We were out at the lake for July 4th and I knew that Old Sturbridge Village was having some sort of July 4th events but it just seemed wrong to pay to see fireworks. But the more I looked around for other options, OSV had so many activities going on along with the fireworks it made the $12 ticket price worthwhile. Judging from the throngs of people there, it looks like OSV had a very successful event which is great because it’s a wonderful place that was in rough shape financially a few years ago.

We arrived about an hour early and scored a picnic table next to the parking lot. We had a little picnic dinner and I carted along the s’mores maker to ensure an extra-sticky evening. When I first saw the s’mores maker I thought it was a little hokey, but it works pretty well. So my kids will grow up thinking you toast marshmallows over a Sterno can in a toasted marshmallow-shaped ceramic container with fondue forks instead of hunting for the perfect stick, cleaning the leaves, bird poop, and spider webs off, and toasting them over a campfire, but what the heck. Anyway, after the picnic the kids ran around in the woods and then we headed into OSV.

There was a magician, a juggler, a pie-eating contest, sack races & a hoop-throwing game, and if that wasn’t enough excitement, there was a reading of the Declaration of Independence. There were a few different period “bands” (think fife & drum, not rap & hip hop) scattered around, and by 8:30 we headed to one of the designated areas to find a fireworks-viewing spot in a cow pasture. Yes, there was a giant cow pattie right next to our blanket but it was pretty benign. There were 50+ kids running around while we waited for the moon to rise out of the viewing area, and then it was finally time for the fireworks. They were pretty impressive considering the locale, and when they were over, the real fun started.

We spent the next hour and a half shuffling toward the parking lot and then waiting for the cars around us to move. Some Jabroni started giving the parking lot attendant crap, the police were called, and it was complete gridlock while a police car tried to swim against the tide of 2,000 cars trying to leave. We didn’t even bother to start the car…we just stood around and watched the show.

We finally got home around midnight and everyone passed out, my favorite part of the night. There’s a limit to how much family fun I can handle.

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Here’s a video of the kids doing a couple of heats of the sack race, and you can watch a video of Adlani in the pie-eating contest here: http://lockmommy.blogspot.com/2009/07/no-mo-fro.html

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Last month I had to go to my doctor’s office on a Friday morning to have blood drawn for thyroid and cholesterol tests. Norah’s day care provider was taking a personal day so Norah came along with me. She was pretty good at the doctor’s office and I hadn’t had breakfast because it was supposted to be a “fasting” test, so we stopped in Davis Square to have coffee (milk for her). I don’t know if it’s a sign of the economy or what, but there were about 50 people in Starbucks, working on their computers, writing in notebooks, reading, or chatting. Normally I would expect those people to be sitting at their desks, but the place was packed. We sat outside and enjoyed the surprisingly dry late spring day.

Norah didn’t want to walk down this alleyway because she thought it was “jail”. On the way back from Starbucks she was brave enough to walk down the alley AND pose for a picture.

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Since Adlani and Norah didn’t have preschool/day care on Thursdays, we signed up for a music class in Spanish to tire them out so I could work in the afternoons. My friend Viviana, the mom of Adlani’s friend Diego, was the extremely creative, fun, and patient teacher. We had a lot of fun and we all learned learned what “la clave de sol” was (see right) and how to say “Who ate the bread at Juan’s house?” en español. I’m pretty sure this is the only way I’m going to learn Spanish – with preschool-level classes full of songs, giant balls, musical instruments, and a parachute.

Gracias Viviana! Tu eres una maestra muy buena!!

One unexpected outcome of the class was that when you ask Norah what her name is, she says it with a Spanish accent (“Nodah”):

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viuMSS9gx14&hl=en&fs=1&]
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After weeks of cold, rainy weather, I appreciate the sunny days even more. I took this cloud photo while laying on the dock at camp a couple of weekends ago. The kids took advantage of an afternoon without rain by splashing around in the lake with Devin while Sherry and I kept half an eye on them. They never seem to get tired of playing in the water and digging in the sand. There are a couple other boys around Adlani’s age that share our beach and they love to play together. In a few years they’ll be setting off firecrackers and conducting panty raids together, but until then we’ll enjoy the sandcastles and sunfish.