fourth festivities

the fourth of the july is full of good times in our neighborhood. this is a holiday that feels so intensely local in that traditional american neighborhood sort of way, and ours is a neighborhood that has that local traditional american thing going on. the sidewalks, the families, the kids, the pets, the beaches, the schools, the walking everywhere we want to go, the friends who are neighbors and the neighbors who become good friends. it's a good thing to be a part of. these festivities, this neighborhood, our community and city, our country. it's a good place.

we started the day with the annual triathlon, with a swim from tenney beach, a ride through maple bluff, and a run to touch the other lake and back. usually i have a ton of pictures (like last year!) (or that time david won it!) of the swim, the transitions, and david triumphantly crossing the finish line. usually, i am at the beach with the kids while everyone else races. BUT! this year! the kids were agreeable to being left with a friend and a bunch of their little friends at the beach, and i got to join in. it was so very much fun. and we have only a few pictures--david finished before me, so he took a photo of me crossing the finish line, and i took pictures of my friends crossing the finish line. oh, it was fun. and not just because i was the first female finisher...but, you know what? i was.

boom.


my friends, right on my heels.


the whole triathlon crew, in our sweaty stinky post race glory

the beach babysitter


after the race (and the fast shower to rinse off the seaweed and the sweat), the kids decorated their bikes and joined the neighborhood parade to follow the slow celebratory procession behind a firetruck, a harley davidson, and our newly crowned queen of the neighborhood.

then david took a turn in the dunk tank, and ramona took a turn throwing the ball. so did james. so did i. sadly, we couldn't get him in the water. a neighborhood high schooler took care of the job.

block party family happiness. 

later, we took a trip to the new edgewater hotel. they were having a party, and it was great fun. also, the new place is gorgeous.

back at the block party, the kids cashed in on cupcakes and pinata candy. 

and later that night, me and david and ben had a little bonfire. it was a good day. it was a whole good weekend.