What a beautiful day. I do believe the Fourth of July is my favorite holiday. It's taken me 33 years to figure that out but yes, I love it.
To start out, we were supposed to take Jack to this parade this morning, wherein he was going to march with his new-fellow Cub Scouts, but you know us. Guess what we did instead?
If you said "slept in," ten points for you! We were supposed to be there at 10, but none of us woke up until 30-60 minutes after that. Oops. What a great way to start out his time with the Scouts, eh? Fortunately, he has neither mentioned nor remembered the parade, so there weren't tears about it all day. Thank Heaven for small favors!
When noon hit, I roused myself enough to get ready for my 1300 appointment at the Red Cross to donate blood. It's the first time I've done it in a while, and never post-surgery. My iron has been to low the past 3-4 times I've attempted, so I was really hoping things would go well today.
They did. But not at first! The girl assigned to me was dumber than shit. She screwed up the poke in my left arm and had to call another woman over, but it was too late. The vein was blown. So dumbshit girl came back and thanked me for trying. Um, what? That's it? I don't think so, I have this whole 'nother arm here! She was surprised I still wanted to try.
Listen, I didn't come down here on a holiday, wait an hour, go through all the questions, have you stick a needle in my arm and wiggle it all around inside me to just leave without giving you people some blood! And furthermore, I feel like it's my duty. As I've said before, I'm O-neg, and that makes me feel reponsible for donating whenever I can. I like to give of myself, whether it's my time or my hair or my blood, and since this little thing doesn't cost me a penny and means so much to those who need it, I'm there. Take my blood.
I had to switch chairs with another soon-to-be donor, and then dumbshit tried again in the right arm. She still couldn't get it and had to call the competent woman over. Fortunately, she wiggled it into position, and the life-juice started a-gushin'. After all that time, suffering through The Phantom Menace (sorry, not a fan, and they even ruined Ewan MacGregor's lovely countenance with that ridiculous hair-do), the blood came out in about five minutes flat. Dumbshit stopped what she was doing with the other donor to tell me I was finished, and I was amazed.
I've never had a problem with giving blood and feeling dizzy, but let me tell you, I do now. Maybe it's because I'm skinny. (Hee, that's my new line for anything, like when I'm cold? I'm usually never cold, but I'm freezing all the time lately, "because I'm skinny." And I realize I'm not skinny... that's why it's a joke. Before I get any hate mail!) And I will never again give blood on July 4th - dumb idea, now matter how cute the flip-flops they're giving out!
I stood up to walk out and about passed out. And I couldn't eat the cookies, donuts and soda they provide afterward, so I just had to leave. After a few seconds of holding up the wall, I was fine, so I thought nothing more of it. Got home, we showered and dressed in our red-white-and-blues, and headed to Mt. Trashmore Park for the festivities.
I adore this picture!! It's now my screensaver. We parked at our church, blissfully close to the park and FREE (the park was charging five bucks), and headed over to the mountain. We spotted this boat, with its great colors and character, and I had to have a picture. I have a beautiful family, if I do say so myself!
People were already starting to stake their claims on the hill, more than five hours before showtime. (It's much steeper than it looks in these pictures, too...)
There was a great DJ at the park, and I have a video of Chloë doing a great job at the Macarena. It will be uploaded to Dropshots soon. While she was dancing, Sophia and Jack were rolling down the hill. Here's my boy mid-roll. All I could think about (besides the grass stains) was what a chore it must be to mow that thing!
Whoops! I didn't realize until I uploaded the photos that Rob was actually caught up in the leash! Let go, Jack!
After a quick snack, we headed over to the playground area, where the kids ran and romped and had a joyous time. And that's where the trouble started for me. Things started going black, and I froze. I knew I was going to pass out; I've done it before. Once in junior high while standing on the risers in chorus (and wearing a dress - how embarrasssing!) and several times during the twin pregnancy in hot, hot Guam. I managed to say something to Rob, but I don't know what. He basically pushed me down to sitting, because I couldn't move and was not really thinking. I felt better then, but every time I tried to stand up, it happened again. So, I sat.
Meanwhile, Chloë climbed on the metal spider thingy. She was too scared to climb it the other night, so that was cool.
Sophie and Jack made the first of several new friends for the day, and they built a ... well, a pile of dirt. I can't call those two the Non-Twins anymore, now that Sophie towers over him and no one asks anymore. It kind of makes me sad.
Then Jack got something in his eye, and we couldn't get it out. I'd already looked around for the EMT tent to ask about the pre-fainting spells, so I knew they were just a little ways away. Whew, though, it was hard to get there! I made it, though. First, they took Jack back somewhere (Rob went along) to irrigate his eye. They handled that well and gave us a bottle of water in case it still irritated him.
At the same time, I asked a female EMT about what I should do. Her advice? "Go home. You shouldn't be here." I about cried (okay, that's a lie, I burst into tears), because I really did not want to leave. This was the funnest day ever, and I didn't want to miss it! She sat me under a tent, got me some Vitamin Water (blech) and admonished me about not eating enough, not drinking enough, being out in the scorching direct sunlight, and giving blood too soon after gastric bypass surgery. She kept saying if it was up to her, she'd send me home, but if I wouldn't do that, I had to sit down, in the shade, period. So that's what I did, while everyone else had fun.
It kind of sucked for me, now that I'm able to be more active with my family, but I really enjoyed watching everyone else. I adore watching the kids running around, having the time of their lives. Nothing makes me happier than seeing them happy. You know?
After the EMT tent, when I'd recovered well enough to walk to the next shady spot by the kids' fun stuff, we passed by the police tent. The officer laughed when he saw the stickers the EMTs had given the kids, telling them, "Ours are bigger! Take these." They got all kinds of loot today - pencils, coloring books, stickers, magnets. All stuff we really needed in our over-cluttered little abode.
Tiger Lily and I sat on a Neat Sheet under a shady tree, while Rob took pictures of the girls in the first of four bounce houses. Jack kept running back and forth between his mom and dad, upset because he wanted to go in the dog and not the lion bounce house. Ugh, he is so particular! But we got in a few good cuddles, and he loved on the dog some, too.
I lay down on my back, with Lily beside me, and this was my view - for a long, long time while the kids and Rob enjoyed bouncing around. A million and one kids - and some adults - came up and asked to pet our dog. She got lots of compliments on her beauty and good behavior. At least a half-dozen people asked me if she was a police dog. Some nitwits came running up to her, petted her all over without asking, and then asked me if she bites. (The stock answer Rob likes to use is, "Only if we tell her to," but really, she wouldn't hurt a fly unless maybe you were attacking one of the Odettelettes. Those are her babies, too.) That part made the time go faster, but not as fast as if I'd brought some knitting with me. I finished the Bandaid Blanket (pictures upcoming), though, so I'm between projects. I lamented that fact all day.
Can I just brag on this dog for a minute? She did awesome today. You may have noticed that we rarely take her out with us. I don't particularly know why this is, other than we just haven't. But she was so well behaved today, and I was extremely proud of her. She minded, she sat prettily and let the whole world pet her and give her attention she's not used to, and she visited nicely with some other poochies at the park. She's definitely earned the right to be taken out more. What a great dog she's turned out to be!
Even if she does crap on the rug at least once a week.
When the kids tired of jumping, they were hungry. What better to fill their bellies than pure spun sugar? This picture is amusing because Jack and Chloë took their characteristically tiny little pieces of the cotton candy, while Sophia reached in and, to their horror, grabbed this mondo hunk of it. Afterward, they started frantically grabbing pieces themselves, lest she get it all.
The kids love it, but I've never really cared for cotton candy. It's too sweet; I don't like jellybeans, either. Do you like it?
Rob and his pup taking a breather and a drink.
I like this picture, too... Rob took the dog and the kids for a run up and down the hill. They ran over and over, breathlessly, between their two parents. Sophie fell every time she got to the bottom, but each time she brushed herself off and said, "I'm okay!" She runs much faster than her sibs.
Isn't this so cute?! Sophie makes friends everywhere she goes. These two boys, Brandon, 9, and Jake, 7, were just smitten with her. They ran up and down the hill, at her whim, visiting me at the bottom and Tiger Lily and Rob at the top. Whenever she said, "let's go!" they let's went. When she said, "Let's go up the hill backwards!" they complied. And the older boy held her hand going down the hill so she wouldn't fall. It was terribly sweet.
...and they all fell down! Finally, it was time to claim our own territory on the big hill, before there weren't any good spots left. The kids helped Rob set out the blanket, and they all plopped on a corner when it was ready. What about me? I got the whole middle.Which is fitting, since I still probably take up more space than the rest of 'em combined!
This picture was Sophia's idea. Love it!
Our view of beautiful Mt. Trashmore, so named because it covers a landfill. Yes, really!
At last, the sun was starting to fade. While I rested, recovered and recuperated, Rob took the kids potty, stood in the long lines for festival food, and was generally doing all the running that needed doing. I had picked up 3 tubes of glow-in-the-dark bracelets for a buck each, so I sat there and snapped them all to get them glowing for the kids. When they weren't eating, going to the bathroom or running around making friends, they sat with me and demanded this color or that color.
Rob and the kids took Tiger Lily down the hill to visit with another German Shepherd I spotted. This dog was submissive to Lily, who is pretty submissve herself. But at 89 pounds, our dog had 20-30 pounds on the other!
She looks so beautimous here... Jack buddied up to this little fellow, who sat with the dog and me even when none of my kids were around. He never spoke a word, he just cuddled with Lily. It was adorable.
At the same time, Sophie was busy getting up close and personal with someone else's puppers. The boy came over and sat with us for a minute, too. He told us he used to have a GSD, but she got hit by a car and died. Sad.
Whoo, another trek up the mountain. So that's where that Sprite went!
Here's Chloë, wearing many of the glowies. All three of the kids did a swell job of going around and giving them away to bunches of other children, since we had so many. I was so proud of them! Except parents kept coming over to ask us if it was all right. They were surprised, since the same things were being sold for much more money at the park!
Sophie insisted Daddy wear one, and then he put one on the dog's collar, too. So we could see her in the dark. I think she liked her bling.
One happy girl. Her arms look good here; I'm jealous. What you can't see behind her is Sophie playing with Liliana, a cute little girl they befriended during our time on the hill. Lily (the girl) kept getting confused everytime we spoke to Lily (the dog). The girls gave her lots of their bracelets. I think Sophia bestowed all of hers upon Liliana!
At last, the show!
It was a really great presentation this year. The patriotic music, the fireworks, the wonderful family togetherness... I just love the whole thing. It makes my heart swell with pride at being an American. It was a day of contentment and of reflection. I'm thankful for this day.
Afterward, what's normally a five-minute drive - if that - took us over an hour to get home. There must have been a billion people there, give or take a few hundred million. Next year, we might just walk over! Jack fell asleep in the car, the girls chattered in the back about their favorite parts of the day, and Rob... well, Rob kept attempting to stick a glowie thing up his nose and have it come down his mouth. What can I say? He's a guy.
Hope you had a great day, too!
Fin.
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