July Fourth

Busy weekend for us. First, I've done a ton of cleaning. I figure since I'm unemployed, and there's not really anything I can do during a holiday since I don't have any clients yet, I can do something productive. So, I finally cleaned out Cora's closet. It's been packed full of stuff, mostly my stuff. Since her birth sneaked up on us and her room wasn't even painted yet, and then the next two and a half years just flew by, the closet just never got done. So, I cleaned out [most of it] and now I have to organize and pack up a bunch of old clothes (mostly hers but also some of mine). I cleaned out my clothes a few weeks ago, and we took five bags of clothes to Goodwill. I will probably have more to donate soon. Also in Cora's closet, I found three suits I bought my first year of law school that still have the tags on them. The pants needed hemmed, which I never got done because 1. I gained 15 pounds by the end of 1L Spring semester; 2. I got pregnant at the end of 1L Spring; and 3. Got even fatter after Cora was born. So, these suits now fit me, I just need to get the pants hemmed. It's a nice surprise finding new clothes! Particularly since several of my other suits/pants/skirts are now too big. That's a good feeling, but not good when you don't have any clothes that fit and no money to buy new ones.

Of course, Cora was nosying into the clothes piles, and insisted on putting on her favorite jacket (the rainbow one), even though it was 80 degrees outside. I tried to talk her out of it, but she was adamant.


Biker chicks gotta wear jackets.

Saturday Cora and I went downtown with her BFF J (and J's little sister and parents), to see the parade. Cora really liked all the horsies (although the crowd cheered loudest for the poor bastards whose jobs it was to follow the horses and scoop the horse poop). The parade was a spectacle of local flavor, mostly of political candidates. No event in our city is complete without a presence by Gatewood, who continuously runs for office and never wins. We also had the teabaggers, which were rather obnoxious having a banner claiming that America only has one language (English), coming soon after the Latin American float. Never mind that we have an entire territory that speaks Spanish (Puerto Rico) and are born US citizens, but whatev. The rest of the parade consisted of a hodgepodge from local police and firemen to the equestrian crowd to roller derby girls to drag queens to old lady belly dancers (that one was a little odd but, hey, rock on, old chicks).

Anyway, after the parade, we went home to take a nap and regroup to join them (with Husband) for a trip out to BFE in the next county to have a picnic dinner and watch some fireworks. One of the docs they work with owns this farm and invites everyone out on the Fourth.


Cora, J and Baby S

J's little sister is adorable. She's also trouble, as you can see. She will likely be able to hotwire a car by the time she's two. While the Husbands took the toddlers down to the creek to play in water, us gals hung out with Baby S who had planted herself near another family playing catch (and batting), and kept holding up her arms when the ball came within 10 feet, as though she was going to catch it. Very cute.

Finally, once the sun started going down, we moved to an adjacent field to watch the fireworks.


Pretty girl in the red dress in the blue grass.


Cora hanging out with Baby S

It was a lot of fun, although the bugs were horrible. I had on enough bug spray and bug repellent lotion to probably be toxic, and the little bastards were still landing on me, licking the stuff off. I only got a couple bites even still, so that's good. Still, I hate the sound of mosquitoes buzzing, ugh, it makes me queasy. Reminds me of being at my grandparents' house in Niagara Falls, and there being so many mosquitoes, it looks like a biblical plague. Yuck!

Anyway, aside from my massive bug phobias, it was good. Cora was very excited about the fireworks. She clapped enthusiastically after each set and asked for more. She really liked the multiple colored "rainbow" ones. J was not so excited, and was upset by the fireworks, so she napped until it was over. Baby S didn't give a crap and went to sleep. We got the kiddies all loaded into the vehicle, and Cora and J held hands during the car ride home, it was very sweet. (I'm glad they're now BFF's, they used to be more frenemies.) By the time we got home it was after 11:30, and both girls were still awake. J started whimpering at one point, and Cora, being a bossy boots as usual, scolded her and said, "[J]! No whining!" (Obviously, Cora knows that phrase because she hears it quite a bit. Along with her other recent one, which is "You are in BIG TROUBLE!")

I, of course, have paid the other price for being outdoors (aside from bug bites), which is massive allergy fail. I slept for like three hours this evening, I feel like total crap. But look on the bright side: at least I don't have a job to go to this week! (Oh, but I do have an examination to take on Thursday for a certain government agency that investigates stuff, so hopefully I can breathe through my nose again by then.)

Happy Fourth!