It's Turkey Day—Let's Have a Parade!!!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, one of our very favorite holidays!!! (And not just because of all the delicious things to eat...)

Thanksgiving starts early at our house - at 5:30 in the morning! That's because for the 6th year,  Mommy will be a clown in the 82nd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!!!

We thought we'd give you an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour... This is Mommy and Jazz's Mom at the parade two years ago. It was freezing cold and rainy - but you can't tell from their expressions. The longest running show on Broadway must go on!

Everyone in the parade meets up at a hotel near Macy's. There the ballroom is filled with racks of colorful costumes and props. (This year, Mommy will be a Jester clown.) Once you get into your costume-- with layers of thermal undies and tee-shirts underneath!-- it's off to makeup.

The Makeup Room is in another ballroom where there are literally hundreds of makeup artists on hand to give you the appropriate makeup for your costume. We have "Auguste" clownfaces.

Then we all pile onto buses to go up to the Museum of Natural History, where the parade begins up on Central Park West. There are characters, balloon ranglers and clowns galore - it's great fun to pull up at streetlights and wave to people in regular city buses - surprise!!!

Once we get to the Parade, we have to make our way to "Clown Corner," past all the balloons and floats.  Here are some of Mommy's favorite photos.

One year she was with the Funny Farm clowns as an ear of corn! It was her perfect excuse to make "corny" jokes - "What? I can't EAR you!"

This was Mommy's very first parade - she was a pregnant bridesmaid clown! It was 22-degrees but she was having so much fun, she didn't even feel the cold!

This balloon was created by the artist Jeff Koons. It was gorgeous and reflected all the clouds and trees and colors. We hope it's in the parade again - truly a work of art!

Last year, Mommy and Jazz's Mommy were Explorer clowns. The weather was warm and sunny but our costumes were pretty awful! We said we were Banana Republicans. That's when we decided - good costumes=awful weather; terrible costumes=great weather. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny but cool...what do you think they'll come up with for us as Jesters???

It's the end of the parade. We're arrived back at the hotel where it all began. Time to pose for final photos with kids along the parade route (they've been waiting to see us for a LONG time!) Then inside the hotel to take off the smeary makeup with babywipes, hang up our costumes (you should see the dumpster-size bin just filled with fuzzy neon-colored wigs!) and turn back into civilians.
We slip back into the crowds, unrecognizable from just minutes before. Then hop a cab to go tuck into a delicious brunch and watch the parade on TV. Hey! We were just IN that parade. 

So even if you don't recognize Mommy waving at you in the parade tomorrow, know that Mommy, Mica and me all wish you a very healthy, Happy Thanksgiving and a joyful, fun-filled holiday season!