This year was the first year in a long time that we have been alone as a family on the fourth of July. It was so stinkin hot it makes it hard to get too jazzed up about an outdoor bike and trike parade, a bounce house or any other non water activity. So instead we slept in, played games indoors, did a little bit of last minute school shopping and waited for it to cool off a little. ha ha. About five thirty I made a yummy fruit salad, we filled a cooler with water balloons and headed to pick up some pizzas. We went down to the Gilbert soccer park and set up our picnic site.
The kids chowed down their pizza and watched people playing baseball, football, flying kites and model helicopters.
Emma of course loved the brightly colored kites. Between the birds that kept flying by and landing trying to grab up some food and the kites she kept doing her little "shocked" pose. Birds, really Em? After we ate it was time to cool off with a little water fun. We have this ball that you put a balloon in and set a timer then we get in a circle and pass it to each other. When it is passed to you, you have to hold it over your head all the way above it and then pass it to the next person. It keeps going until someone gets doused. The kids love it and it is pretty fun anticipating whether or not you are about to get soaked.
Avery laughed so hard when she took the first soak it got the rest of us laughing. Then Hunter took a really big splash right to the head next go around. He was thrilled.
Emma was definitely interested in what those things were that kept getting everyone all excited and sat down on the blanket and kept playing with them. It was great when she squeezed too hard on a couple of them and they exploded on her, soaking and surprising her.
Then the ball was gone and the kids resigned to good old fashioned throwing at each other methods.
I love Hunter's face here when we gave Avery a water balloon and told him to hold still so that she could take a turn throwing one at him. Way to step up big brother.
Soaked to their liking it was time for a little family football. I was great to watch Deke and the kids throw back and forth. The weather was actually nice, there was a good breeze going on and with the water and wind the kids stayed comfortable.
Deke would throw a pass and then the kids would race to see who could get it first. I love that they were actually tackling to get it before the other or from the other one. Ave actually got in front of a couple of passes that Hunter was trying to get.
Then it was time to wind down a little with some games of UNO. The kids skunked us and kept winning.
Emma who was given some Phase 10 cards and included in the circle because she was insistent that she was playing with us, randomly wanted everyone to give high fives while playing. She kept wanting to do it off and on throughout playing. Then she would start clapping.
Then it was lights out and time for fireworks which we a lot of fun. They actually sent up a smiley face and even one shaped like a heart. It actually was shaped just like a heart which I had never seen and looked really cool. Then we headed home for some firework fun of our own.
Deke had bought some fireworks from one of the millions of stands that seemed to be on every corner. All up and down our street families were outside setting them off. Two of our neighboring families came over and we all spent two hours setting off fireworks in the front yard. It was so much fun. The kids loved it. Emma was afraid unless she was on my lap because they were pretty loud.
I am not sure who was having more fun, Deke or the kids. Deke was headed up lighting everyone's fireworks. It made me smile seeing him surrounded by all the kids saying "Brother Burch, Brother Burch" and excitedly holding their sparkler up to light. The kids ran up and down the street with sparklers, one in each hand making big circles. It was so pretty to watch. Finally around eleven thirty we headed inside.
It was a really nice day. I am so grateful for this time to celebrate my freedom and the freedoms that our children will enjoy. I love my country and am grateful to have been born in this land of opportunity. Happy 4th!!
Oh my where to begin. Sunday afternoon the phone rang, neither Deke or I recognized the number that came up on the caller id. Deke answered it and to our surprise came the voice of a little girl. "Is Hunter there?" she asked. Deke looked at me shocked, we both smiled and Deke called for Hunter. Hunter looking as equally shocked as we were took the phone and cautiously said "Hello?" "Hi Hunter" she excitedly replied and quickly started in "How was your summer?" Hunter realizing who it was started talking to her about her summer and answering all her questions. Every now and again getting akwardly quiet, looking for help from us as we urged him to say something. "Ask her if she is excited for second grade" we prompted him. "Uh...so are you excited for second grade" he finally blurted out. I seriously was dying I wanted to squeeze him it was so cute. "Deke I have to watch Em in the high chair, help him please" I asked him. I sat in the kitchen trying to listen to their conversation. Suddenly quiet, then brought on track again with help from dad. It was cracking me up. Hunter who is normally one of the most socially capable children I know, extremely comfortable with conversation, was clamming up. As the conversation started to wrap up I once again heard a long pause. Deke suggested a topic and still Hunter sat quiet. Finally a quiet murmur of something and then "Yeah so I got to the last world of Donkey Kong" and after a minute or so the conversation was over with words of "have fun for the rest of your sumer" and "see you at school." He hung up the phone and I heard him heading into the kitchen. Trying to downplay the whole thing I asked him how she was doing. "Good" he said and yet I knew more was coming. "Mom, do you know what she said to me?" he said. She said "Hunter I can't believe I am telling you this but I think I love you ." Trying hard not to even really react I calmly asked "Then what did you say?" "I said uh yeah I miss you, yeah so guess what I got to the last world of Donkey Kong." "Then what did she say?" I asked him. "Then she told me that she had Donkey Kong too and I was telling her how to beat one of the lava levels." I sat there thinking about everything he had just told me. "Mom" he started again "Why do girls always like think they love people all the time and just talk about that kind of stuff?" "It's just like we don't need to worry about loving people we are just kids, hello. I mean we can like be friends and like each other but girls at school are always like saying they want to marry me. It's just weird." Laughing to myself and grateful for his reaction I hugged him "Yeah buddy you know what you can have lots of friends that are girls and even like them but you don't need to worry about girlfriends or being in love until you are at least sixteen." Off he headed to play LEGO's and in I headed to talk to Deke. I wasn't sure if I wanted to laugh or cry about it. Maybe a little bit of both. It was sweet to hear him try to communicate with a girl one on one on the phone and get his first glimspe of the complex world that is a female. However I wanted to cry thinking about what she said to him because they are only seven. I know that all to soon Deke and I will have to help guide him through the dating process and deal with the girl thing. It seems like a lot of girls are so aggressive these days, much more forward even being a little possessive. I can't help it, I worry about it. I guess I am just thankful that for now he is still my science loving, LEGO builder, tree climbing second grader that is not worried about any of that right now. 
On another note about one of the million things I love about this guy...we went to the library and I let Hunter walk a little ways away from us over to the older kids book section to pick out his books. "Ready to check out?" I asked him. "Yep" he said and we headed over to the self checkout. We were almost done checking out when he put his last book on the counter. It was this: "Hydrogen and Noble Gases?" I asked him. "Yeah mom look at this page it is really cool" he started in. For the next couple of days his nose was in that book off and on telling me all sorts of "amazing" things about Hydrogen and other elements. A couple days later Jaden and Nathan came over to play LEGO's. As Hunter opened the door I saw him with the book in hand, "Hey guys do you know what happens when Hydrogen mixes with ............... he started in, turning to the correct page to show them. "This book is so cool, did you know that.................." oh my goodness. Hunter may be the only seven year old I know that would not only choose this book out of all the choices in the library but actually really enjoy it and read it cover to cover. Where did we get him? Such a crack up. 
How about the conversation he had a few weeks ago with his friend Tyler at lunch. A little bit of background about Tyler. He is the youngest in a family of all boys and is the youngest by about ten years from his next sibling. The boys were eating lunch and talking about the little baby I babysit. "Yeah his mom is having another baby too" I told Tyler. "Yeah she is going to have to nurse two babies!" Hunter said to Tyler nodding. Tyler looking completely confused and unsure said "What?" Hunter sighing and shaking his head as if this the term was so obvious replied "You know....breastfeeding." "Ouch." Tyler looked at Hunter awkwardly and quite uncomfortable then looked right down at his plate and kept on eating. Hunter, totally oblivious that this was not a common lunchtime conversation picked up his sandwich, took a bite and headed on to the next topic. I had to leave the room I laughed so hard I thought I would pee my pants. Wow very different worlds as Hunter is growing up with two little sisters one of whom fairly recently stopped breastfeeding. However still not a lunchtime subject. Only Hunter. Only Hunter.
She has loved them for awhile now. Everytime we head out the door to go somewhere she starts pointing, "Birds! birds!" she will excitedly exclaim even if she hasn't seen one yet.
Then when she does comes the sweet giggling. After Brenn's bridal shower I had three little ceramic birds left over that Emma loves. I put them up in her room on Ave's dresser and her changing table. When she is getting dressed for the day or getting her diaper changed she loves to hold one in her hands, hold it out to me smiling and say "Bird!" 
She is really starting to say a lot these days. A few of the more common words she uses are bye-bye, mama, ball, bird, uh oh... and now if we asks her a question she will either say "no" and shake her head or say "yeah" instead of yes. The other night we were playing a family game and she wanted one of the playing pieces. She kept pointing at the table and crying. Finally Deke said "Emma do you want one of these?" "Yeah" she said in the cutest little voice. She is only fifteen months old, I couldn't believe that she is already starting to respond to us. I have been trying to find some plastic or soft animal birds for her to have instead of these breakable ones but she loves them anyway. Here she is giving the bird "kisses." 
Then giving the bird a "hug" and bouncing and patting it on the back. sweet.
We got them!! Ave's "Sparkle Toe Sketchers" as she calls them. It was about six months ago when Avery saw a Sketchers commercial on TV for Twinkle Toes tennis shoes. Of course true to her love of a shoe she excitedly started yelling for me to come see. "I love those shoes! They have sparkles on the toe part Mom, I really really want some of those." "Probably for kindergarten I told her"...and boy has she held me to it. Since then we have heard about these shoes. If the commercial comes on she calls for me to hurry and see as if it is something brand new. She talks to people including her Sunbeam teacher about them and how "pretty" they are, the Sparkle Toe Sketchers that she is going to get. It is sweet. I love that she calls them sparkle toe instead of twinkle toe. She has talked about these shoes for months. When we are at the mall if she sees them she excitedly hurries me over to them to look at them and hold them. At the beginning of summer we went to the shoe store to get some sandals for the girls. As we reached the aisle I looked down to see Ave barefoot with three boxes around her all ready to start trying on. "Avery, where are your shoes?" I asked her. She pointed towards the end of the aisle. I walked down and looked and sure enough they were sitting by the front door. The kid had literally walked into the store, took off her shoes and headed for the boxes. We are in so much trouble :) I am more a shirt junkie, I could have a million tops and love to accessorize with earring and necklaces, bows etc. But shoes don't do a lot for me. However I do fall in love with baby shoes. Seriously the most impractical thing you can buy for a baby. Why then do they make them so stinkin adorable. It is nice because now that Emma is walking I feel more justified in splurging on a few pairs. There were so many cute ones I could have bought like eight pairs. Gold strappy ones, tiny pink Vans style, so tiny and sweet. Anyways we picked up a couple of pairs of sandals for Ave. "Okay now time to get my Sparkle toes" she told me. Again I reminded her we would wait for Kindergarten. This weekend we decided to finish up the kids school shopping. While shopping we went past the shoe department and lo and behold there they were again. "Can I get some Mom...please?" she asked. "Start trying them on"Deke said and then grinned as we watched her grab a pair in each style. Her little voice racing about a mile a minute she tried each on telling us what she liked/disliked about each pair. "This one doesn't light up, I want them to have pink on them, etc. etc." Then she found these. They light up in the front and the back, they have pink on them and all sorts of other fun designs and of course their toes "Sparkle." 
"Alright let's go buy them" we told her. "I get to take them home! And wear them for Kindergarten!" she squealed. After purchasing she carried the bag to the car, took them out and admired them all the way home and tried them on at least five times before bed. Yesterday and today she has been trying to find every reason to get to wear them somewhere and has been bummed that I am making her wait until school. What she doesn't know is that we are going to let her take them to wear in Hawaii. She is going to be so excited. She is adorable. I love this girl.
This is teddy. He is my teddy bear. Actually the first stuffed animal I ever had, given to me the day I was born. He was bright white then, with hints of pink in his ears and on the bottoms of his feet. With a light pink ribbon around his neck. This is my dad rocking me in his arms with teddy alongside. 
After we found the bear I actually called my dad and told him to "guess this sound" then I wound it up and played a bit of the song for him. "Do you know what that is?" I asked him. "Of course, that is your teddy bear from when you where a baby" he answered without hesitation. I couldn't believe it, he remembered. I love my Dad. Of course he remembered, he is such a sensitive guy that way. I love this bear. You can tell he has been loved by the condition of his fur. He winds up in the back and plays a lullaby. It still works. He slept with me growing up, came with me when I got married. He had gotten put away with other old childhood things for quite awhile. Then one day we were going through the attic stuff and Deke brought him down. He took out the music box, washed and cleaned him and then we wound him up. His song played as clear as ever. I was admiring how good he looked when Emma crawled into the room. Smiling at him she pulled herself up and reached for him. 
I handed him to her and she threw her little arm around his neck and squeezed. I was a puddle. Something about her still chubby little fingers holding onto him tightly. Seeing my daughter get joy out of something that once was mine when I was her very size. I picked her up, wound him up and held her close while the lullaby played. It was a special moment. Putting teddy in her toy basket after she had gone to bed, him smelling like her heavenly scented baby lotion. Everytime I see her pick him up and carry him around, kiss him or walk with him in her hand my chest burns all warm inside. 
These are the moments I dreamed about when I was younger and thought about being a mother. Taking something that was special to me and passing it on to my little girl. I have a feeling that there will be many more opportunities like this to pass things that are precious to me on to my children. My life is so full right now of moments like this all the time lately it seems, with all of my children, and I am grateful. 
