fireworks

today is july 4.  i had a talk with the kids the other day about watching the fireworks.  we have a great show here in town and this is the 5th year we have gone.  but to see it, we have to walk uphill for two miles each way.  ok, more like 1 mile uphill on the way there and then downhill on the way back.  and the previous 4 years there is a mighty ton of complaining on the walk home.  so i talked to the kids about how they weren't going to complain this year.  this year we did things a little differently.  there is a kids' play area that opens at 6, so we went at 6 and let them play for about 90 minutes.  then we headed home.  partly, to change into warm clothes, and mostly because eric had a giant pork roast on the big green egg, all slow cooking and he wanted to check on it.  so we parked near a friends house who actually lives very close to the fireworks park, but on the way to the car the first time, sirus started to complain about something.  when i asked him if he was complaining, he said no, he was just wanting to tell us something. 
after we checked on the roast and put on warmer clothes we headed back and parked near that same friends house.  ok, so the house is really like a 1/2 mile, but no hills.  but we let the kids in to the play area again until it closed at 9:30.  they were having fun and eric and i were enjoying each other's company. 
then we settled in to watch the fireworks.  while we waited for them to start sirus went on to tell us how he actually doesn't like fireworks.  they are too bright and too loud.  the first time we went, he fell asleep before they even started, the second year he turned his head away, wouldn't look and covered his ears.  the next two years he would at least watch but cover his ears.  this year, once they started, he declared that he actually likes the fireworks now.  after the show, we walked back to the car.  seamus told me how it was really hard for her to not complain, because she really wanted to.  but she stayed strong!
on the way to the fireworks, well, the first time, i decided i was going to cheat on my paleo challenge.  OOOH, but first, I made some pretty bad ass margaritas the other night - allegedly paleo friendly!  and they were delish:
1 part tequila
2 parts lemon juice, with some lime in it because i only had one lime but a ton of lemons
1 part agave whatever it is, juice, syrup, nectar?  what is it?
2 parts club soda.
shaken and poured into a pint glass over ice with a salted rim.  SO GOOD. 
but that was sort of cheating i think.
but for today, i was like, i am totally going to cheat because as i described 4th of july plans to xtie - its letting the kids play on the inflatables, watching the fireworks, eating chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches and then listening to the kids complain on the way back to the car.  the chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich is a TRADITION!  it had to happen.  it lived up to all my wildest expectations, too.  but then eric got an elephant ear, and i hadn't ever had one, so i was like, dude, totally paleo, its an ELEPHANT EAR.  duh.  totally hunted and gathered and it was damn tasty. 
gracious David Letterman is looking OLD. 
today it was sunny out.  its actually warm in the sun too.  so i sat out on the deck in the new chair eric got for me.  i held back and only sat out there for like 45 minutes or so but i got a little pink!  but it was deluxe having so much sun since yesterday it was FREEZING!  i wore a shirt, fleece jacket, puffy vest and puffy coat. all at the same time!  in JULY!  it got pretty cold this evening too, but it was clear and beautiful!!