Let me begin by saying, in no way am I going to pursue this because I find it incredibly funny. Leave it to me to be the one candy is "attracted" to, and ultimately be the one that candy has caused pain. Now, I know that candy can be a cause of the dreaded "tooth-decay", but who knew getting whipped in the head with a Fifth Avenue candy bar could leave one with a headache that's lasted over 24 hours and a head welt. *wince*
Oh, 5th Avenue, why have you done me wrong?
Let me back up a bit; so yesterday was our city's annual Christmas parade. My oldest had slept over a friend's house, so he was at the parade but a little further up (he got to see the parade before we did). My two youngest were with me and overly anxious to see the parade, never having been to this one before. To top it all off, we heard Santa Claus was going to be there! That literally had my 3-year-old hopping crazily throughout the whole spectacle.
The parade started at noon, but where we were positioned (on the Green, or for you non-Tauntonian's "the center of town") it didn't actually begin until nearly 1. Well technically there were 5 police motorcyclists doing fancy speed-up/slow-down routines, and a crowd collecting cans/non-perishable foods for the food pantry (I didn't know they did this, I will have to remember to bring some cans/non-perishable foods with me next year) but the "fun" didn't actually start until just about 1. We had arrived early so we were able to get a great view; right up front, against the police barricade (I don't know why but this made me giggle).
Fancy cars passed by, beautiful horses too; people in stiff suits and little kids on floats, not to mention the six or seven various high school bands. It was loud, it was entertaining, and it was chock-full of candy being thrown at the anxious and awaiting crowd.
Small Tootsie rolls, gum balls, and candy canes were hurled to the ground so that they'd slip easily through the bottom of the barricade to the awaiting children, mine included. A group came along with toys and my daughter was a lucky recipient of a brand new teddy bear. Another group passed by and handed out full-sized Hershey bars, which my 3-year-old eagerly grabbed. Things were going oh so well, and a fellow Tauntonian high school student remarked on how lucky my family seemed to be getting all the toys and candy. Her mother piping in that it must be my "blue sweater standing out in a sea of black" (eerily those standing beside us all appeared to be wearing a black coat of some sort). Regardless, my kids loved the attention, and especially loved the treats.
I was pleased for them, that is until the Taunton Dive team came by. They were throwing full-sized candy bars INTO the crowd, not on the ground as the others had been doing. My kids were doubly excited at the prospect of catching even "larger game" and were hopping about trying to catch the goods. On the first toss in our direction I caught a Reeces crunch bar, which I promptly looked down to slip it into my 3-year-old's open hat (the kids got the brilliant idea to "save" all their candy and treats in my 3-year-old's winter hat - don't worry mom's, it was nearly 55 degrees out and he was still wearing a winter coat hood). While I was temporarily distracted *BAM,*
little white stars twinkled in my eyes, and I was left with a throbbing pain in my head. I looked up to see a young girl on the Dive team float cringing and a guy behind me cheerfully waving his newly caught Fifth Avenue bar that had just bounced off of my head.
Yup ... my favorite candy treat, Fifth Avenue, caused me to suffer from a welt on my head and a throbbing headache for over 24 hours. Who know those things packed such a wallop!
I didn't cry. I held back my tears. Instead, I watched every little thing being thrown at me for the rest of the afternoon, and it continued to be a lot. My kids made out like bandits.
My only gripe is, you'd think the guy who caught the candy bar off my head would've at least given it to me for my pain, but nope ... he kept it. ((shrugs)) Oh well...something for the memory books I suppose. :)
The parade started at noon, but where we were positioned (on the Green, or for you non-Tauntonian's "the center of town") it didn't actually begin until nearly 1. Well technically there were 5 police motorcyclists doing fancy speed-up/slow-down routines, and a crowd collecting cans/non-perishable foods for the food pantry (I didn't know they did this, I will have to remember to bring some cans/non-perishable foods with me next year) but the "fun" didn't actually start until just about 1. We had arrived early so we were able to get a great view; right up front, against the police barricade (I don't know why but this made me giggle).
Fancy cars passed by, beautiful horses too; people in stiff suits and little kids on floats, not to mention the six or seven various high school bands. It was loud, it was entertaining, and it was chock-full of candy being thrown at the anxious and awaiting crowd.
Small Tootsie rolls, gum balls, and candy canes were hurled to the ground so that they'd slip easily through the bottom of the barricade to the awaiting children, mine included. A group came along with toys and my daughter was a lucky recipient of a brand new teddy bear. Another group passed by and handed out full-sized Hershey bars, which my 3-year-old eagerly grabbed. Things were going oh so well, and a fellow Tauntonian high school student remarked on how lucky my family seemed to be getting all the toys and candy. Her mother piping in that it must be my "blue sweater standing out in a sea of black" (eerily those standing beside us all appeared to be wearing a black coat of some sort). Regardless, my kids loved the attention, and especially loved the treats.
I was pleased for them, that is until the Taunton Dive team came by. They were throwing full-sized candy bars INTO the crowd, not on the ground as the others had been doing. My kids were doubly excited at the prospect of catching even "larger game" and were hopping about trying to catch the goods. On the first toss in our direction I caught a Reeces crunch bar, which I promptly looked down to slip it into my 3-year-old's open hat (the kids got the brilliant idea to "save" all their candy and treats in my 3-year-old's winter hat - don't worry mom's, it was nearly 55 degrees out and he was still wearing a winter coat hood). While I was temporarily distracted *BAM,*
little white stars twinkled in my eyes, and I was left with a throbbing pain in my head. I looked up to see a young girl on the Dive team float cringing and a guy behind me cheerfully waving his newly caught Fifth Avenue bar that had just bounced off of my head.
Yup ... my favorite candy treat, Fifth Avenue, caused me to suffer from a welt on my head and a throbbing headache for over 24 hours. Who know those things packed such a wallop!
I didn't cry. I held back my tears. Instead, I watched every little thing being thrown at me for the rest of the afternoon, and it continued to be a lot. My kids made out like bandits.
My only gripe is, you'd think the guy who caught the candy bar off my head would've at least given it to me for my pain, but nope ... he kept it. ((shrugs)) Oh well...something for the memory books I suppose. :)
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