4th of July

Two years ago, I was packing our bags. Do we need more prunes? Is this enough diapers to get through the first couple of days? Is it really ok to buy formula in China, or are we going to find out it was tainted? Will she be sick and need these antibiotics? What about H1N1? Should we throw this ibuprofen in to make sure our body temperature is ok during temperature checks upon landing. Panic – I CAN’T GET QUARINTINED! How is Eli going to react to two weeks without mom and dad? What if her need is worse than we anticipated? Then back to more internal dialog, lice medication? What if we ALL get lice! And if I could do it all again??? In a minute! 

Who's the kid?

Luckily, this 4^th of July was much tamer. I couldn’t watch Sidney in her red, white, and blue outfit, celebrating the holiday of a free nation without being thankful for the possibilities and what she will accomplish as a result of living in a free country. Now, if the person that named her Ningxia in the orphanage or “to flourish” could see her. All sass, kicking in the swimming pool, barreling over the uppermost part of the playground equipment, taking charge of play with kids twice her age. She is 100% spunk, and I couldn’t be more thankful! After all Tom always tells me “dynamite comes in small packages.” 

We spent the weekend preparing for our annual “Impromptu BBQ” with our good friends down the street. Tom and our friend Dustin spent the day smoking and grilling, ribs, chicken, brisket, and all matter of American Asado while my friend Jill and I spent the time inside the air conditioning sipping a soda and solving the world’s problems – not! Then after hours of meat preparation, people began arriving bearing all matter of sides and deserts. After taking Sidney home for a brief nap, she quickly joined the mayhem in the back yard where Eli was the oldest of fifteen kids. A majority were having a water fight. Sidney continued taking the wild passage down the slide after hosing herself down. Her slight frame came down at a rapid speed, only to catapult off the end into the grass. There was no stopping her!  

So maybe I get out from behind the camera sometimes.

In the midst of the fun, our house sat idle for a day. It has been transformed into a VBS sweatshop. After opening a package Sunday morning, I was disgruntled with the banners I received for one of our crafts. I made a pit stop at Wal-Mart and several hours later, I sat huddled over the buzzing sewing machine whipping out one banner after another. At one point, Tom was a part of the operation, pinning the banners, so I could easily go from one to the next. Eli assisted today for payment in marbles, clipping the strings off. In the morning, my mind quickly shifts from sleepy haze to my mental to do list.  

OK, off to continue packing my camper. Eli leaves for Boy Scout camp Thurs night –WHAAAAA! I guess I am happy he makes it so easy. No tears, no drama. I used to get SO worked up before leaving overnight from my parents as a kid. He tells me, he is happy to have a vacation from Tom, Sidney, and I. I guess that is the deal with having a stay-at-home-mom. A kid is ready for a break. And Miss Sidney is back to “playtime” a couple of days this week as summer preschool came to an end last week. This summer is going at lightning speed!