We spent much of the fourth with family, starting with a local neighborhood parade with Sarah and her family. There wasn't much to the parade--a few police cars, a fire engine, and lots and lots of children in strollers, on bikes, on scooters (sounds like a Dr. Seuss book . . . they came by scooters, bikes, and trikes). There was the random group of ponies, a Native American dancer, and a mini-train with children in the boxcars. Oh, and we can't forget the homeless man that stalked past us too. But it was just about perfect: not too long, the kids got enough candy (i.e., too much) to be happy, and best of all we got to sit in the shade the entire time.
Oliver before the parade:
Andrew and Evelyn before the parade. Why the weird poses? I don't know.
After the parade, we followed up on a family Fourth tradition and retired to a local venue for cold soda (most of the adults) and ice cream (kids). We also polished off four rounds of family fries among the thirteen of us.
The kids cones--baby cones really--were free, and the perfect size for Oliver. He couldn't eat it fast enough. He ate the entire thing (okay, I ate most of the cone).
And me, looking more freckled than usual.
We had a lovely lunch at Sarah's house of pulled pork sandwiches with a home-made slaw that Dan actually liked (he usually abhors slaw). Oliver ate lots of watermelon and got incredibly sticky in the process.
That afternoon, we headed to my aunt Dahnelle's house. She'd prepped for all the kids and had two kid pools going out front: a tiny, shallow baby pool that was perfect for Oliver (the water was pre-warmed by the sun) and a bigger kid pool with a mini-slide and dragon head that spewed water. My Evelyn was particularly thrilled that the other "Evelyn" (her second cousin Evalynn) was there to play with.
Dan and I spent the time talking with several of my cousins (Dahnelle's girls, Erin, Mikayla, Demetrie; three of Tera's boys: Kevin, Nolan, and Traven), and my aunt Jeannie and her friend Jeanette. It was lovely to see so many family members in one place.
Friday was pretty casual after the craziness of Thursday; we hung out at my mom's house, and Jeni brought her kids over to play for a little bit. Then we drove *back* up north so Dan and Andrew could go to the Bees game with the cousins; I took Oliver and Evelyn back with me, as none of us were prepared for such a late night (nor was there room at Sarah's!)
I can't help but see the timing of our trip as a kind of tender mercy. As I drove down I-15, I could see black storm clouds on the western side of the freeway. It was clear that it was already raining out toward the lake. We rounded the point of the mountain and ran into some rain and some strong winds--at one point, I had to fight to keep the car in our lane, the wind was blowing so powerfully. Still, we made it home without any major problems. But my mom greeted us with some concern: apparently the news had reported traffic at a slow crawl at the point of the mountain and drivers were dealing with sleet, in addition to the lightning storm. If I'd left even 15 minutes later, that would have been me. And I hate driving in inclement weather. The freeway alone is daunting enough for me.
Saturday, I was back on the freeway, heading up to reunite with my older boys and to attend Jasper's baptism (the son of Dan's cousin Jason). It was a really lovely service--it would have been lovelier if my sleep-deprived oldest child had been a little less cranky. (After the baptism itself, he complained of boredom and tried folding the paper program into an airplane--and then protested loudly when I confiscated the airplane).
Afterward, we had lunch at Jason and Liza's beautiful home (it's an older home, but it's been gorgeously restored): fried chicken, some of the best beans I've ever had, watermelon . . . perfect food for the Fourth of July weekend. I *had* to eat Evelyn's chocolate chip cookie (warm, slightly melted chocolate from sitting in the sun--pretty close to perfect, for a cookie) when she wouldn't eat it. Andrew ate his own weight in treats, pretty much: cookies, ice-cream . . . and then ran around the yard as part of a water-gun gang. He was a little out-matched (he and his four-year-old second cousin Vince were matched up against Jasper and one of Jasper's older cousins), but he had fun anyway. Oliver slept for about ten minutes, and then decided he didn't want to miss any of the party.
And I mean, look at this face--why wouldn't he want to play? (This is him with a mouthful of strawberries--one of his recently discovered favorites).
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