Saturday was a busy day. It was very hot too, a typical August summer day in the upper 80s or 90s. My husband had some projects to do around the house, so I took Abby out and about. Our first stop was Wendell Old Home Day. We don't live in Wendell, but we live close enough to go for walks in Wendell, and we have a Wendell library card etc. I knew we'd see some friends there because we went last year too. We parked at the library, but Abby had no interest in going inside except to wash her hands. Then we headed over to the common and saw the horses and other animals. I scanned the crowd and found the kids area and our friends. Abby latched on to her friend Liam from preschool even though he was occupied with some of his other friends. Abby's former friend Liam, from our old daycare was there too. Last year she clung to him at Wendell Old Home Day, but this year she wanted nothing to do with him. So we hung out with the 2 Liams and some other families until it was time for the parade to start. It was delayed I guess because the stilt walkers weren't ready, and then the fire truck had trouble getting into position because someone blocked it with a car. Eventually we marched in the parade, twice around the town common. I wish I had taken pictures, but I didn't. Wendell has a reputation for being a little different, and the parade is true to that. People dress up very silly, and make music playing kazoos and other instruments. It's not very organized from the looks of things, but it's fun.
Here's a video from Wendell Old Home Day in the 1970s some time.
After doing the parade, Abby said goodbye to our friends and told me it was time to go. Before we could leave though, I had to go past the library tag sale and make a donation by buying Abby a Winnie the Pooh. Then I ran into an old friend of mine who I had not seen in many years. I first met her in 1982 when my mother and step-father split up. She was a friend of my mothers, and her middle boy was/is my brother's age. I babysat for her in 1982, and a few years later moved into her home. I lived with her family for a year while I was a sophomore in high school. She was "my mother, my sister, and my friend" as I wrote often in those days. I am happy to see she is remarried and living in Scotland these days, and maybe, hopefully she will get to move back to the States sometime. She says she is homesick. It was great to see her and see that she is well. She's an incredible person and her life's stories would be a great read, although I don't know if she writes.
Anyway, Abby and I left Wendell and went home for some cold water and sunblock. We got some ice pops and then headed to Montague for Old Home Day there. (Sorry no video for that one.) We passed my mom on the way. She was headed to Lake Wyola, but turned around and joined us. We found parking and did a tour of the town common and the church. Not much to hold our interest, although we did get some more stuffed animals at the church tag sale. Abby refused to use the portapotties so I brought her back to the car for our emergency potty. Then we watched the parade. This parade is much more organized. There were lots of fire trucks from various towns, old tractors, a local softball team, dancers, and more. Abby's favorite thing was that many of the participants threw candy at the spectators. Abby got a bag full. At one point the fire trucks were making A LOT of noise and Abby covered up her ears, but there was candy to be gathered too and she was SO conflicted. She wanted that candy, but.. finally the father of another child ran out into the road, gathered a handful of it, gave his wife a few pieces and deposited the rest into Abby's bag and ran away. She tried to thank him but he couldn't hear her over the sirens. When the parade was over, I bought Abby and my mom popsicles at the store and we sat outside while they ate them. Then my mom left, and I brought Abby home.
Abby was still go-go-go though. I couldn't get her to eat lunch or take a nap so I turned her over to my husband. He took her to the state beach at Lake Wyola and got her to eat a hot dog and took her swimming while I took a short break. I caught up with them a while later and my mom was there too. My husband and my mom eventually left, and Abby and I played in the water for another 2 hours before I finally dragged her away at 6pm. We had the stroller with us, and I got her in that for the walk home. She was asleep before I got to the driveway.
I carried the stroller in, with her still asleep, and later moved her into her room. She pretty much slept the whole night. No supper, but she was wiped out. A happy kid. At 2am when she woke up briefly, I did her meds and put her to bed with me.
A great day!
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