Fabulous 4th of July

I love last minute travel. The preparation and expectations are minimal and all that remains is fun. Although a well planned trip filled with aspirations and anticipation is wonderful too. I'm pretty sure I just like travel and vacation.

Just two days before the 4th we made some last minute plans. We rented a cabin/beach house. In the northwest, a waterfront property is always part cabin part beach house. We packed our bags, gathered (junk) food, charged the camera and were off.

After unloading from a ferry we drove to our beautiful destination, but not without stopping at Discount Fireworks, "Prices will not be beat." The kids and hubby were so excited. We had not bought fireworks in years, due to minor things such as laws. The kids had never even held a sparkler and my husband, sadly, had never shot a bottle rocket. His childhood stifled by this non-event. On our trip at the very prodigious roadside location, "Discount Firework," a lifelong dream was met. Thirty bottle rockets in hand and ready to blow-up. Already such a good vacation.

The fireworks did not disappoint. On July 3rd, shortly after our arrival, we dipped into our "Discount" fireworks. The kids had a blast. Lights, sparkles, pops, and explosions are sure family fun. We could not stop at just a few. We lit almost our entire supply of fireworks. After exhausting a large portion of our Discount Fireworks we ventured to the thriving neighboring metropolis (not really) to buy more. After all, we could not be with out fireworks on the 4th.

After buying fireworks from other vendors I cannot mock our Discount Fireworks. We bought half the fireworks for double the price, but the 4th of July is not really about the "bang for your buck." It is really about are your explosions bigger than your neighbors? Are your fireworks better than theirs? That is the true spirit of the 4th, at least this seemed the attitude on the beach. There appeared to be a serious competition among beach houses. Who could put on the best 4th show? With our meager $50 in fireworks, we were not even in the competition. Our neighbor took $50 to a casino on the Indian Reservation and won $800, which he spent all on fireworks and sadly they were not the beach side victors. It was quite a show!

Compulsions of a mother

One of the wonderful aspects of aging is a certain realization and acceptance of ourselves. My nose has a bump, I don’t move the furniture when I sweep, pretty sure I will never floss except the day before I go to the dentist (like that really makes a difference, I know), and I really enjoy compulsive behavior.

I have tried to understand my neurosis. I don’t know if it’s the nature of motherhood managing, playing, and working with kids all day or just me. After donating my body as jungle gym, napkin, and pillow when the evening comes my impulse is to stay up way too late, eat junk food and dive into a project. I think I must crave a little irresponsibility and it begins at 8 pm within the walls of my, most likely, messy home. My compulsion is an outward effort to exert identity separate from people under 5. I am not sure if television broadcast over the internet, an obsession for family photo books and bowls of ice cream are an identity, but I certainly enjoy the indulgence, the later the better. I have amazing powers of imagination. While splurging on irresponsibility I imagine that I won’t be awake by 6:15 the next morning.

My latest obsessive-compulsive fixation: blurb books. I fear my compulsion to make books may negate some of the positive aspects of recording my families’ life. Since I made my first book a month ago, I have chronicled my 3rd child’s entire first year, completed in dazzling color all of 2007, and have captured 95 amazing pages for summer 2008 (to help with the math, 4 books in 1 month). I am not writing this that you may be impressed by my organization or awed by my commitment to detail my family life; I really think it moves away from commitment and never touches on organization. Since discovering blurb, I take my camera everywhere and stay up into the wee hours of night arranging photos and recording both the significant and insignificant happenings of my family. In every spare minute I manically check blurb, as if anything has changed since the last time I saved the book.

I embrace myself--quirks compulsions and all. I can't wait to add blogging to the list.