Fourth of July Festivities

We had a fabulous Fourth of July! Joey had to work during the daytime, but Tania, Talula and I went to watch the Kailua Parade at our cousin's house. Tania rode her bike and I walked with Talula. Tania had to wear her baby in a sling just like her mama. Strangers thought she was pretty cute.

The parade was okay. I always expect parades to be all clowns and floats and guys on stilts, but the groups that participate are mostly veteran groups, political candidates, churches, and sports teams. But each group always has someone passing out candy to the kids. You should have seen Tania's loot! (I secretly threw it away this morning. She'll forget all about it. That's my move on Halloween too.) It was a hot day, though. Talula and I got really sweaty, but it was totally worth the walk.

In the evening, we had a little barbecue at our house. About ten people showed up. We barbecued and drank beer and had watermelon. The kids ran around and popped firecrackers. At 8:00, the fire department puts on a fireworks show out at Flat Island in Kailua Bay. We all climbed onto the roof and watched the show. It was pretty spectacular, but I was distracted watching Tania. She was sitting with her two best friends. One of them is moving away in a week, and of course, we are moving away in September. The three girls were telling each other that they were best friends and that they would be best friends forever, and it just really broke my heart. I really hope that they do keep in touch forever. I wonder if I am doing a terrible thing by moving Tania to a whole new state and away from her best friends who she has known since she was three years old. I just wonder if this will be a traumatizing part of her life that she looks back on with pain.

Well, I don't want to end this on a sad note, so I'll say that we had a wonderful Fourth of July. Today, Tania and her cousin are visiting a hotel in Waikiki that their little friend is staying at. He's a nine-year-old boy, and they both have a crush on him. (Shhh!) Tania painted her fingernails blue and white this morning and had me put her hair up in a pretty hairdo.

I feel like my heart is going to explode because my kids are so cute.