O'Vindication!

If anyone remembers, last year's Saint Patrick's Day parade was a big, fat, FLOP for the Mallett family.  With the wind chill factor it felt about 20 degrees and everyone was crying.  

This year however, was proof that a dream deferred is not a dream denied.

Last year we FROZE, and this year felt like SUMMER.

Even the daffodils were out to say hello!

Last year, we missed the parade.  And this year?  This year we were IN the parade!

That's Jack in the striped top hat.

It was all thanks to little Miss McSunshine who started taking Irish dancing lessons again six months ago.  Her school marches in the parade each year, and families are allowed to join in the fun!

Molly is behind the little girl in white holding the school banner.

And here she is marching with her classmates. 

I was SO PROUD of my shy girl for jumping right in and holding hands with a girl she didn't know and jigging her way down the parade route.   She was proud of herself too.  I overheard her telling Ben "We get to walk in the parade!  We're going to be famous!!"  

After we were through with the parade, we met up with Auntie Treecie (who was visiting us on her spring break from nursing school, just like last year!) Auntie Ulia and cousin Cam (who is a whole lot bigger than he was at this time last year!).

 Ben and Molly had a ball sitting on the rock ledge around the fountain.  I couldn't believe Ben was still standing - he walked the entire 2 mile parade route, refusing to sit in the wagon, or even hold my hand!

He was so adorable in the shirt Auntie Treecie brought him!  Cameron had a matching one too.

They really are best buddies.  It's so sweet to watch.

Then we met back up with Daddy, who wasn't able to get back to walk with us after dropping us off, the parade traffic was so congested.

We found our neighbors at their perch outside Sullivan's Steakhouse.

And we got to watch the last bit of the parade with Daddy.  You'll never believe who came to celebrate St. Paddy's Day in Naperville....

Darth Vader!  Apparently, he's "Black Irish", har har.

He brought his buddies too....

Bet you never saw a Storm Trooper in a kilt before!  

What a fantastic day!  We all went home exhausted, kissed Auntie Treecie goodbye as she headed back to Boston, and collapsed for the afternoon (except for Marc and Jack, who went and played 9 holes of golf)

We had a great time, and were absolutely, 100% vindicated from our disastrous parade-fail last year.

I can't wait to see what our next St. Patrick's Day in Naperville brings!