Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July, friends and family! I hope you all had a fantastic holiday. More than anything, I hope you remembered that this wasn't just another reason for some time off work, but that we were celebrating the birthday of freedom in our country! Praise God for our service men and women!

Fourth of July in the Burri residence started AND ended more with a thud, than with the bang of fireworks.

Saturday, the fourth, we planned to take Jacob to the park, feed the ducks, play on the playground, and have a family picnic. Jacob wanted nothing to do with it. We got to the park, he refused to be set down to play, wouldn't even swing with us holding him, and was only moderately amused by the ducks. Our trip to the park ended with Jacob laying on the pavement in the parking lot and Chris and I walking away. He eventually got up and walked to the car....screaming bloody murder the whole way. Our picnic was eaten at home, in our kitchen.

Later on Saturday we had planned a good ole American cookout. Grilled burgers, corn on the cob, and fruit. I was filled with anticipation that we could redeem our shot at having a wonderful 4th of July together as a family and even pondered eating it outside, picnic style! It rained. Hard. We had dinner at good ole American Cracker Barrel instead and I still have corn on the cob in my fridge I had better cook soon before it goes bad.

Sunday, the fifth, our church was hosting an amazing event for the community. Free food, free music, games for the kiddos, and best of all....a spectacular fireworks display. Likely the best I've ever seen.

Chris got to go. I didn't.

It is 7:45 on Sunday evening. My husband is off eating free food at the church and I am home with a toddler who had to go straight to bed at 7pm because he had completely lost all self control. Sending your kids to bed without a fun activity is a great idea...except that means at least one parent has to miss out on the fun activity too.

I don't know what is wrong with him. He had a rough time napping this afternoon and woke up twice, which he rarely does. He has been horribly fussy and clingy and wouldn't even go to Chris. We finally had him all dressed and thought we were going to head out the door to the church event and make a go at it with him when I made the mistake of going to the restroom. Jacob came completely unglued and that was the straw that broke the camels back. I just couldn't risk taking him out in public to put on a spectacle of behavior and have to deal with him alone (Chris was signed up to volunteer at one of the stations at the event). Nope. Just couldn't do it. So off came the clothes we had just put on, on went the PJ's, and straight to bed went Jacob. I haven't heard much from him since, so that must be what he needed. All that being said...I was admittedly a bit nervous about facing a crowd of about 2,000 alone with a toddler who didn't want to stay in his stroller alone (and perhaps even harbored a small bit of dread inside), but I WAS truly looking forward to the fireworks display. Who knows what the issue is. Teething? Reaction to immunizations? Sick? I don't know.

Well, while all my local friends and family are off enjoying such an amazing gift our church is offering them, I guess I had better go fix that corn on the cob that is in my fridge and at least give myself a small taste of the tradition fourth of July.

Hope yours went out with a bang and not a thud.

P.S. Through it all (my anger, impatience, frustration, and utter disappointment) my husband sweetly reminded me that at least I am a child of God and that is all that matters. He's right. There will be fireworks next fourth of July. My eternal state with God is far more important than all that.