Merry Christmas

We had a very merry one indeed! Busy as to be expected but very happy and peaceful. The holiday week started with a quick trip to NYC for mommy, by HERSELF! Yep, it was a mini vaca. Much needed tho short and sweet. I drove up Monday night after Kev got home from work. I met up with Aunt Hil and Lou at their fav spot, The Redhead. Hil just made some gorgeouse velvet curtains and chair covers for them. We had a few cocktails and then had one of the most delicious meals ever. We had Wild Mushroom Flatbread to share, I had a Sweet Potatoe Salad and Grits with Sausage and Shrimp. I also enjoyed several glasses of red wine. In fact, several too many. I was very happy and relaxed and ended up being a bit hung over the next day. I had grand plans to tool around the city with my camera and check out the holiday sites. Instead, I slept very late, took a leisurely shower, got some coffee and some eats and hung out in Hil's apartment. It was a nice day of quiet and it might have even been better than walking around the city freezing my arse off. I met up with Hil and Lou around 7pm and we headed to DE. We made a stop at our fav diner, Mastori's in Bordentown. Yum. We arrived home around 1AM as there was traffic. Good times. On Christmas Eve, Hil, Lou and the kids made some sugar cookies for Santa and decorated them. We all got dressed for church and made it there with not a minute to spare. The service was beautiful and the best part, the kids were so well behaved. Then back to Gam and Pop Pop's for dinner. Basil chicken, noodles and salad. Easy but delish dinner. The kids got one present to open, new pajamas. We had them home and in bed by 9ish. They were WAY excited and took a bit to fall asleep. Aunt Kiki came over and joined forces with Hil and Lou to do all my wrapping. More wine and lots of good laughs.
Christmas morning began around 3:30AM when the kids started waking asking if Santa had been here and was it time for presents. They were told to go back to sleep many times. Around 5:30 I stumbled downstairs to get their stockings and told them to be quiet at least if they weren't going to sleep. We managed to hold them off until 7:30. I did get video of their reactions as they came downstairs. They each got a new bike. The girls got helmets as well. Ryan got a Hess truck and a blue lightsaber. Kate got a Barbie guitar and Molly got a Barbie laptop. We waited for Gam and PopPop to come over and Hil and Lou to wake up before we opened the rest of the loot. It was a great morning. We did miss Aunt Mimi bunches as she was snowed in back in Seattle. We then had a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes and blueberry crumble. The kids took a ride on the new bikes and then a nap was had by all. Our gang did it all again that night with Kev's family at Aunt Kathy's house. We were given a year pass to the Philadelphia Zoo and the Please Touch Museum. We are anxious to visit! All in all a great day. Kev worked today and the kids and I layed low. Aunt Gail made it into town and stopped by and we have some plans to hang out the rest of the weekend. Hil and Lou headed back to NYC by bus. It was great having them here with us. Oh and Ryan lost a top tooth tonight! Lots of pictures to come. I am ordering the things I need to ramp up my computer so I should have no trouble editing and uploading pics.

Dear Santa

If you click on the picture, it gets bigger and you can read/see it better. The girls dictated their letters to me, I did not make these up!

Barf!

And lots of it. That's been the story this week. Kate started it by barfing in Ryan's bed. While all three were snuggled up. Yes, the girls do have their own, new, big girl beds but they still prefer to bug Ryan. Literally! Kate shared the barfs with Ryan. He puked in school on Wed. As well as Kevin who came home early that day. And Molly brought up the end. Know how I discovered she had gotten it? I went in to check on her around 1:30 AM and stepped in it. EWWW! She was sound asleep with barf all over. All this fun while having the WORST sinus infection of my life. So that's what we've been up to this week. Oh, I did get a mild version of it myself. At least that better have been it 'cuz I ain't got no more sick days left!!!!!

Christmas Card Trials 2008

Being the kids of an aspiring photographer sucks! As evidenced by these shots....

Does she know me or what?

The other day Kevin took Kate out to run some errands and they made a stop at the dollar store. Kate picked out a Nemo kite for herself, a Princess kite for Molly, a Transformer kite for Ryan and this for me.......






Does she know me or what? Kevin and I were laughing so hard we were crying. Yep, she's got my number!

Scatterbrain!

Yep, that's me. A complete and utter scatterbrain mess. I've been this way for six years now, so I've gotten quite good at it. I have too much going on and my brain works way faster than my body. I always intend to do this or that. I make "To do" lists, I set reminders on email, but alas, I am hopelessly scatterbrained. Ya think I'd be used to it by now. *sigh* It's Saturday night and I have so many things I need to be doing but somehow they aren't getting done. I'd much rather be scatterbrained and worry about getting it all done later.

Today we had an awesome family day. Truly, it was one of the best. Last night we got a call from Kev's sister offering us tickets to Playhouse Disney Live. Not just any ole tickets either. The Mayor of Philadelphia's box tickets. Yes please! It is definitely not in the budget to do such things these days so we jumped at the chance. Everyone woke up happy, we got ready with little to no fussing and off we went. Even when we ran into traffic, everyone stayed happy and calm. We were a little late but not too much. The kids were glued to the show, sang along, clapped, and were so well behaved. After the show, we went to Toys R Us to spend some birthday money that had been burning a hole in their pockets since they got it in the mail on Friday. The continued to be happy and well behaved despite being in a crowded toy store. They all picked out a smallish toy and even readily agreed to pick out a toy for a child in need this season. I was SO proud of them as they walked over to the Marines and handed them their gifts for Toys for Tots. So not only did they get a toy they also got a great life lesson.

Now, back to that "To do" list.

Toothless once again

Molly had to have two teeth pulled yesterday. My poor baby. When she was about 1 1/2 she fell on a teeter totter and knocked two of her teeth back up into her gums. We thought they were totally knocked out at first, but after an x-ray, we saw they were still there. They came back down on their own and had been fine. Until last week. I took the girls for a routine cleaning and it was a different dentist so I filled her in on Molly's history. She said the teeth looked fine and to watch for a bubble on her gum. No one had ever mentioned to watch for this before. So Ryan had his check up on Monday and had a cavity. So I took him back on Wednesday. Don't ya know, Wed night I was helping Mol brush her teeth and there was a bubble on her gum. So I took her in the next day and sure enough, she had an abscess and the dentist said she needed the one tooth pulled. She put Mols on an antibiotic and we were to return in a few days. So yesterday was the big day. Molly was actually pretty excited to be losing a tooth like big brother Ryan. Plus she knew the tooth fairy would visit. Once there they decided due to the location of the abscess to pull both teeth. Molly was a TROOPER and did awesome. She had a bit of a rough time once the novacaine wore off. She wouldn't take any medicine (Tylenol or Motrin) or drink/eat. She got a bit dehydrated and was barfing some too. But once we got some fluids in her, she perked up and was asking for her shopping trip to Happy Harry's (drug store) to get her prize. Oh and the tooth fairy left her 20 smackeroos as she didn't have any smaller bills so she should be able to pick out something nice.

Never a dull moment....

American Heart Association Go Red Luncheon and Fashion Show

The girls are partipating in this next Friday. Yesterday we went to a bridal shop for their flower girl dress fittings. Needless to say, Kate was well, Kate. "I don't like pink! I HATE pink! I'm not wearing that pink dress." I think the lady at the shop was quite taken aback at Little Miss Sass. She did end up cooperating and is wearing a very cute white velvet top and green raw silk dress. Very Christmasy and very cute. Molly is wearing a bluish/grey dress now known as the "Ariel" dress. Very cute as well. So last night after Trick or Treating, we were recounting our day to Gam and Pop Pop. We were talking about "the pink dress". Kate held up her hand and said, "No more discussion about the pink dress!" Omg, that girl.

The kids had a blast Trick or Treating. They got lots of candy which was left on the front porch. True to his word, The Great Pumpkin made his visit and left Ryan some Transformer sheets, Molly an Ariel comforter and pink sheets and Kate a Nemo comforter with green sheets. They all also got a $15 gift certificate to KB Toys for a mini shopping spree. Needless to say, the candy is long forgotten about.

We are about to transition the girls from toddler beds to big girl beds. Every night, Ryan has two little visitors who pretty much hog his bed. The other morning I went into Ryan's room and he was squished at the bottom of the bed with his head on Molly's bottom while Molly and Kate were quite comfy on his pillow. Poor big brother!

A couple pics from Halloween....

Food Allergies

I stumbled upon this very well written blog post about peanut allergies. This mom really hit the mark. Be a good blog reader 'o mine and read it!

In case you didn't know, last Halloween was how we discovered Kate's peanut allergy. We plan to allow her to trick or treat on Friday but all of the loot will be placed outside for "The Great Pumpkin" who will leave a non-edible treat in exchange for the candy. Who needs all that sugar anyway?! I'm sure Kevin's co-workers will appreciate it. :)

Halloween Preview 2008

We went to Uncle Mike's Halloween party last night. The kids had a blast and looked utterly adorable in their costumes. What say you????

Life has been kicking my butt

Seriously. I have been so worn out. Between school and birthdays and sickness and parties, I've been utterly and completely exhausted. Last weekend, Aunt Hil made the trek down for the birthday extravaganza. We made cupcakes and more cupcakes, stuffed goody bags, drank wine and overall had a great time. Molly was sick and spent a night in the ER for wheezing. Saturday was our good buddy Jason's birthday party (he shares the honor of October 13th as his birthday) and then Sunday was the combined party for my three. We had 21 kids at Boomers. It was a ton of fun and the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
And I'll apologize in advance but no pictures for now. I have a ton but haven't uploaded them all. Soon, I promise. For now, I am taking my sorry butt to bed.

Happy 6th Birthday Ryan! "The bestest boy in the whole wide world!"

Ryan turned six on October 13th. Six! He is so grown up and doing so well in school. He really truly is the bestest boy in the whole wide world. This phrase came about when he was a baby. I used to say it to him all the time. When he was about 2 1/2 I started to say it one time, "Ryan, you're the bestest boy" and he finished, "in the whole wide world." Never can I remember a time when my heart was happier except for perhaps the day he was born.

Happy Birthday Bud!

Happy 4th Birthday Molly and Kate!

September 30th marks the girls' 4th birthday. I know ALL parents say this, but seriously, where has the time gone? They are such big girls now and I no longer have any babies. It is all too bittersweet. I love seeing them grow and watching them learn but I also yearn for those days of when they were just wee ones in my lap. They amaze me everyday and definitely keep me on my toes. They absolutely slay me in one moment and drive me insane the next. My two precious little girls! I still find it hard to believe that I was blessed with twins. As much work as it has been and it has definitely been hard work, it has been a lot of fun. I love watching them play together now and have the bond of sisters. I know how very special that is and I am truly enjoying seeing it in my daughters.

Happy Birthday Girlies!

Another vacuum story and 'The First Day of School!'

Yesterday the girls were eating dry cereal in a cup before school. Kate often takes her dry cereal and pours it into one of her "play" bowls and pretends to be a dog. Yes, she is weird. Yesterday she was eating cereal off the floor and I told her, "Kate stop eating like a dog." To which she replied, "Mom, I'm not a dog, I'm a vacuum!" I seriously almost peed my pants.

The first day of school went well all around. Kevin and I dropped Ryan off at 7ish AM. His school has a very stringent system in place, pull up, open the door, kid jumps out, pull away. And don't dare hold up the line or you'll get beeped at by the other parents. So we pulled up, opened the door, the school counselor was there and helped Ryan get out. He turned and said uncertainly, "Bye mom." The counselor walked him over to an 8th grader to walk him to his class as we pulled away so as not to hold up the line. It was over in all of 10 seconds. Talk about tough!!!! The tears were streaming down my cheeks. I made Kev pull over so I could get out and try to see Ry but he was already gone. My baby is a kindergartner! At pick up, I waited with all the other parents and Ry was one of the first kids out. He ran to me with a big grin and I knew all was well. He likes it! Yay Ryan!

The girls started preschool in the 3's class. They did very well at drop off. They were a bit clingy but no tears! When we picked them up they were all smiles.

Kevin and I enjoyed a quiet breakfast date. A rare treat indeed. Momma is so relieved that the first day went well.

Here are a couple of pictures...

Teaser

Here are a few shots from Cape May.....

Home Sweet Home!

We are back from a week in Cape May. The weather was great and we got in lots of beach time. The kids are utterly exhausted as am I. I have lots o' pictures to upload and stories to tell, but I am too darn tired tonight!

Be back soon. :)

Another contest

Ever the optimist, I love to enter contests. Maybe I might win, ya never know. So a blog I frequent, is having this contest.... And I get an extra entry for mentioning it on my blog. I would love to win the Heart and Soul necklace, beautiful!

Molly and Kate -isms

So in case you haven't noticed from the tone of my posts lately, my kids are driving me NUTS. Today I decided I need to try and focus on more of their cuteness and less of their annoyingness. Altho, annoyingness does tend to be in great supply. I'm just sayin'. Anyway, I took them for a walk down Main Street in Newark the other day. We passed by a bank and Molly said, "Look Mommy! It's the money store!"

And just today Kate and I were talking about her friends K&K. Kate said they're my girl friends. I said, "oh you're girlfriends." Kate said, "No mommy, my girl friends." As in they are girls and they are her friends, not her girlfriends. How does she know to even differentiate this?

One more quick story. I took all 3 to the chiropractor with me this morn as I have for the past several weeks. I guess they are getting more and more comfortable there because they were WILD. WILD. So wild, Jodi the office manager spoke to them and told them to settle down. And settle down they did. Always nice when someone else whips your kids into shape. Then Jodi gave me an herbal "xanax". AHHHHH. Maybe that's why today I'm focusing on the cuteness. Might have to get me some more of that.

Family Outing

On Saturday we decided to take a family outing. We probably don't do them as often as we should so we gritted our teeth and did it. We went to Longwood Gardens as the weather was beautiful. It was a nice sunny day, breezy, not too hot nor humid. I hadn't been there in several years and it had been even longer for Kevin. Unfortunately, we waited to go in the afternoon and the kids were done before we even got there. We shoulda brought some cheese to go along with all the whine we had. Seriously. I took my camera and did manage to get a few shots and it even looks like we had some fun while there. Someday I'll look back at the pictures and think it was fun. hee hee

Random thoughts from Ryan

So yesterday the kids were driving me nuts as usual, and I as usual was yelling about something. Ryan looked up and says in one of his sweetest voices, "Maybe you shouldn't of had kids, Mom." Um yeah.

Summer Fun Photo Contest

So there's this photo contest over here that I thought I'd enter.....



I really love this picture. I mean I know she's my kid and all and I love all pictures of my kids but this one really strikes me. Not sure why, but it does. Anyway, we'll see what happens.

Pin the tale on the what?!

Today was Pop Pop's __th birthday. (I'll keep your secret old man.) We celebrated by having Gam and Pop Pop over for dinner. We chowed on some pizza and a delicious chocolate cake that Gam made. The kids just love birthday celebrations. While we were eating cake, Ryan said, "Let's play some games!" Because don't you always play games at a birthday party? My dad piped in, "Like what? Pin the tale on the donkey?" *Note to readers, my kids have no idea what Pin the Tale on the Donkey is.* My dad said something about needing a donkey and Kate quipped, "We could put it on Mommy's butt." Lots and lots of laughter ensued and there were many renditions of "on _____'s butt." Fill in Mommy's butt, Gam's butt, Pop Pop's butt, Daddy's butt and on and on.

Here's some pics.....












Happy Birthday Pop Pop!

Reading

So I was stumbling around the blogging world and found this post and wanted to share my list. I love to read and hope to instill the love of reading in my kids as well.


According to The Big Read, the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books on this list. How many have you read?



Look at the list.

Bold those you have read.

Italicize those you intend to read.

Underline the books you LOVE.



1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien

3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6. The Bible

7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8. 1984 - George Orwell

9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

14. Complete Works of Shakespeare

15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks

18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

19. The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

20. Middlemarch - George Eliot

21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchel

22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens

24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

34. Emma - Jane Austen

35. Persuasion - Jane Austen

36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis

37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne

41. Animal Farm - George Orwell

42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving

45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery

47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

48. The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood

49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding

50. Atonement - Ian McEwan

51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel

52. Dune - Frank Herbert

53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt

64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac

67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

68. Bridget Jones’ Diary - Helen Fielding

69. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie

70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville

71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

72. Dracula - Bram Stoker

73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

75. Ulysses - James Joyce

76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78. Germinal - Emile Zola

79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

80. Possession - AS Byatt

81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

87. Charlotte’s Web - EB White

88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

92.The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

94. Watership Down - Richard Adams

95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare

99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo


So there you have it. What's your list look like?

Kevin's Christmas present from 2006

So I totally forgot that I had done these for Kevin as a Christmas present until the other day. The girls were asking to see baby pictures and it dawned on me I had made these up and never got the videos but I can share them here. Now I need to get working to make more to bring us up to the present.

Personally, I can not watch these without tears streaming down my cheeks. Ya might want to grab a tissue. Or it might just be because they're my kids. I'm just saying....

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Growing up

So a recent conversation with Molly goes something like this....

Molly: "I like being a big girl."

Me: "Oh yeah, why's that?"

Molly: "Because I get to do lots of big girl stuff like arts and crafts and being a baby is just AWFUL!"

Me: Trying my hardest not to laugh, "Uh okay."

Molly: "I'm growing but I'm not a grown up like you. Someday I'll be a grown up."

Me: "Yep, you will."

And another one while I was getting dressed this morning....

Molly: "Mommy, why do you have hair on your heiney?" (Altho she does know the correct terminology, she refers to vaginas as heineys.)

Me: "Because I'm a mommy and mommy's have hair on their vaginas."

Molly: Thinks for a minute and says, "Does _______'s mommy have hair on her heiney?" (Name omitted to spare the innocent.)

Me: "So, are you ready for breakfast?"

I swear, I AM in trouble because she's only 3 1/2. Lord help me when we hit the teenaged years.

Bleh!

I've been feeling kinda bleh the past few days. Might have something to do with the 95+ temps we've been having. It's been too hot for the pool even. So the kids and I have been inside too much and we all know what happens with a mom and three crazy kids stuck in the house. Insanity! I took them out back for a bit this afternoon and the mosquitoes were biting and it was hot and humid. We quickly came back inside. Tomorrow we are heading to MoonBounce, our favorite indoor, cool, burn off lots of energy, spot.
So I survived the Mothers of Multiples picnic on Sunday, in the blazing heat no less. Multiple multiples running around. All were pretty good except my two. Flooding the powder room and peeing on the deck were their big performances. You know its bad when another mother of twins says, "My, you've got your hands full." *sigh*
VBS was great last week. In fact, I think I've found another one for the first week in August. Something has to get me through until September!

I've found my roots

I recently came upon a blog called We are THAT family and it really struck a chord with me. Cuz see, we are THAT family too. The one that everyone whispers about when they see us coming and talks about when we leave. (Come on, I know you do!) We are crazy, wild, loud, chaotic, funny, energetic, and always have an adventure (or ER story) to share. I KNEW there had to be other families out there like us and well, now I've found one. :)

Sick!

Yep, I've been MIA the past few days as the girls ended up with some weird summer virus. Kate started on Sunday with a fever. Layed on the couch all day and wasn't eating. Sunday night by 10 PM Molly was burning up too. Thank goodness Kevin was off on Monday as Molly began the barf fest Monday morning. She barfed many times over the next 24 hours. Monday night/Tues morning I was up from 1-5AM with poor barfing Mols. PopPop brought some Coke over on Tues at lunchtime. I gave some to Mols and her stomach settled and she seemed to perk up. By Tuesday evening, the girls were back to their normal hi-jinks. So today I needed to get them out of the house!!!! We had been in all weekend and had a major case of cabin fever. It was a rainy day so no pool. Boo!

We ventured out to the Delaware Museum of Natural History. The kids had fun. They especially liked the cave with bats in it. Tho, I had to reassure them a few times that they weren't real. All was pretty good until Kev called looking for us and the kids were trying to climb on one of the exhibits. One of the curators came over and told them not to climb. It was then that I decided we needed to make our exit. Still being early enough in the day, still rainy and my kids still having TOO much energy, I decided to take them to McDonald's for lunch. We went to the one with the super big play place. We had lunch and the kids ran and ran. We bumped into a friend from FSMOM and her twin boys. Ryan had a blast playing with "C" and "C". It was nice to chat while the kiddos played.
Naps ended out our day and I was able to get some stuff accomplished around the house. I even cooked dinner tonight. For those who don't know, I can sure keep a clean house and I can cook, I just don't do it much. Love to eat, hate to cook, that's me. With three picky kids who almost never eat what I make, we do pretty simple dinners around here. Ryan didn't eat dinner tonight and even passed on dessert. He was feeling a bit warm and asked to go to bed. I think we're on to round 3 of the virus.

Here are some pictures from the 4th of July parade: