God Bless America! (aka, the longest post in the history of this blog)

Fourth of July was an AMAZING weekend this year.  Which is good, because it needed to be, so we wouldn't feel homesick for our annual Egan cookout or Revere Beach Mallett tradition.

We spent Friday night at the pool with friends and neighbors, with drinks for the grownups and swimming for the kiddos, until finally Ben could take it no more and we had to head home to put our little buddy to bed. 

On Saturday, one of the hottest days of the summer so far, our neighbors had a pool party which we thoroughly enjoyed since in the past, WE were always the ones having the pool party instead of being invited to one! 

Molly showed her national and Red Sox pride with an awesome bow from Bow Sox Bows.  My friend Sandy hooked us up with a box full of gorgeous bows!

It was all Marc could do to hold Ben still for a picture before he got his floaties on and jumped into the pool.  No sooner had I turned around to put my camera away from this picture, when I turned back around to see a soaking wet, fully clothed Marc.   When Ben jumped in, he held his slippy, sunscreened arms up over his head and his floaties slipped off!  With Hasselhoff-like reflexes, Marc jumped in and saved the day.  He repeated the Baywatch performance later, when he fished a two year old out after he jumped in with no life jacket on.  Our Hero!

As if the pool wasn't enough fun, one of our neighbors brought their new ATVs that they'd bought for their lake house ("lake house" is the midwestern equivalent to "beach house" in New England).  Jack got the first ride, and was in HEAVEN. 

Someone else was very jealous. 

We tried the old "donut distraction" routine...

But it didnt' work.

Finally, one of the guys offered to give him a little ride - just enough to make him happy, but save me the heart attack.

I still had a heart attack.

It happened that we'd booked a babysitter for the night, way before we knew there was a party to go to.  We just needed to get out!  So as the late afternoon exhaustion set in, we ordered pizza delivery from the pool, took (dragged!) the kids home, threw them in the tub, put them in pajamas, fed them the pizza and popped in a movie.  Our babysitter, Anum, arrived a few minutes later and Marc and I headed back to the party for the evening without our entourage.  For once, our timing was perfect!

It turned out that some of the guys had gone to Indiana earlier in the week to get contraband fireworks and planned a pretty amazing spectacle.  So Marc went back home and got Jack so he wouldn't miss it.  That's parenthood for ya!  Even when you enact the escape clause you still can't turn it off!

The fireworks were pretty stinking amazing by backyard standards...

It might have been a little too much for our sensitive kid.  But I think getting out after dark, and without Molly and Ben in tow, made it worth it for him. 

And the sparklers!  He was a big fan of the sparklers.

Here he is two-fisting them.  And my favorite shot of the night, though it wasn't of my child, is this one...

That's Molly's friend Olivia, who collapsed in a heap of tears shortly after this picture because the poor thing was so tired!  She was a trooper though and made it through far longer than our kids would have.

We spent Sunday regrouping, and on Monday, Independence Day, we got to march in a parade with Jack's Cub Scout Pack.  I thought it was just a little 'neighborhood parade' but it turned out to be attended by the Mayor and followed by a huge block party.  It was covered by the local paper and Jack, who was standing in front of the Mayor during the flag ceremony, made it onto the front page!!

The parade reminded me so much of my own childhood - all the good, happy, thoughts I can conjure up - of decorated bikes and neighborhood games, and that time my dad and Uncle John got some fireworks from goodness knows where, and we watched them in the dark while we sat on the hood of the station wagon way past our bedtime.  I think that was for a family party though, not sure if it was the fourth.

As if that weren't enough, we got to enjoy the afternoon with our favorite local Egans (okay, our ONLY local Egans!) and snuggle our favorite baby cousin (again, he's our ONLY baby cousin?  But even if he wasn't, he'd still be our favorite!) 

With all the food we had you would have thought we were feeding an army, but no...it was just us! 

And let me tell you, it was YUMMY! 



 We even had Auntie Ulia's octopus dip!  Before you faint and think my children have turned a corner in their culinary repertoire, I mean THIS kind of octopus...

She spoils us!!

Seriously?  Homemade mint chocolate chip Oreo crust ice cream pie?

SPOILS US!!

Uncle Paul got in on the action and decorated a flag cake for us.  Can you say S-P-O-I-L-E-D??

We are so lucky they like us :)  And we like them right back.

At the end of the day, we shared a few sparklers with our neighbors, the Nelsons.

Then we joined them on tthe 18th hole of Naperbrook Golf Course and watched the Bolingbrook fireworks.  Watching the kids squeal with delight, I couldn't help but hope that when they grow up they'll think back to this time and remember it as magical. 

Naperville is a city, but the area we live in, with it's large, close knit neighborhoods, feels so much more like a small town.  Just right for our little family, especially on a special holiday like the Fourth of July. 

Happy Independence Day to all,

and to all a good night!