4th of July

I definitely have my ups and downs as a parent.  This week was a wonderful 'up' week.  How could I not be happy having a rare day off in the middle of the week?  I raced out of work Wednesday night so that we could march in the Chanhassen kiddie parade.  Miles' decorated his bike and Hadley the wagon and we marched around a city block - trailing behind a fire truck with about 100 other kids.  Hadley's a future Miss Minnesota - she wore her movie star sunglasses and did the princess wave the entire time.  Halfway through though she started asking "where are all of the kitties?"  We had to explain that she's a kiddie and there weren't going to be any kitties.

Miles was in awe of all of the kids and pedaled hard until a breeze blew the patriotic helium balloon off the back of his bike and into the clouds.  His little heart seemed to break watching his balloon sail into space and he didn't quite understand why we couldn't retrieve it and he kept asking when it would come back.  A rice krispie bar at the end of the parade route made everyone feel better.

On Thursday we decided to celebrate the holiday all day long and started the day with a special treat of donuts that we picked up early when we went to put our blanket out to reserve our spot on the big parade route.  We went to the playground in the morning and enjoyed the sunshine.  After naps we headed to the big parade and sat with Darcy and Doreen, two of our super nannies, and their families.  The little and big kids loved the planes flying over head, the marching bands and all of the candy.  It was a hot and sticky day so we grilled and hung out in the kiddie pool that evening. 

Mike and I both worked Friday and Miles and Hadley got a tractor ride and slid on the slip and slide at the Lemke's house.  That evening we went to the cabin and enjoyed a fun weekend of pontoon rides, swinging, another kiddie pool, and playing with cousins.  One of the highlights was fishing for the first time.  Hadley's attention span is still a little short but Miles could have sat there for hours.  He was casting like a pro (almost better than mommy) after a few minutes.  For this first time he had a little pretend fish on his line but next time we'll use real bait.

All of these activities have left the kids a little beaten and bruised.  Everyone is tired.  Miles got hit in the nose with a canoe paddle and we took Hadley to the doctor today for what we thought was an unrelated rash on her legs and an eye infection.  We had been treating her eyes with leftover pink eye medication but she's now on an oral antibiotic and an antibiotic ointment.  We think we caught an infection before it got more serious and we're hoping the meds just knock this ickiness right out of her.  Tonight she was reading books by herself - explaining to me as I sat down beside her that the hippo in the story felt sad.  She also loves to pretend she's a kitty and takes this to the extreme - eating like a cat, mewing and picking things up with her "paws."  Lately, when we ask her a question she replies very properly "yeth."

Right now Hadley's in bed already and Mike and Miles are reading a Fancy Nancy book on the couch.