Town Parade & Water Fun

This weekend was our town's parade and fireworks celebration. They have it a week after July 4 so that more people can be there. My dad wore his Legion hat and had to serve hot dogs at the booth, so he wasn't able to sit with us at the parade.

We sat with one of my best friends from childhood, Mary, who came up from Wichita with her girls for a few days so they could visit her dad. My mom's best friend was Ed's wife, who died in 2005. Her girls are really growing up, they look like models. My boys had a fun time teasing them at the parade.

My little guys were so eager to see the floats going by. Lk got hit in the head with a lollipop, but otherwise no catastrophes. They got a sackful of candy!

This is Mary and I. She has been out sunning and I've been in the shade all summer, as you can see!

L&L kept trying to get the attention of the girls, they would "tag" them if they felt they were not getting enough attention.

Lk bonded with Chelsea and Lm with Darcy...

A clown came up and said hi to the kids.

Lk kept saying "Hi!" and waving to every car that went by. Some of the now "classic" cars that were in the parade were from the late 70s. Made me feel old, since I can remember riding in those when I was little.

Here was a clown with a walker. That was a new one!

On Sunday, their great aunt, Marylee and uncle Darrell gave them their birthday present. It's a Backyardigans water hopscotch game. You just attach a garden hose to it and turn it on at any speed and it's like a sprinkler.

The boys were hesitant at first, as they cautiously approached it.

Lm put his hand on it to see what would happen.

It took awhile for them to warm up to it, then they kept hitting the water with their hands.

Lm got thoroughly soaked.

I brought them in then for their naps. I live for 1:30 on the weekends. Well, Lm would not nap!! He's able to crawl out of his bed now and open doors and roam around. He sees no need for a nap. Trouble is, I DO need one, and I got cheated out of it. Could it be possible that he is already graduated from his daytime naps?? I brought myself to tears over the possibility yesterday. I tried everything under the sun to bribe him into it. I left him in there, on and off, for an hour, trying to soothe him down to sleep. I even called my sister the way you would a 911 operator when your house is ablaze, but she was on vacation.

Over the past week he's been giving me a hard time about going down for his nap AND bedtime. Could he be one of those who just doesn't need much sleep? Because when I let him out of his room after the failed nap, he was still pumped up with energy and raring to go (though I was half-dead) and still last night he cried when I set him down.

If this continues, I am SOL.