4th of July

We had a great time celebrating the 4th of July this year. We stayed in town and celebrated with the Drew and Karamin Heuertz family. We started the festivities at our neighborhood pool swimming a bit. Then we all came over to our house and had a cook out. After eating we had the kids complete a craft activity in an effort to keep them more calm before the fireworks. They made 4th of July hats (pictures below). It took all four adults to assist them in the project due to the properties of duct tape, but it was at least more calm than usual after dinner and less noisy. Then we all headed to the Largo HS football field for some fireworks. Drew is one of the football coaches so he was given permission to take us all through the gates and onto the field to watch the fireworks. It was awesome. Isaac brought his football and helmet so he could play on the field. The kids got to run around freely without any fear for the adults about crowds or personal fireworks. Then we also did our own sparklers on the field at dusk. We ended the night sitting at the top of the bleachers watching the city show right in front of us with several other public displays in the background. It was beautiful.

The best quotes of the evening came from Isaac as he tried to understand the idea of the 4th of July. I had been telling him it was America's birthday celebrating our freedom. He knows America in the context that he lives in America and that it is not India where Prema used to live. When Karamin brought the 4th of July cupcakes in our house, he really knew it was a "birthday" celebration as that is the only time we have them. When it was time to eat the cupcakes Isaac wanted to know "when is America coming so we can eat the cupcakes" (he thought we should sing "Happy Birthday" to her and knows you don't eat before the guest of honor). The when he saw the city fireworks display (his first time seeing a public display) he shouted with excitement "America's birthday candles!"