My Son John: Fourth of July

Dear Jack,

What a wonderful Fourth of July we had today!

We shared it with our family friends... our friends who are becoming family as we spend our holidays with them when our family is too far away... the Robinsons and the Fords. If only the Hazens had been able to join us, it would have been perfect.

We started the day at San Gabriel Park with the annual celebration there.

They always have rides and booths with food and crafts to buy. They also have a petting zoo, which you thought was absolutely amazing.

I was a little surprised that having the goats and sheep running up to you to get the food wasn't overwhelming in any way. I was even more surprised when you managed to catch and hold a bunny (or three).

The best/silliest part of the celebration in the park is the parade, though. I somehow always forget that the Fourth of July "parade" is really just a bunch of kids riding their bikes, driving their Powerwheels, being pulled in wagons, or even pushed in strollers, all decorated for the Fourth of July. Your sister asked me how they got to do that. Apparently your sister wasn't the only one with "parade envy" though...

We ran into one of my friends and her daughter, who is a month younger than you and was herself upset at not being in the parade. So you and she waved your flags around and we cheered as though you were in the parade. So there.

From the parade (and the coda to the parade) we went off in search of cool treats and "carny food" as your dad calls it. You and your sister got so comfy sitting in the middle of the walkway drinking your milkshake that another random boy came and sat by you. He figured it must be some sort of official rest stop, I guess.

From there, we walked around and looked at all of the booths that you and your sister could stand before the heat got to us and we headed home. At home, you were fast asleep, worn out from all the heat and hard playing. Sweet boy.

During your nap, your dad made the cookie cake we were supposed to bring over to the Robinson's. Every other time your dad has made a cookie cake, there has always been someone else (mostly your Grandma, but once it was Mrs. Hazen and another time it was Mrs. Hazen's step-mom, Diana) to decorate the cake. This time, it was all me. Happily, it was a low-pressure occasion and Mrs. Robinson is known for her hand waving dismissal of formality and I knew anything I could pull off would be just fine. So I started my very first attempt at cake decorating.

I have to say that I was well pleased with the result. Watching your grandmother decorate cakes for you and your sister really did pay off.

Then we were over to the Robinson's for grilling and outdoor fun.

Some of the Robinson's other friends were there with their two super sweet boys, Corbin and Devin and they and you and your sister and Andrew played together very well.

Around seven, we headed over to the park that we always go to, and there we were joined by the Fords. They brought not only Lincoln and Gracie, but Mrs. Ford's parents as well.

You were taken with Lincoln as usual. Hugs and kisses all around.

We were now all assembled. Obviously that meant another group picture was necessary. I have to say, I am extremely proud of this one, as not only are five children still and mostly looking at the camera, two dogs are as well.

Since Mr. Robinson was in charge of grilling and Mrs. Robinson was in charge of stocking the cooler with drinks for everyone, and your dad was in charge of the cookie cake, I was in charge of the entertainment. I brought bubbles, glow sticks and cheap water bottles. You guys had a blast!

This was a particularly good thing since we usually try to get to the park between seven and seven thirty and the fireworks don't start until nine thirty. That's a long time for a little boy.

Unfortunately, once the fireworks started, you were very much ready to go home. I'm not sure if the noise bothered you, the darkness scared you, if you were just tired, or if there was an element of disappointment. All day long as I said "fireworks," you kept repeating back to me "fire trucks" and I could not get you to understand that we would not (hopefully) be seeing a parade of firetrucks and I'm afraid that's what you had been looking forward to.

But the fireworks were very nice and there were no firetrucks needed, thankfully. Truly, it was a near-perfect Fourth of July... celebrating the birth of our nation with our little family and the family friends we hold so dear. I mean, yes, there were moments when we were all hot and tired and grumpy. There was a long wait for the fireworks to start. It was a trying day for a little boy. But it was also a lot of fun and worth the tiredness and the heat and the waiting. It was Independence Day and while I can think of some things I might say are sweeter and dearer to me than my independence, none of them could be enjoyed the same without it. And for that reason, most of all, I love this day.