Our Independence Day started off and ended patriotically; the in between part, not so much. More like a lazy Saturday. It was so hot and stormy outside with severe thunderstorm warnings and even a tornado watch that this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. What we did accomplish: naps, Matt cooking his mom's yummy baked beans, Holly cleaning out/excavating the car, and the kids playing outside.
The morning flag raising and breakfast at the church was a great start to the day. Especially the music sung just before hand. The 2nd and 3rd verses of the Start Spangled Banner are so moving it is too bad we don't sing them more often. I definitely had tingles as I sung the words.
After dinner we piled in the car and drove over to Univ of MD to meet up with two other families and watch the fireworks from a nearby parking lot. I wasn't expecting much but was quite impressed. There was a live "Elvis" performing nearby on a stage and some food vendors and relatively clean port-a-potties along another side of the lot. (Being of small pregnant bladder and with newly potty-trained toddler the potties were most welcome!!) So plenty of distractions while we waited. Almost too many because one of the other little boys, just younger than Evalyn, wandered away and we all experienced 10 minutes of panic until he was found with another mom nearby. That was frightening indeed!
The fireworks were amazing! Near enough that they seemed right overhead but not so close that they were too loud or blew ash and smoke in our faces. (The video sorta captures it. Sorry about the dark patches. I was trying to pan to the boys and then Evalyn, but all you can make out is her pink bracelet!)
Evalyn didn't like the loud sounds, even at a small distance and covered her ears almost the entire time. She was done after 5 minutes. Henry loved it though. He was transfixed for the first 10 minutes and then clapped and smiled along with Mommy and Daddy. It was amazing how the big ones filled the entire sky above us. My favorite were the willowy ones that stay for a bit before melting away. Towards the end of the almost 45 minute(!!) performance the kids were both very antsy and tired, since it was nearing 10PM. We were all packed and ready to head just as the Grand Finale began. It was quite impressive. But the best part was Henry falling asleep in the car so we didn't have to do the hour-long sit by the crib routine since he is now climbing out. More on that later, I'm sure.
4 comments:
That's interesting that your fireworks were just ending at 10pm--ours were just beginning! Sounds like it went really well for you. We haven't been brave enough to keep our kiddies out late for the 4th.
Oh, and I'm supposed to tell you that Mom is very impressed with your embedded slideshow. :)
Maybe next year we'll head down to CP - that sounds great!
Hey Holly, we had fun eating pancakes by you in the morning and sitting in the parking lot by you during the fireworks! It WAS a good 4th!
So glad you had fun. I love the 4th of July!
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