happy 4th of july….

Happy 4th of July from my Yankee Doodle sweetheart…. yes, he’s my Yankee Doodle boy.. =)

We did the little neighborhood parade today. It wasn’t as successful as in years past. Imagine whiny, hot kids who are too little to keep up and want you to drag their bikes instead. As soon as we got home, David put swimsuits on the boys, and I threw lunch in a cooler. We had a wonderful few hours at the local neighborhood pool.

I discovered that hanging with the baby in the deeper end is a lot of fun. David let the boys jump into his arms in the shallow end. Seth decided to jump without being caught for the first time! He’s not afraid of going under anymore…

And my sweet baby got all tuckered out eventually. He fell asleep on my shoulder, his little blue sun hat shading his face as he sucked methodically on his passy. I swayed gently back and forth in the blue water, savoring the fleeting moment. He hardly ever falls asleep in my arms anymore.

We grilled out with our neighbors. We had cantaloupe, watermelon, pasta salad, potato salad, salted peanuts in the shell, hamburgers, hot dogs, and homemade slaw. It was a 4th of July feast fit for a, umm, republican non-monarchist. =) I made the easiest 4th of July dessert ever- red and blue jello layered with Cool Whip. It was a hit.

And now the boys are off to set off fireworks in the cul de sac with the neighbors. Happy 4th, all! Remember how blessed we are to live in this country, despite its faults. I’m so thankful for the freedom and opportunities that we have here….