Happy 4th!

We celebrated Independence Day pretty quietly, with a lovely day in our neighborhood. I made pancakes and we all ate huge handfuls of our berries. Liesl then asked me to help her make a secret camp in our backyard forest. There is a cool setup in the woods behind the school, with chairs and a stolen street sign, but there are signs that local kids are actively using it and so I dissuaded Seb and Liesl from hanging out there. I told her I'd help her make a fort of her own and so we tromped down behind our house, through the overgrown bushes and pernicious blackberry thorns, to a likely-looking spot. I used Seb's old lacrosse stick as a scythe or machete, swinging at thorn stalks to cut them down, tromping down a path and a clearing. It felt very appropriate, as if I were channeling my best July 4th/American pioneer spirit.

We then headed down to Mill Pond Park for the neighborhood parade and party - bouncy houses, popcorn and pretzels and cotton candy, some carnival games and a dj playing dance music.

I made my annual flag cake -- it turned out really well this year, much better than the last time!! -- and we headed over to the Hornbrook/Dewis family's house for a BBQ dinner.

After dinner, we walked up the hill to watch fireworks going off all over Beaverton and the Tualatin valley, and to set off sparklers of our own (to Liesl's great delight). It was a great evening with friends.