On Thursday, our internet was out all day until shortly before 5pm. I have not gone that long without internet in my home for a really, really, really long time...basically since getting married. Obviously I've had times without it outside of home...camping or other trips, days I was at a friend's, running errands, working, and so on...But when I'm at home and awake, I expect the World Wide Web to be right there at my fingertips, just waiting for me. I use it for much more than just surfing or game playing, after all! I was getting pretty irked by the time it finally was fixed...and more so because our service provider's automated system wasn't telling us a time estimate over the phone. No, it was telling us to go online to check the status of the outage....Brilliant...
Then yesterday, as I was creating this post...my monitor died. It started flashing the menu screen at me, even though I hadn't pushed any of the buttons that would bring up said screen. Nothing I did would stop it, and tech-savvy Daddy tried to fiddle with it, but it was a no-go...so we headed to TigerDirect and got a brand new monitor...yay for having a 'computer fund' written into the budget? My new monitor is widescreen, which is taking me some time to get used to, and it just *barely* fits in my current desk. I actually didn't even expect it to fit, and was ok with that since I'll be getting a new, less constrictive desk when we move...but it *is* convenient to have it fit in the old as well. :)
So hopefully, computer woes are put aside for the time being, and I can actually get around to posting as I intended...On to the holiday and its various preparations and excitements!
June for us ended with a bout of the stomach flu...much excitement, right? The Munch got it Sunday morning, then a day or so later, first I then Daddy both got hit within an hour or two of each other. We had a rather miserable day or so of it, but during that time our little girl was super-sweet, alternately bringing Daddy or Mama crackers or their water bottles. :) By the time July 3rd came around, we were mostly recovered. Daddy still had a nasty, lingering headache, however, and the 3rd was the day we had a party to go to: Our friend's sister's place near some fairgrounds was ready to go again this year, and we were very much looking forward to it. In the end, Daddy sadly had to skip, but the Munch and I still went, and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.
There weren't as many people as there were for Munch's first Independence Day (there were 60 or so people in that little house that year!), but there were a LOT of kids. Munch had lots of playmates, which was a lovely thing. She played on the swingset, found various toy frogs laying about that amused her greatly, enjoyed the plentiful food and drink (although she drank her lemonade too fast a couple times, and choked as a result...). I got to know some of the other moms who were in attendance, and spent some time with various members of my friend's family and adopted family who I've seen over the years at this gathering. Gradually the sky grew darker, and we started hearing some of the neighbors' crackers going up.
Now, before we'd come, I'd found a number of fireworks videos online. I'd picked one and had showed it to the Munch, and I'd turned the sound on my computer way up...trying to prep her for what was to come. It was her first fireworks show, and I wasn't quite sure how she'd take it, but being that she's a kid who likes to take her time about new things, I figured a little extra preparation wouldn't hurt. And she was SO excited about those fireworks. She kept telling me excitedly just what they did (and has continued to do so since, too, but always at a time when I don't have the camera, the goose)--How they go "up, up in da skai, and den day go BOOM, BOOOOOOM!!!!!" And she completes it with a couple of emphatic jumps. So yes, she was thrilled with the video...and when it came time to go outside for the actual show, it only took her a couple minutes before she was pretty thrilled with the real stuff too. :) Except for those loud, bright obnoxious boomers...all they do is make a bright, loud BANG...and they totally ruin the show and the organizers keep adding more and more of them to the show every year, and I'm annoyed. :P And so was she. At one point when they had waaay too many of those in a row, she wanted to go inside...but we managed to stay put, and eventually nicer fireworks showed up again.
And then...the show was done, and she was introduced to Poppers. My favorite! She's still too little for the sparklers our friends had of course, but poppers are great! She had a blast throwing them to the ground...although there were an awful lot of duds...they wouldn't even pop when *I* threw them!
It was late when we finally got out...we'd been the first to park in the long driveway, and had to wait for 3 other cars, whose occupants *were* leaving...it just all takes time. I think it was nearing 11 by the time we were on the road, and the Munch hadn't slept since her nap. Everyone was saying, 'oh, she'll sleep on the ride home.' Um, no she won't...this is the kid who doesn't sleep in the car. Not even at midnight on an hour-and-a-half drive home... But maybe fireworks are magic, because about 20 minutes into the drive, basically as soon as we were on the expressways, she was out cold. I almost wish she hadn't slept, as she was particularly grumpy getting from car to house to actual bed...but it's all good. She's napped extra hard for the last couple days in return. ;)
And now...the moment we've all been waiting for: Comparison photos!
Here's last year...
And this year! Man. I can see it in her face, but it's hard to believe she's grown THAT much...
And while we're at it, check out those braids!!!! :D :D :D Couldn't do that last year. I'm a happy Mama. :D
Happy 4th, all!
And yes, I painted those. :D She sat sooo well for hers!
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