to meet us. We slowed our pace a bit and watched it go by. The kids were thrilled that candy was finally getting thrown at them. And it wasn't soggy! We reached our destination in time to watch the last half of the parade with the group, who were surprised to see us. "Where did you's come from?" they all asked. Everyone laughed as we told our tale.

Meanwhile...... my ice-cream pies were still sitting in the parking lot and now the sun was out again and shining. We were a bit sticky and thirsty from our trek, so we went into the house to have a drink and wait for the traffic to clear up, before we would go and get the van. After a little while, Tanya, a friend of Corrie's, volunteered to give Jason a drive. However, the traffic was still jammed up and they weren't getting very far. Tanya points out the window at a man standing in front of his house, and tells Jason that he should ask to borrow his bicycle. So out Jason goes, and explains to this man, who doesn't really know, how we had to leave the van, we're at a family BBQ and that his wife has two ice-cream pies melting. He gives Jason a look, but says OK. Tanya comes back to Donna's house and I wait for Jason to return.

Time passes and no Jason. Corrie tells me I'm wanted on the phone. It's Jason saying that the van won't start. He needs some one to come and bring him some WD-40. So away Tanya goes again. After so long, Tanya returns alone, carrying my two melting pies which are now dripping all over her sandals. Apparently, Jason was supposed to keep trying to get the van going, and then return the bicycle. A lot of time passes and still no Jason. Finally I decide that I must borrow a car and go look for him. As I reach the top of driveway, I can see Jason walking toward me with a big smile on his face, carrying a six pack of beer. He could not get the van to start. So he got on the bike to return it to it's owner who was convinced that Jason had stolen it and was never bringing it back. But on the way...... the bike broke! That's right. The wheel nuts fell off and Jason had to walk the bike across the bridge, up the road and return it to the man - broken. I mean come on! Who else does this happen to?

The rest of the day was pretty tame. Jason's Dad came and took him and the kids home, while I hitched a ride with Mom. The van started long enough to get it home but wouldn't start again. Gerdie took the kids up to his house for their scheduled sleep-over and later we went down to Liane's for her birthday party. I tried a new drink (#82 on my list) and didn't come home until 2am.

All in all, it was quite the unforgettable Canada Day for the Keenan's.