Today

Thanks to my fabulous new couponing skills, we enjoyed mini-Drumsticks at Chic Beach today.  I guess that's the "local" name for East Beach.  It was named after a girl named Chic Something-or-Other who ran a little food stand down by the beach.  I know this because I read it in the newspaper today.  I love the newspaper.

How can you get a face like this within the first few licks of your ice cream cone?  Well, I guess it was a little melty.  Nothing like cleaning your face with saltwater from the ocean . . . or should I say the Chesapeake Bay.

MMMMmmmm.  We went with a fun group of girls/moms and their kids.  Madeline was having a little trouble with people stepping on her towel.  She said later, "I was angry in my heart, but I didn't let the angry come out of my heart."  I asked her, "How did you not let the angry come out of your heart?"  And she said, "Cuz I new that I shouldn't let the madness come out.  It's really bad manners."  I was like, "Yeah, you're right, Madeline.  That's called patience."

And here's the bearded woman herself.

It's been a great day to kick off our 4th of July weekend, one of my all-time favorite holidays.  This is where we'll be on the 4th.  Now is that something to get excited about, or what???

Tonight the girls lay wide-eyed in bed while I captivated them with my profoundly inaccurate, but well-intended telling of the American Revolution.  Their bedroom became a holy place as we talked of pride for our forbears and gratitude for our freedoms.  We put our hands to our hearts as I taught them how to show respect for our flag.  Madeline was bursting with questions: 

In reference to the War: "Did they get to go to church on Sunday?"  "Where did the kids go when [Martha] went to go visit her husband in the war?"  "Did they see the flag when all of the dust came falling to the ground?"

In reference to festivities: "Do fireworks burn your hands?"

Then I sang all of the patriotic songs in our hymnbook to them, and I hope all of our neighbors heard us.  I want to make sure EVERYONE around here is ready for the 4th.