By the Fourth of July, the kids were still waking up super early. Chris had the day off so we headed over to the pool early in the morning. When we got there Elora found this cute little baby frog swimming in the pool. She found two more while we were there. So fun!
I love these swimming kids!
James is really into swimming already! He loves to splash and kick his feet.
Oliver loves these books – Piggie and Gerald books. He is learning to read and these are really easy to read or memorize, so he loves to read them to us. We got a bunch of them at the local library here and he reads them to me for story time every night. Because sometimes Mom needs a story too. They are really funny books and I love reading them with the kids because they always end up giggling.
Already tuckered out! Oliver took a nap and Elora laid out his patriotic necklaces for him to wear.
We were going to go stand on the beach and watch the fireworks, but the kids were still tired and jetlagged, the fireworks were late at night, Elora really dislikes loud noises and crowds, and we thought we would be able to see the fireworks from the balcony. So we hung out and played with legos while we waited for the fireworks to start.
Oliver made a sword.
Elora made one too.
So of course, Oliver wanted to swordfight. You can see how Elora feels about this idea.
The kids got into their pajamas and we went outside to see the fireworks. Marion LOVES fireworks.
And as it turned out, we had a great view. The kids are so cute when they watch fireworks. Marion yells out what color they are, and after awhile the bigger kids start talking about the colors and which are their favorites. Elora commented that there was too much smoke which is bad for the air so maybe we shouldn’t have fireworks.
James enjoyed the fireworks too.
And all fireworks end like this – Elora with her hands over her ears. I am glad we got to watch them from the condo instead of being close to them. The kids loved it and then we got to put them to bed right after they ended! Marion was sad when we went inside because she said, “I want to see the fireworks!” She thought they were going to keep going all night.
Once the kids were in bed, the grown-ups all stayed up to watch episodes of the HBO John Adams movie – a good refresher for my American history.
I told Chris I needed to end the blog post with something patriotic and he said I should use this quote – which I am not quite sure whether or not it is patriotic, but Thomas Jefferson said it and he is “The Man”.
“God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion.
The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is
wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts
they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions,
it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. …
And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not
warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of
resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as
to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost
in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from
time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
It is its natural manure.”
