Vintage Post: Risking Freedom

I posted this originally five years ago.  Reading it today reminds me that I am older.   I might be a tad more protective of my kiddos this year but I still really love that peanut salad and freedom.   Keep the extra regulations.  Give me freedom.   So today - eat well,  hug your friends and family and say thank you to anyone who has served in the military for freedom is never free. 

My daughter is currently tucked into bed beside me.  She's snoring.  When my husband gets home tonight he'll carry her downstairs and tuck her into her own bed.   In the mean time, I'm enjoying listening to her.

I'm also mentally unpacking the Fourth of July.

We started the day by running two miles and then walking a mile long parade route.   This was good because in the afternoon just about all I did was eat.   The resident chef makes these amazing peanut, cilantro and onion noodles.   I think I had four servings.  I had potato salad and macaroni salad.  They were both homemade so of course I had to have seconds.    I had a piece of Rhubarb pie. Tart! Yum!   I had chips and salsa.  It was made with red, green and yellow peppers with lots of onion.  I had chicken, one thigh smoked and one leg grilled.   I had lettuce wraps.   Those have lettuce so those probably don't count on any sort of calorie chart.   I had summer pasta with orange slices.   That has fruit so that really doesn't count either.    I only had a couple of pieces of licorice.

My daughter smelled like sunscreen.   She spent most of the day alternating between a kiddy pool and a slip-n-slide.    The kids were finally talked out of their swimsuits and into warmer clothes.  The sunscreen and pool water maintained a stronghold in their hair.  My sister reminded me that when we were kids we had a slip and slide at Grandma's house.   Grandma made it out of black garbage sacks.   She held them in place with bricks.   Added water and a squirt of dish wash liquid and we were set.     The danger of sliding too fast and skidding over bricks just added to the fun. 
My husband smelled like fuses and fire.   We lined the children up at the end of the day and watched the big kids - er - our husbands blow stuff up.   Several times we moved the kids back a few feet.   At one point one of the fireworks fell over and started randomly shooting sparks at our kids.    The kids stood there.   The parents all shouted.   We ran and dodged and grabbed.    No one got hurt.

Later, one little guy said his favorite part of the night was when the fireworks were shooting at them.   I smiled.  I worry sometimes that we bubble wrap our kid's lives too much.   Clearly not on this day though.   That might be one of the reasons I love the Fourth of July.   It's about celebrating freedom.     I'll take the risk of danger every day if you'll give me more freedom.