Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Macy's parade has been on my list of things to do while in NYC.  Last year we saw Santa from the park, but that was about all.  This year my parents and my sister Ash were flying in and I thought it would be a great family activity.  Bruce and Marcus left around 6:30 to find us a place.  About an hour later my mom Ashlee, me, and the girls headed out to meet up with them.  It was an adventure trying to find them.  For one Central Park West was closed off, so we had to take quite the detour just to get to the right side of the street.  That detour at one point included us jumping off a wall.  I wish someone was recording us...it would be so funny to watch.  Anyway we finally made it across the street and down to where they were on the parade route, on 72nd street.  Then the real challenge of trying to get the girls to them began.  The crowd was huge....HUGE.  The cross streets went back 100 yards with people.  I tried to fight my way through the crowd with just Hailey and Avery but quickly realized it wasn't going to happen.  I called Marc and he left their spot to come meet me.  Once you were out though there was no way back in.  Finally we decided the only way through was to go down the sidewalk to the subway, that the police had blocked off.  There was some building there that they were letting people go to called the Majestic.  So when the police officer asked if I was going to the majestic I said Yes.  I walked passed it and quickly got stopped by another officer.  Marc and I told him we were just trying to get our girls to their grandpa and we just wanted to pass them over the fence to him.  He said no for a second, and then said, "well I guess you can try."  So we walked down to the fence where we were stopped by another officer.  We told her the same thing and she said OK.  Then a guy next to her was like, "they're just trying to get through to family?"  We told him we were and he undid the rope on the gate opened it a crack for us and said, "Happy Thanksgiving.".  I've never been more surprised or thrilled.  So Marcus, Bruce, the girls, and I were able to have great views of the parade.  There was no way that was going to happen again, so poor mom and Ash had awful views of the parade.  They got to see the balloons, but that was about it.

I'm so grateful we went though.  It is something I don't ever have to do again, but I loved it.  The girls were super entertained.  We rotated holding them, and we had a great time.  In fact for some reason I started to get a little teary eyed when the parade started and the marching band went by.  I cry so much easier since becoming a mom, but I was just so happy to be there with my family.  It was a great start to our Thanksgiving day!

 Flo Rida

 Whoopi Goldberg

 Jimmy Fallon

 Kareem Abdul Jabar

 And of course the best is always saved for last...SANTA!!!