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Independence Day in Photos

Independence Day in Photos

Ben fell asleep soon after we got to my brother-in-law’s house yesterday afternoon. It was his nap time. Unfortunately, he woke up when we tried to move him to the couch. He didn’t go back to sleep, he didn’t eat anything. He didn’t go swimming. But at least he wasn’t too cranky. For the mot part he stayed inside and played with his cousin’s trucks.

Bella ate two hamburgers and two hotdogs. A record for her. She used to be like Ben and never ate at parties.

My mother-in-law with my newest niece, Veronica. So glad Mum B could make it.

My niece, Zelie. Isn’t she the cutest? I love her topknot and all her smiles. She was having a great time going up and down that step over and over again.

Anthony was trying very hard to get Theresa’s beer into his mouth. I’m so glad Tree felt well enough to come out despite the constant headache.

What 4th of July celebration is complete without a jello eating contest?

I didn’t get a headcount but there must have been about a dozen families with around forty or fifty kids. What an incredibly joyful crowd it was! And everyone so full of love and life. The teenagers were none of them snooty or rude. They played well with the littlest ones, held babies, bent to greet toddlers. No fights, no squabbles. Just good fun.

Dom’s an experienced dad. He can eat a burger while balancing a baby on his knee.

Zelie and Bella.

Ben shows off his belly.

Ben took one or two bites of watermelon. The rest of that luscious fruit couldn’t tempt him. So I ate it.

My attempt at Jenn’s stone fruit cake. It tasted great but didn’t set in the middle. I think I need to buy an oven thermometer. That’s the second time I’ve had a cake not set. So frustrating.

Bella and Sophie spent hours in the pool. Bella was thrilled to realize she can stand in the shallow end.

Ben with blankies.

Swimming.

At the end of the day we had a reading of the Declaration of Independence. Several of the adults too turns reading. My brother-in-law John is holding the paper and his oldest son, Peter is reading.

John finishes up the last few lines of the Declaration. What a great idea. It’s a different sort of thing to hear it read out loud on the celebration of the day it was signed.

After the reading of the Declaration we all said a rosary, the members of the various families each taking turns leading.

And after the rosary there were roasted marshmallows and s’mores.

And there was also plenty of tech-geekery. Trading iPhone apps, isn’t that how all great parties end? I had to tear him away so we could get our very tired kids into bed. It was ten o’clock before they were all in their beds snug and sound with the faint cracks of fireworks still sounding occasionally in the distance.

All photos taken on my iPhone, so not the greatest quality.

 

 

 

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6 comments
  • so good to know that i’m not the only one having had a c-section.  there are a lot of people in my circle who go off and foam at the mouth about the EVILS of c-sections.

  • Oh, I almost did that one, but only because “cascade of interventions” is seven syllables… the last line of that same haiku attempt about my first child’s birth was “radical is born” which is meant to foreshadow that I now think I overreacted more than a bit to the first c-section which came after said so-called cascade. I still wish I’d avoided the first c/s (quite likely possible, but only God really knows) and am very glad to have been afforded later the rare opportunity to VBA2C (in a hospital with a supportive OB), but perspective was a long time in coming.  I thank God it didn’t come because of harm to one of my children (or myself). I’m so glad I didn’t have the opportunity to write birth story haiku a few years ago and be embarrassed later about yet another display of my ignorance and arrogance.

  • Thanks, Hallie, Kate.

    jen, that drives me crazy. Sure, many c-sections are done needlessly, but does raging at the women who have had them do anything but make them feel bad. And what about all the women whose lives have been saved by c-sections? Don’t even get me started….

    ex-new yorker,

    I love the phrase “cascade of interventions”. (Not the series of events it describes though. Ick!) Jealous of your successful VBAC. My attempt was so frustrating and then that was the hardest c-section to recover from because I was already so exhausted and probably dehydrated too. I’m totally with you about how hard it is to maintain perspective. I still have that nagging what if it had been avoidable feeling.

    mothering spirit,

    I’m definitely guilty of writing too-long birth stories. Of writing too-long everything, probably. Love your haiku. Both times my water broke it was that little trickle. The movies totally oversell the water breaking thing.

  • Hysterical! I love haikus, and I agree that birth stories can get way too long. Here’s one for you:

    That’s just a trickle.
    Can’t be my water breaking…
    WRONG: Here comes baby!

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