A City Ahead of the Times...

The City of Richmond...City of Pride and Purpose.

That is the actual city motto.

Before I lived here, I didn't even know cities had mottos.

Anyway...

Richmond sets trends. Rosie the Riveter was in Richmond. Which led to the innovation of daycare, as moms moved into the workforce during World War 2. It's a fascinating albeit crime-riddled, tense city with a very rich history. Where is she going with this? you are asking.

Richmond's forward-thinking ways extend to the celebration of the Fourth of July. It does its fireworks extravaganza before everyone else...on the Third. They put on the show over the water adjacent to the city's yacht harbor; the fireworks explode right over a waterfront promenade and large grassy knoll. Everyone feels like they have a front-row seat. Best fireworks-watching set-up ever...at least according to this fireworks junkie.

Yesterday was our first-ever fireworks outing with all four kids. Both of us parents really wanted to go this year, and so Miss C was decided to be old enough and we would just hope and pray she didn't get too totally freaked out...especially since she would be up way past her bedtime.

We live walking distance to the event, which meant no traffic...score! But it was super blustery, and the kids started complaining early on. Fortunately, the excitement of what was going to happen quieted them as we got closer to the viewing area. Maybe 'quieted' isn't the right word...perhaps I should say quelled the complaining.

None of these blanket shenanigans were, in any way, quiet. 

I was very grateful for all the open space...this would have been disastrous in a crowd!

It was crazy windy, but there is a playground right there which did a great job staving off the boredom and discomfort of waiting for the show to begin.

So windy, she had to hold her hood on.

We had a good hour to fill...lots of sliding and swinging... 

until...

Mommy...I just peed. My whole pants.

(That means she emptied her bladder until her whole pants were wet)

I must say that her timing was impeccable. We had just enough time to clean her up and change her clothes before the fireworks really got going. 

One happy Third-of-July Girl!

Okay...so everyone knows what fireworks look like...but I promised Big G that I would put his photos in a post. I was most impressed by how well he has perfected the 'Finger Shot'...

These ones came out a bit better...I especially love the blurry one :)

He liked these ones because the first one resembles some sort of mystical something and the other two look like electrocuting jellyfishes...

We all agreed that it was a blast (ha ha ha) and can't wait to go again next year. If you are ever in the SF Bay Area on July 3rd and want to see a kick-ass and enjoyable (not a total zoo like most) fireworks display, definitely head over to the Richmond Marina.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Independence Day :)

A Mother's Favorite Images... and letter to an expectant mom

Kim, writer of Zook Book Nook, is about to have a baby. As a baby-welcoming and mommy-pleasuring gift, several bloggers are contributing guest posts and link ups centered around newborns and the senses for her. Today's focus is sight and is 'directed' by Northwest Mommy Stasha, combined with her Monday Listicles link-up. Many of you have seen some of these photos before, but I doubt Kim has. 

Dear Kim,

I am so excited for you as you await your third child. There is real magic in the number 3, and I hope you live it, feel it, love it :) 

What follows are ten of my favorite photos taken by my husband...because I can't say I only have ten favorites...

The day my third child was born...

...and how he was welcomed by his siblings.

Watching them explore...

...holding them close.

Their sense of awe...

...and of adventure.

From the thrill of cupcakes...

...to the delight of a boat ride...

...and the rapture of a sunset.

These amazing beings, our 'charges', our children...

are destined to venture forth on their own...

...out into the world...

...or lost in the world of imagination. 

We love them always, no matter what.

Wishing you the very best with your new one :)

XL

All of this happened before 9:15 ...

Today has been a busy day.

First, Baby X set off on her first overnight field trip with her third-grade class... 3 days and 2 nights to stay in cabins, hike around, get really wet (it's supposed to rain all 3 days), do the campfire thang (in the rain... yeah, right), learn stuff, yada yada yada...

She is soooooo excited!

The most awesome thing about this girl is that she is almost always up for anything.  

She is excited about this trip... EVEN WITH THE RAIN.

Change and challenge?

Bring 'em on!

(I think she takes after her mom)

My husband is chaperoning the trip.

He is also excited.

Two nights of sleeping in a rustic bunkbed, 

surrounded by 8- and 9-year old boys screaming and stinking,

keeping those overprivileged kids motivated in the cold and rain...

Of course he's excited ;-)

They had to leave super early. There was a search-frenzy before they could leave... the little camera.  

Must.

Document.

Adventure.

It could not be found... it was nowhere.  It wasn't even in my car (which is where it should NOT have been anyway... but they did look which meant unlocking my car and going inside of it... this part becomes important in a minute).  So they left without the little camera but took the big, honkin' professional-photographer-that-he-is camera.

About an hour later it was time for the the boys and I to head off to school.  Miss C had just created a perfectly-timed 'present' for me... so I sent the boys out to go on in the car and get buckled in.  I'm in the middle of clean-up when Big G starts asking me where the keys are (do you see where this is headed? I didn't). I very annoyedly give him the verbal list of the places he should look and should already know to look.  He looks.  He can't find. I finish my job and start looking.  We are now late.

And it hits me.

I make the call.

Me: Hey, babe. Where did you put the keys to my car after you looked for the camera?
Him: Oh... %^@#!
Me:  Yeeeeahhhh, that's what I thought. Okay... well, we won't bother looking for them anymore! Good to know! Have fun!  *click*

They were in his coat pocket.

I find the spare where it is actually supposed to be!  (score!)
I find the extra house key... also where it is supposed to be!  (double score!)

We leave.

We get stuck in heavy traffic because we have left the house after the "tipping point"... it is now full-on rush hour.
Finally off the freeway, the unthinkable happens...

See that white truck?

That's where it happened... 

where I 

ran out of gas!

but there were a lot of cars behind me 

Two good samaritans noticed that I was standing outside of the car 

with the hazards on

in the middle of the intersection

and offered to help push me to the side.

it always amazes me how few people are willing to "get involved"

and how awesome it is that ANYone is willing.

Once we were parked in an actual parking place,

I hoofed on down to this

gas station

where I bought 

and filled

this

I then cavorted back to the car

cavorted because I was so 

happy 

a) that it wasn't pouring down rain,

b) that I had cash on hand to buy the goods,

c) that it was only a block and a half between car and gas station

(this mess could've happened on the frickin freeway, in all that rush hour traffic)

d)  that my oldest is old enough to stay in the car with the youngers so that my hoofing only took a couple of minutes instead of a solid hour ;-)

After I returned to the car and put the little sip o' gas in the tank (without any spillage, I might add ;) ),
I insisted on shooting a video to further document the morning drama... as if the pics and the post aren't enough :P

This annoyed Big G because we were already running SUPER late to school.

 Like that is different than any other day? but I figured we were already soooo late...

Would this be considered an excused tardy? And excusable one?

Dang.
That's what I thought :P

To all of you punctual people out there... what would you have done differently so that punctuality would have been achieved?
– This is an area in which I need a lot of help!