Happy Independence Day

What a busy, busy day! We got up early for Grandma's telephone call, and while I'm usually a very early riser, this particular day, I had no where to go. So, it was nice to talk to Grandma at 5am, and then since I was up, I decided to go for a bike ride.

Then, it was a short nap after breakfast. After that, we went downtown to be in the 4th of July parade with our Cub Scout pack. The boys enjoyed throwing candy, and this year, they didn't throw it all away before even getting to Main street. (We'll call that a success.)

Then, it was home for lunch, and another nap. My legs were so killing me... after my workout yesterday, the bike ride this morning, then walking the entire parade route, and finally having to cross town on foot to get back home, my quads were screaming tired. I decided to put some Ben-Gay on them, and soon learned about the "chimney effect" and how the fumes rise up your shorts and "cook your business." Not pleasant. Chalk that one up to lack of experience.

After my afternoon nap, we headed over to Pam and Phil's for a cookout. Marijo, Ben, Sharon, Desi, Vic and Catherine were all there. It was nice to see Vic and Catherine again; we so seldom get to see them. While the grownups ate, the kids played and played. You can see they had a great time.

Finally, we wrapped up the day with some fireworks at home. The fireworks were the legal-in-Virginia kind, which mostly means fountains. But the boys like those just fine, and they're safer than the others that shoot into the air. (And I must set the good example!)

After fireworks, the boys caught a few fireflies for their bedside tables, and then we all went in and called it a day. I'm about to collapse into bed now, totally exhausted.