4th of July

Now that I have kids the 4th of July is one of my most favorite days of the year. I remember when I was little, the city we lived in had a firework show every year. We lived on the lower elevations of a hill, so we could see the firework show from my bedroom window, but sometimes dad would drive us further up the hill so we could see even better. I remember my parents barbequeing sometimes, and occasionally we even got to do sparklers. My earliest memories of Independence Day are the fondest. When I was older, the city stopped putting on a firework show, and my parents had bought a travel trailer so most of the time we were camping at the beach for the holiday. While I loved being at the beach, the 4th of July just wasn't the same. Maybe a big part of that was simply because I was older and things just naturally lose some of their "magic". At any rate, fireworks kind of fizzle in the damp air, and there was no big show close by.

When we moved to our current house six years ago I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the 4th is celebrated in a big way in our community. The city puts on a firework show and a family friendly event at the park with bouncy houses, a big blow up slide, petting zoo and pony rides, face painting, live music, food booths and a few other odds and ends.

The reason I get so excited for the 4th is because it is chock full of fun for the girls, without really requiring much effort or planning on our part. How cool is it that nearly anything we would want to do is within walking distance?!

Our day started out bright and early with a flag raising ceremony and a breakfast at the church. They've built a nice covered pavillion next to the large field behind the church, so it's perfect for outdoor functions like this - and tons of room for the kids to run around when they're done eating. I love that this has become an annual event. It's such a great way to start the day and to remind us what we are really celebrating. I also remember attending several similar functions when I was young.

By the time we got home, the girls had a little down time while I prepared our food contribution for Hillbilly's barbeque. Unfortunately, this event is not within walking distance - so you need to move closer, Hillbilly! A good time was had by all, and fortunately this BBQ was less eventful than the last one we attended two years ago. That time C was playing in the yard with the other kids when she came up to me complaining that her mouth was burning. Turns out she had picked and eaten what she thought was a baby corn. I believe it was actually anthurium. So that was my first call to poison control, and hopefully my last. But by the time we got off the phone, she was feeling fine again - although we did give her and another inquisitive little girl a glass of milk for good measure.

We got home from the barbeque in the late afternoon, which is later than I like to nap the girls, but since we planned on keeping them up late, we couldn't skip naps. When they woke up we skeedaddled over to the park, only to find that they had already shut down the petting zoo and blow up stuff. They did still get to play in the sand area that was sponsored by P's sister's business Players for awhile - so that helped ease their disappointment. There was also a band playing, with a stage set up for dancing that was crowded with kids. Naturally, the girls were up there too. They were soooo cute dancing together and holding hands. C showed us her favorite move, the two fingers over the eyes that originated in the movie Pulp Fiction. I have no idea where she learned it, but it's pretty adorable when she does it. I pulled out my camera to take a picture, but the batteries were dead. I put in my spare rechargeable batteries, but they were dead too! So you're just going to have to imagine them in all of their cuteness.

We went home to watch the fireworks from the house. We must have one of the best views in the valley - right from our back deck. We can see the fireworks from the park, plus a 360 degree view of all the other fireworks being set off in the bowl of the valley. I've never lived anywhere where there have been so many illegal fireworks. This year there were warnings of cracking down on illegal fireworks, but it didn't appear to scare anyone off. I'm always amazed at how many people have money to burn, especially in the current economy. It was a great show, and the girls gratefully went to bed when it was all over.