In Which We Have A Lovely Fourth

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

Connor had a much better day today.  He was still a little clingy and whiny, but we discovered that he's cutting a front tooth so that might have something to do with it.

Early this afternoon I heard a fire truck going by outside.  It seemed to be taking a ridiculously long time to pass, so I started wondering if maybe the fire was close by.  I peeked out a front window and realized that it was the annual neighborhood parade!  Jer scooped Connor up and we dashed outside to watch the fun.  Connor carefully waved to the fire truck, the police cars and motorcycles, the cars broadcasting music, and all the kids riding by on their decorated bicycles.  A policeman came over and gave him a sticker, which he gravely accepted and then went back to his important job of waving at every single person.  I'm pretty sure he believes the parades are put on especially for him.

It's too hot outside for him to participate in the summer parade, but since he's got his tricycle now maybe he can be in the Christmas parade!  He might have more fun watching though-- he'd probably be upset if he didn't have the opportunity to wave at Santa riding by on the engine.

The rest of the day was pretty fantastic too; we ate a lovely meal outside with our neighbors down the street, and then this evening I drove into town and picked my parents up from the airport.  We're so happy to have them visiting a few days!  We started the drive back right at sunset, and got to see some truly spectacular fireworks going up on both sides of the highway all the way home. 

That gives me an idea-- I think that next year I'm just going to load the kids in the car, put some patriotic music on and drive up and down I-5 rather than try and battle a crowd finding a spot to watch just one show.  I bet we'd see a lot more that way; the highway gives you a pretty good view of the surrounding landscape, and I'm pretty sure we were watching four or five different towns' worth of fireworks tonight during our half-hour trip home. 

That's not even counting all the ones we saw going up from the housing areas, and there were a ton of those. It's well past the end of all the structured shows and it still sounds like World War III out there right now.  Our house has pretty good soundproofing, too.  We've had a wet summer and there aren't exactly any burn restrictions in this area, so I think everybody went a little hog wild this year.

Oh well; we used to live right next to the army firing range, so it's nothing I haven't heard before!  And I enjoy watching them, though I have no desire to participate.  We've got enough things going on in this household without adding accidentally setting the yard (or ourselves) on fire to the list!

~Jess