A Full Day

Yesterday was a very full day, as we got a jump on the 4th of July festivities a day early. The kids were both off from camp/day care, and Joel was off from work. We spent about three and a half hours at the pool, then came home and put Becca down for a late nap. Then Ben's friend called and invited him to come over to play, so I took him to his friend's house for two hours.

We had plans to go out to dinner and watch the fireworks at Providence Country club with another couple who are members there. Dinner was great because they have two kids who are older than Ben, and Ben was quite happy to play video games with them during dinner and entirely ignore all the adults. Becca was quite happy to bop to the music that was playing in the restaurant all during dinner, so we were able to take our time, which was good because the fireworks weren't starting until 9.

After dinner we made our way to the country club and set up a blanket and some chairs. Ben immediately took off his sandals and took off running around the edge of the golf course, around the lake, in the sand trap, etc, with the other kids. Becca, having been given a glow stick, and of course with more music to entertain her, happily danced and played with her glow stick for about an hour. It was great.

And then the fireworks started. They sent up a couple little ones earlier in the evening, to test I guess, and neither of the kids were bothered by them. They both were quite delighted actually. But when the real fireworks started, they both tried to leap into my arms at once. Becca made it to me first. She didn't cry, she just jumped into my lap and proceeded to quietly watch all the fireworks with her head against my chest and her neck awkwardly craned backwards so she could see what was going on. Every once in a while I would ask her if she wanted to turn around so she could see, and she would very calmly say, "No."

Ben on the other hand, totally freaked when the fireworks started. "I WANT TO GO HOME!" he screamed between sobs. Joel quickly led him away inside the clubhouse, where he couldn't even be enticed to watch the fireworks from the window. He spent the whole time in the men's room. I was a little disappointed for him that he was too afraid of the fireworks to watch them, because he had been looking forward to it for days. But, Ben's meltdown aside, it was a great evening!