Sunday: The Great Fireworks Finale

(Weekend pics from Saturday in previous entry.)

Sunday was church as usual. Tony stuck around after church to help set up for VBS (which will be happening this week) while I took Ari home to get lunch and a nap. I put her down for her nap shortly before Tony got home, and when he got home, he decided to take a nap, too. I went for a walk, read a bit of a new book, but soon found my eyelids getting heavy. I set the book aside and drifted off into dreamland myself.

When we all woke up we headed back to town for the big fireworks finale--the culmination of all the weekend events. On the way there, we stopped for gas, so I whipped out the camera and asked Ari to show me her teeth. This was her response.



I could tell it was going to look washed-out (I don't know why the flash thought it needed to go off), so I gave it another try. I asked her to show me her teeth again. And this is what I got.



We parked at Brandon and Kerry's house--they live just a short distance from the town green, yet far enough away that we wouldn't have to deal with crazy traffic at the end of the night. We got to the town green a little after 7 and joined our friends on the blankets they had laid out. There was, as usual, a huge group of us--Brandon and Kerry and their kids, Pastor and Dawn, a whole huge bunch of Dawn's relatives (all of whom we know and who treat us like part of the family) and even a few other friends from church. Ari kept herself entertained by playing with Tyler and Molly (and, later, Abby, a friend from church) as well as some of the adults--anyone who would humor her, basically. Tony wandered off in search of some glow necklaces for Ari, and returned with this light-up spinner toy. He said some guy gave it to him, saying, "My kid didn't like it--do you want it?" Ari was mesmerized, and was instantly popular, since all the other kids wanted her toy.



Look at Little Miss Serious. I think she was trying to figure out how it worked.



The entertainment for the evening (well, you know, besides the kids) was The [State Capital] Symphony Orchestra (ha, how's that for vague?) who did a tribute to Motown. They were fantastic--one of the best acts I've ever seen at this town celebration.

The fireworks didn't start until almost 10--well past Ari's bedtime, of course. But she did so well. By the time the fireworks were ready to start, she had settled herself into my lap with her blanket, her sippy cup, her binky, and her spinner toy. Before they started the fireworks, they had someone sing the National Anthem, so we all had to stand. I figured Ari wouldn't mind, but she insisted quite loudly on having all her "supplies" in her hands while she stood, silly girl. Once I handed them all to her, she quieted down, and when we sat back down, she happily nestled into my lap again.



Tony said I wasn't smiling, so this is the next picture he got. (Gee, I don't know why Ari acts all goofy for the camera--I can't imagine where she gets it from...)



Ari did great with the fireworks. I was a little apprehensive, thinking she might be afraid this year. She was fine last year, but now that she's a little older and a little more aware of things being scary, I thought she might be nervous (for example, she's recently decided to be afraid of the vacuum cleaner). But she was totally chilled through the whole show. She just sat quietly at first, taking it all in...



...and then after a little while, she got more vocal. She would point at the sky and say, "Fire!" and "High!"



About halfway through the show, I sat up to adjust my position (since I couldn't get comfortable) and Tony thought I was trying to pass Ari off to him. He held out his arms, and she went willingly to him--and I didn't protest.



Ari was just as relaxed in Tony's arms--maybe even more so. She was even more animated with him, too. She kept saying, "I touch it" (which is what she says when she wants to touch something).



When the show was over, we lingered, waiting for the crowd to clear a little before starting the walk back to our car. By the time we got to our car, it was after 11, and Ari was still awake, though she looked completely wiped out. She even stayed awake in the car until I remembered to give her her blanket--within seconds she was out. She barely stirred when we got her out of the car (which is unusual for her), and went right back to sleep when we put her in the crib.

And so ends another busy weekend. The next couple aren't looking like they're going to any less crazy. I think my big plan to catch up on sleep on the weekends isn't going to work out so well anymore...