He saved the day!

There have been times when my husband has been the hero of the day, but today shall go down in history.

We rode the bus from West Point to NYC, got dropped next to Times Square, and set up parade watch right in front of good old McDonalds.

It didn't take me long to realize that, although we were pressed up against the barricade, we were on the wrong side of the square for up-front viewing. But Shawn saved the day. When the security officer passed by, he spoke up and asked if his wife and kids might possibly go to the other side. And you know what? He said we could!

So the kids and I crossed Times Square to Broadway, and I convinced the kids to excuse themselves all the way past the tall grown-ups to the barricade on the parade route. We made it just as the first clowns came through.

You know you are in the front of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade when you have to look UP to see the balloons. Some of them were so big, and we were so close, that I couldn't pan out far enough to see the whole balloon in the camera viewfinder.

Now, that's close!

I thought Hailey would be excited to see Miley Cyrus up close, but they were both more excited to see the Fetchers from Fetch with Ruff Ruffman (PBS). Hailey squealed and said she might die. Thankfully, she didn't.

My best part? David Archuletta waved at me! Okay, he waved in my direction, but there was DEFINITELY eye contact while he waved!

Oh, I could just die!