Block Party

We have such cool neighbors. Every year for the Fourth of July, they close off the street (kind of a half-circle of houses by our hill) and have a big party. We were sad we had to miss it last year when we were out of town, but this year we made sure to be here! Our neighbor gets a taco truck and a shave ice truck to come, and then he cooks a million hot dogs and everyone brings side dishes to share. It was 97 degrees outside, but we had the best time sitting and talking with people and watching the kids playing foursquare on the street. It feels like the right thing for the Fourth, like some old-fashioned small-town potluck you'd read about in Pollyanna or Little Britches. We loved it.

We made 10 gallons of homemade root beer for the party, which is always so fun. Who doesn't love watching dry ice at work?

Clementine was well-dressed for the occasion. Here you see her fake smile. Isn't she too young to have a fake smile? Apparently not.

The food table, somewhat picked over by this point. My favorite part is that boy in the background:

checking out that cinnamon roll (??) to see if he really wants it. Do you want to know what the best things were to eat from this table? (I know Abe would want to know. So I will tell you.) Of course, I did not try everything. And we know I wouldn't waste any stomach space on store-bought cookies/cupcakes (though my kids probably tried them ALL and enjoyed them). But the best things I tried were: 

• some baked beans

• some pink kiss cookies

• some chocolate chip cookies

• my potato salad (sorry, but it's true)

• watermelon

• I think there was some good salsa too

• our root beer

Gus, after eating one of the above items 

Clementine (in a new outfit; I have forgotten why this was necessary) had a pretty good glare going on. I don't think she was particularly displeased. Maybe she was just hot or thought the sun was too bright?

Looking happier. I think this was after we pushed her through the sprinklers.

Zig was in total heaven, riding his trike wherever he wanted (in the street!!) and talking to hundreds of strangers. What could be better? Maybe if you throw in a cone of cotton candy?

Gus enjoyed himself immensely as well, strutting around like he owned the place. I don't even want to know how many cookies he helped himself to from the food table in the course of the evening.

Cute girls in what used to be my Primary class. I still count them as my girls.

A long line for foursquare, and the missionaries, because where else should the missionaries be but at this party?

When the sun went down, around 9:30, our neighbors turned on a movie on their porch, and people sat on the hill to watch it. We can't do fireworks in our neighborhood, but we could see some in the sky and hear them going off. It was finally a pleasant temperature outside. We let our kids stay up so late, watching the movie and playing catch on the hill and talking with their friends. They thought it was SO FUN!

And it was. What a great Independence Day celebration!