The fourth of July snuck up on me this year! We were planning to leave for nine days the day after the 4th, so the week prior was spent tackling a long list of things that needed to be done before we were ready to hit the road. This was not to mention that we had a couple other snafus involving my highlander and a very large rock at soccer practice earlier that week. It was a long week and by the time Thursday hit, I threw some flags and bottled water in a bag and we hit the road towards Shell Rock with some festive traditions that have stood the test of time since the kids were small babes...
Not so tiny anymore!
Growing up in Allison, Shell Rock Days was always a pretty cool thing when I was growing up. We'd do the parade, usually get together somewhere for a barbecue, and always pack the car with blankets and chairs and bug spray and head back to Shell Rock for fireworks. Shell Rock Days and the 4th of July were synonymous and it's pretty sweet the same tradition has made its way into my kids' memory banks. Little towns do parades well. There is candy to go around for hundreds of kids, fire trucks from every town in the county spraying the big hoses on welcomed recipients (ahem, Cruz), and on the fourth, everyone is dressed in their spirit colors and happy to celebrate all the things that make up this good country of ours. From hot dogs and potato salad, to swimming pools and slip 'n slides, to standing tall to wave and applaud the brave men who have fought to make this country free for all - we are so incredibly blessed to call this home. And I want my kids to know it, too.
And as tradition would have it, we all settled under Mom and Dad's ash tree for a barbecue and slip 'n slide fun afterwards. It was hot out so the hose water felt good - so good that they swam right through Joey Chesnut eating all those hot dogs. It was a big highlight from last year and Cruz remembered it right when he woke up that morning.
"Mom, is today the day Joey Chesnut eats all the hot dogs?!"
After we returned home that evening, I realized I hadn't even bought a pack of sparklers. So in my rented American red mini-van, I drove down University in search of one of those fireworks tents and turns out, the employees were practically giving away their loot at 8:00 pm on the 4th of July! I went home with sparklers of all sizes, shapes, and colors, and Cruz, Mila, and the neighbor kids had a blast lighting all the things on fire for awhile.
We ended the night in a spur of the moment decision to pile up the kids in their pjs and drive to Sunnyside to watch their fireworks on the golf course. We pulled off on a quiet little street, carried our chairs directly on the course, and had a front row seat to all the magic. Cruz and Mila laid side by side on a blanket in front of us and it was a pretty sweet way to end our day.
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