4th of July

We have what is now our "tradition" (because is it a TRADITION after 2 years?) for the 4th of July while living in Pullman.
It starts with eating yummy BBQ food (Aiden made some fiery hot homemade BBQ sauce to put over chicken legs. we also had hot dogs for the kids, baked beans, corn on the cob done in foil on the grill with butter, pepper, and garlic salt (mmmm!) in the foil with them).
Then we get up to the hill where the fireworks are NOT being done by the city to watch the fireworks done by the city on another hill ridiculously early. We let the kids play on the playground, bring bags of candy, poppers, pop-its, sparklers, and glow sticks.
Last year we went with some friends who decided to go to the city's shebang this this year. So we had lots of fun with Goretti and her kids.
My friend Rob also came and reminded me that I might want a picture of the kids all together for the blog. So here's the picture I got from that.After Aiden pointed out that the caption for it could read "and then when we get home we'll kill the puppy" we took another picture. MUCH better.

Then I realized it was too fun to take pictures of the kids on the night portrait setting since the glow sticks kept moving (and my hands were moving and I had not brought my tri-pod). So I took an insane amount of those pictures. But I think they are fun.

The boys of the group kept saying it looked like the kids were taken to a rave. Whatever.

Just to prove we were there. Yep, that is the best picture of me we could get in the 2 shots. Trust me. I was that hot/tired/sweaty.

Finally the moon came up and was gorgeous in it's cloud cover. And then the big show started.

Again, I didn't have my tri-pod because I always think I can hold my hands perfectly still for the whole time the shutter is open. Turns out not. I'm sure if you want to know what those would have looked like you can just google fireworks pictures and get some wavy lined things that might have been fireworks before the drunken effect was added by the wiggling photographer's hands.

So, Happy Birthday, USA! We had a great time.

How the REST was Won

In the beginning there were the mothers. (The fathers were also there but they often had to go out and do some hunting and gathering so the mothers were left alone with the screaming things they earned their title with.)

The mothers carried the screaming things and learned to appease them with rocking, singing, food, diaper changes, and by never EVER putting them down. Even for a second.

The mothers forgot that bathrooms had doors. Except that one time when they, in sleep deprived zombie mode, closed it. The pounding and crying which ensued was enough to remind the mothers never to do that again.

The mothers got up in the middle of the night for more appeasing attempts. They lost sleep and energy. Their huts were completely disorganized as were their thoughts (if they had any at all)(which they might have if they had gotten some sleep).

The mothers sat up listening for sounds of breathing on the screaming things' monitor and worried over every sniffle, sneeze, and cough. They were on a first name basis with the witch doctor who specialized in screaming things and they had the number on their speed dial.

Through all this, and more, the mothers loved the screaming things and called them babies.

And the babies loved the mothers.

As time marched forward many things changed. Banks realized the stay at home mothers did not want to have to unload all the accouterments just to make a deposit.

Viola! Drive thru banking!

Some mothers were not about to deal with washing all those diapers.

Two solutions: diaper service and Pampers (Oh, God Bless Pampers!).

The mothers even banded together and demanded (and got) portable battery operated swings.

Little tricks were learned and the mothers shared these hard won insights with each other. Being the mother became a little bit easier.

One thing, however did not change and that was the fierce love the mothers carried for each of their babies. (They are still babies even if the 'baby' in question is 45).

The mommies knew this was their calling. They knew they were put on this earth solely to love those little screaming babies as much as they could.

But they just wanted 1 hour so they could take a nap.

Not really much to ask for.

So someone decided the mothers should get that nap.

Once a year.

And after many millennium of sleep deprivation, the mothers got their nap day; we call it Mother's Day.

********
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms I know and love.

And especially to my mom. She is the mother of all mothers. She is my hero, my best friend, and my mom.