I love the 4th of July. I've been reading
1776, actually David McCullough is reading it to me. No, I don't have the author chained up in my pantry, it's the book on CD. I actually cried today at the kitchen sink while listening to the recounting of the American Patriots incredible defeat of the British during the seige of Boston and the words spoken in a Sunday service, attended by George Washington, by the Reverend Abiel Leonard "who chose for his text Exodus 14:25: 'And they took off their chariot wheels, that they drove them heavily; so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians.'" (1776, pg. 106) Can I just say at this point that I think George Washington is completely amazing and I'm still SOOOO bugged by the outcome of that "100 Greatest Americans" nonsense on the Discovery Channel 4 years ago. George Washington came in 4th place, which is so completely ludicrous. There wouldn't BE a country to celebrate on Independence Day if it wasn't for Washington, so take that Ronald Reagan!
Anyhoo, back to the local festivities. I hauled my family down to the parade and we found a nice patch of grass to sit on while we enjoyed the sight of homemade floats and the music of the city's rival high school bands. Of course, we forgot the camera, cuz we're bad that way, but we did go...just ask my long-suffering husband! The best part was that the weather was overcast and not too hot, so the people selling water bottles for $1 each out of little red wagons didn't make much money, but we were comfortable.
After a brea
k for lunch and naps we headed back out to the local fair to eat cotton candy and elephant ears and let
the kids go nuts on the inflatibles (for a fee, of course). 20 tickets bought us 45 minutes of jumping, sliding, and general hullabaloo. Merritt stuck to things he could climb up and slide down, while Grace and Grant had fun in the pink
castle bounce house. Luckily, Grant is still too young to realize that h
e doesn't like pink and he was quite happy to go with his sister into the princess castle. Merritt wouldn't have been caught dead in that place.
We had a hot dog roast at Grandma's house, which was yummy and fun, a
nd then headed out to see the fireworks display. It was actually very good, and my expectations were high after years of watching the Stadium of Fire almost burn down Provo once a year. Hooray for our wonderful country! I am so very grateful to be an American.
Merritt wanted to read Grace a book, but he wanted to do it by the glow of a flashlight. A dark space, big enough for the two of them, was therefore required. I squashed any idea of them going upstairs and squeezing into the big bathroom closet, seeing as how Grant was asleep and I didn't want them banging about and giggling in the room next door. They first tried the downstairs bathroom closet, but it was too small. Next they tried the "cupboard under the stairs" which was plenty big but not acceptable after they shined their light on the spiderweb in the corner. 
They were feeling pretty discouraged until I had an idea, inspired by all the forts I read about in 1776 that the American Patriots built. You know...Fort Stirling, Fort Constitution, and Fort Washington among others. We would build Fort Read! We made it roomy enough for both kids to sit comfortably and piled plenty of blankets on top so that reading by flashlight was a must. It worked great! I think we'll see Fort Read a lot this summer.
