Frigid Fourth of July

Okay, it wasn't frigid, but it was pretty darn cold. And rainy. And un-fourth-of-july-like.Yuck.

These photos were taken before the weather changed. T-shirts and shorts...what were we thinking?

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In my pre-child life, going to a Fourth of July Parade never entered my mind. Not that I am not patriotic. Hey, I love this country! I am just not a parade person. So what prompted me to watch a parade out in a cold, steady rain? Molly. There was no discussion, no debating, no hemming and hawing. Alright, alright there was a small degree of whining. But I sucked it up, we loaded in the card and set off. It was the Fourth of July and my kid was going to see a parade, gosh darn it!

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When it came to the actual parade, I don't remember much of anything except the long line at the only vendor who was selling hot coffee. But that is beside the point. My entire goal was to ensure that Molly was having a good time (that and trying to regain feeling in my fingertips). I think she did.

How does that happen? I live for over forty years focusing mostly on what makes me happy, and then along comes this little person and that all goes out the window. Whatever makes her happy is now the center of my life. Weird.

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After starting out on such a soggy note, the rest of the day definitely got better. We were lucky enough to have Tony's family join us for the holiday. Molly's grandmom traveled down to spend the weekend with us. This delighted Molly to no end. She loves having company over, especially when that company makes her the center of attention. Grandmom did not disappoint!

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Tony's sister, niece and nephew joined us for the parade and again in the evening for a cookout. The weather broke long enough to throw some shish kabobs and burgers on the grill, and although we still had to eat inside, the weather did start to improve.

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Late in the evening, we headed out to see the fireworks, an event that Molly loved. She was fascinated by all of the colors and didn't mind the noise at all. However, she did feel that they were not being polite by being so loud. After each boom, she put her index finger to her lips and gave them a gentle "shhh." Quite adorable in my book!

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Although the weather didn't fell summer like, and the rain and cold altered our plans a bit, we managed to make lemonade out of lemons, and I guess that's what it's all about.

Happy Independence Day everyone!