the fourth

...was spent at my parent's house for a combination 4th of July barbecue and belated birthday celebration for my husband who turned 28 on the 2nd. So begins the small window of time I can tease him for being old and closer to thirty than I am, at least until February when I catch up. My father-in-law and his girlfriend joined us for the get-together that was all my husband wanted: small, quiet, lots of food and the best gluten-free hazelnut chocolate cake in all the land. Ethan threw in some water balloons and some time in the pool showing off his first session swim level skills. I should also note that this week and a half long sleep struggle/regression/get-out-of-tot-school-it's-5-a.m. thing promptly ended just as the (illegal) fireworks started. It's kind of laughable that the first night in a while he's simply crawled into bed and slept would be the loudest night of the year, with fireworks banging and clanging outside of his bedroom. This year we appreciate sleep -- there's always next year to actually watch the fireworks.

Perhaps one day we will successfully capture a photograph of my mother that doesn't take place frantically preparing food in the kitchen. One day.

Ethan decided that daddy was, of course, turning two as well.