In the Dailies

Mama loves fireworks.

Call me an un-American, terrible parent, but this weekend was the first time our kids ever saw fireworks. Well, sort of. In years past, I’ve let them watch the Independence Day recap on The Today Show the next morning. They thought it was cool and so did I since we didn’t have to fight crowds or noise or traffic or bedtimes. Still, it’s not the same. This year I decide it was time to initiate them.

We dressed, packed and drove, then spent twenty minutes (literally) trying to find a parking space. Once we did, we had to walk at least ten blocks to get to the field. There we sat on our little blanket (just inches from the families around us) and waited with hundreds and hundreds of other people. We waited over an hour. The kids were great! They begged for light-up necklaces and other such silly tokens while we watched the line to the funnel cake truck perpetually be 40-people long. Bonus: I learned was a zeppole is. Well, kind of. The truck advertized it and Rick looked it up on his iphone, then we decided whatever it is, it’s not worth $12 for three pieces. I mean, it’s just fried dough – right?

Anyway, after getting the kids properly prepared for the noise …

(Yes, those are hooded sweatshirts tied around their heads. Next year we’ll bring real earplugs.)

… the show began. It was great!

That is, until ash started falling from the sky, coating all of us. We all smelled like sulfur by the time we got home.

Even with the crowds and the messes and the noise and the ash, I loved it. Every minute of it.

Mama loves Zach’s stories.

As we walked the ten blocks back to our van, I asked Zach if he liked the fireworks. He said that, no, he didn’t because they were way too loud and hurt his ears. He also thought they were a little scary. Then he said that he did like the one part “when the stuff on the bottom and the stuff on the top crossed over like an ‘X’ because they looked like pirate swords. I think they were fighting and I like fighting.” I have no idea what he was talking about, but he repeated the story at least four times over the weekend.

Mama loves finding these.

Can you see them? Two little tiny green tomatoes! I’m so excited. Yes, I realize that sometime between now and when these beauties are ready to harvest, some creature (probably the wretched Peter Rabbits or the behemoth groundhog) will eat them up, but right now my heart is filled with hope that one day before the summer is done I’ll be able to taste the fruits of my labor. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

Your turn! What are you lovin’ these days?