We had an absolutely fabulous 4th of July. Lazy day in the morning, swim with Zach and Wendy at our pool in the afternoon, and fireworks at night. We gathered at the Palladinos before the fireworks, where the grownups enjoyed a beer and some fabulous home-made berry pie. And the kids? Well, they found their own dessert.
Yes, that is indeed Cool Whip straight from the tub.
Fortunately, the ensuing sugar high helped the kids make the 15-minute walk over to Kenan Stadium (the football stadium where the Tar Heels play) where we planned to watch the fireworks. When we got there, people were streaming into the stadium. And, in a bit of luck, one of the staff recognized Dino (Zach's dad, and also the assistant head coach of the UNC women's soccer team) and led us to an elevator, then up to the press observation VIP section. We were told we could sit in the boxes, but Wendy popped her head into one and promptly whispered to me that the chancellor was sitting there - so we high-tailed it out to the outdoor observation decks, where the TV cameras are during football games. And there we watched the fireworks, which were at eye level. It was amazing, just like the time I was in Hawaii with my parents and got to watch fireworks from our high-rise lanai.
Lea loved the fireworks. The first blasts scared her to pieces - actually, they scared me too, because they set off the first fireworks just as the woman singing the National Anthem finished singing "home of the brave." As she hit the word "brave," the stadium lights slammed off and the fireworks shot up. Amazing. Lea was literally shaking from surprise, but soon calmed down, took her hands off of her ears, and enjoyed the show. My favorite part was when they played Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" in accompaniment to the fireworks - I love that song.
After the show was over, we made the walk back. Wendy and I were walking next to each other, as were Tad and Dino. Zach and Lea were being silly, running back and forth between the "boys" and "girls" and holding our hands. Wendy and I would swing Lea between us while Dino and Tad were swinging Zachy. Then the kids would swap, yelling, "I wanna be on the boys' team!" and "I wanna be on the girls' team!" Before they knew it, we were back at the Palladino house and it was time for us to go.
All in all, it was a wonderful day, mostly because of the wonderful memories that we made. Good friends, good times - can't ask for anything more (even if Lea's 11:40 pm bedtime made the next day, well, challenging).
Yes, that is indeed Cool Whip straight from the tub.
Fortunately, the ensuing sugar high helped the kids make the 15-minute walk over to Kenan Stadium (the football stadium where the Tar Heels play) where we planned to watch the fireworks. When we got there, people were streaming into the stadium. And, in a bit of luck, one of the staff recognized Dino (Zach's dad, and also the assistant head coach of the UNC women's soccer team) and led us to an elevator, then up to the press observation VIP section. We were told we could sit in the boxes, but Wendy popped her head into one and promptly whispered to me that the chancellor was sitting there - so we high-tailed it out to the outdoor observation decks, where the TV cameras are during football games. And there we watched the fireworks, which were at eye level. It was amazing, just like the time I was in Hawaii with my parents and got to watch fireworks from our high-rise lanai.
Lea loved the fireworks. The first blasts scared her to pieces - actually, they scared me too, because they set off the first fireworks just as the woman singing the National Anthem finished singing "home of the brave." As she hit the word "brave," the stadium lights slammed off and the fireworks shot up. Amazing. Lea was literally shaking from surprise, but soon calmed down, took her hands off of her ears, and enjoyed the show. My favorite part was when they played Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" in accompaniment to the fireworks - I love that song.
After the show was over, we made the walk back. Wendy and I were walking next to each other, as were Tad and Dino. Zach and Lea were being silly, running back and forth between the "boys" and "girls" and holding our hands. Wendy and I would swing Lea between us while Dino and Tad were swinging Zachy. Then the kids would swap, yelling, "I wanna be on the boys' team!" and "I wanna be on the girls' team!" Before they knew it, we were back at the Palladino house and it was time for us to go.
All in all, it was a wonderful day, mostly because of the wonderful memories that we made. Good friends, good times - can't ask for anything more (even if Lea's 11:40 pm bedtime made the next day, well, challenging).
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