I knew it would be stressful, but, I stuck with tradition in our family and we went to the Pegram parade, and I took all the kids that were home, with me,  to the fireworks.         

Tom left for Washington DC on Thursday.  Reba was playing at the mall on the 4th.  Good gracious!  How cool.

Let’s go back a few weeks… I wasn’t about to go, too much for me.  Anya was going to be in Ill. at the Cornerstone festival that same week.  Well, without help from Tom and without Anya???  But just for kicks I called my brother in MD and asked him about it.  He was pretty motivated about it, I was SHOCKED!!!

I said, “You know I will really need your help wrangling my kids as well as yours.”  He was fine with it, not a problem.  I got off the phone and was like, OK, I can do this!!   We then talked to Anya and asked her to choose if she wanted to join the fam and go to DC or still go to Cornerstone.  We left it up to her.  After much angst, she chose to stick with her original plan and go to Cornerstone.  So I was about 85-92 percent still going.  We had talked to Carolyn, the tour manager and talked to her about parking at the hotel, how far it was from the venue, talked about getting another room and spending the night there after the fireworks as to not contend with traffic. She was on it. It was do-able.  It was do-able!!

I called my brother at the beginning of the 4th of July week.  I think I’m going to do it…he was on board…we were planning.  A day later he had texted me to let me know, it wasn’t going to work out.   UGH, my kids were so excited, the week before Maggie, my 5 year old, had her bags all packed to go see her cousins…At the same time Carolyn was emailing Tom needing our information for a possible VIP tour of the White house!  So, I called him later that day, and double checked…no just wasn’t going to work.

So bummed…I emailed Carolyn and thanked her for all her hard work and told her we weren’t going.  She said it was my last chance.  No go.  Tom packed, and Thursday he said lets just go anyway and we’ll just get another room the whole time…too late.  Carolyn couldn’t change plans, or add us to a list.  This was the government.  The White House.  He would be rehearsing a lot…he would be busy…  

The weekend came…Anya was gone, I took Taylor to a friends house Friday for a sleep over and Saturday he would then go to another friends house to hang and watch the fireworks.  That left me with a 10 year old, 7 year old, 5 year old, and a WILD 2 year old, who didn’t like to take his naps anymore!!!

Saturday morning: Parade starts at 9:30.  We got up early, ate breakfast, took our time…UGH!  Running late, go to the car, get in, go go go!  We made it to our spot, met Jen, who I always hang with and watch the parade.  Take pics of the kids getting candy, get soaking wet from the kids squirting us with water guns, see the fire trucks, horses, 4 wheelers and politicians, chit chat with friends.  Rowan was pretty good.  I had to hold his hand the whole time.  He would pick up the candy and put it in his bag.  Only one time I let go when the horses were up, in front of us… I was taking a picture of Maddy, in the parade, and he took off to the horses. Walked up to a pony and said, “Hi”…That was it. He just wanted to say Hi… I took him back.

It was over and we were hot and tired.  I took him home in hopes of a nap, so that we could then go to the fireworks…I had already told the kids I would take them…what was I thinking???

Well, no nap, no chance of a nap.  He yells and screams, and body slams in is crib to make sure he stays awake.  By 6:30 pm, he was spinning!  He was overtired, angry, frustrated, yelling, throwing tantrums.  (He can throw some GOOD ones!!!) The only thing he hasn’t learned is to hold his breath…I’m still waiting for that to start…

By 8:00 I was done…please, can we just not go and I can put this poor baby to bed???   Well, my kids would not have that!  I heard a lot of whines and No mom…Please????  So we endured, I endured.  Got in the car at 9:00 drove to the ball park.  Got an amazing parking space in my giant 12 passenger van.  Put Houdini in the stroller, so I know he is safe and we walked to the fireworks.  I met the Jiosa’s by strange luck, or God’s intervention, and hung with them.  We set out our blankets, I counted heads, all there.  I left Rowan in the stroller right next to me until right before the lights at the ball park went down and the fireworks began.  I got him out and he sat on my lap.  He was mesmorized.  He enjoyed it, most of it.  He was still tired, and toward the end he pulled grass and threw it in the air like fireworks.  He hid his eyes and covered his ears from the loud noises.  He stripped down to diaper.  He made it.  I made it!!  Lily, Maggs, Kieran and Carter P. (friend) were great!  Never moved!  

We packed up our stuff and I got the heck back to my car.  I prayed that he would fall asleep!  That he wouldn’t scream the entire way home.  My prayers were heard…He was asleep within 5 minutes.   We made it home by 11:00 and I put all my kidlets to bed.

It was good.  It was stressful for me.  But we had a good time and memories were made!!

As for Tom, he had a BLAST!!  I will make sure he updates his blog in the next few days with pics!  They are amazing!!  Was I excited for him?  You bet!!  Was I sad for me…yes.  Is this life?  It’s mine!!  I choose to love it every day!!  It is a gift…ALL of it!!