Forth Worth of July

We spent our first Fourth of July in Fort Worth (last year we were watching/helping my sister get married!) and we had so much fun! Friday was a "home day" as Claire calls them and James and I luxuriated in the awesomeness that always is a weekday in which neither of us actually has to work. If we could be dual stay at home parents I feel like we could really rock it. We played and swam and cooked and erranded and exercised and still had time to be almost bored. Other than the Great Poop Incident while James was working out, it was a completely perfect day.

Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza!

On Saturday, I got up early to start our bbq chicken for the pool party and headed off to yoga. James got the kids dressed in their matching 4th of July shirts from my Grandma Mary and I did a quick check on the chicken while Cora loaded up on necklaces. Girl always has an accessory.

We got a few pictures in front of the tree, but Cora had zero interest in looking at the camera. Less than zero really, she deliberately looked away while cackling to herself.

.

We walked to the neighborhood parade that would be passing by the end of our street in a few minutes. Or rather, we walked while the kids ran- Cora in particular was SO excited that I really wondered what she thought was about to happen.

I feel like a line of vintage cars throwing candy at her was not it.

She glared at the old cars before deciding to wave at the new shiny ones. That's my girl.

Thirty minutes later, she drunkenly stumbled home, clutching her single piece of candy and singing to herself the whole way. I feel like her college game will be strong.

She was still clutching her candy an hour later, and it was so adorable I kept taking pictures of her while I party prepped.

The big kids went with James to his pool for its Fourth of July Party and I cooked and baked and cleaned and set up patriotic streamers around the pool area. Finally all was ready, Cora was sleeping, James, the kids, and all our guests were running late and I was drinking my first margarita in my stars and stripes bikinis with Cora's stolen necklaces. Back in the day, my game was also strong.

Our friends arrived- two families we're close with (both colleagues of mine; I work with really awesome people who are married to awesome people)- and suddenly we have 6 adults and 8 kids and it was a party! All the kids got along perfectly and swam and swam and ate and swam some more.

We took advantage of having guests AND having both James and I in the pool (rare as a unicorn sighting; despite our amphibious backgrounds) and got a family picture.

My arms were already super tired from holding Cora's head above water. I have never met a baby so DETERMINED to breathe underwater. All she does is dunk herself and then smile while she chokes as I pull her up. It's exhausting. I finally got out and bribed her with unlimited animal crackers if we could stop for a while.

It worked.

Dinner was great- I made this BBQ pulled chicken (so good I will never again look for a similar recipe; absolutely perfect), doubling the recipe with 5 lbs. of chicken and 2x the sauce. I cooked it on high for 4.5 hours, shredded it, and then left it on warm for the 4 hours until the party started. I served it with Costco's mini pretzel buns (the best!), my mom's vermicelli salad, watermelon, veggie tray, chips, and brownies and fruit pizza for dessert. And a Costco box of party poppers. None of which I managed to capture on film.

Our friends stayed till almost dark and then a gaggle of very tired children fell asleep within minutes. Being up past 8 is a rarity for our crew, so I don't even think they remember getting in bed that night, but they were up at 6:30 ready for more. I was up anyway (freaking insomnia) so I went out with my hot tea to watch them swim at 7:15. James ambled out about 30 minutes later so we decided to hit up our favorite downtown park before it got too hot.

We're into our fourth year in this charming little city and we just feel more and more lucky to call it home.

Happy belated 4th everyone!