Fireworks In August

I know, it's almost September and there still haven't been any posts about the 4th of July. Let's just say it's been a long month or two at the Bailey house. The 4th of July was really the beginning of a long rough patch for us and we're still trying to get our heads above water.

Our 4th of July started bright and early over 7 weeks ago when Paige woke up screaming at 5AM. The day that followed included a trip to the after hours clinic and lots of crankiness. Thanks to some fever meds Paige was able to take part in a few 4th of July festivities before bedtime. Her participation lasted for about ten minutes, at which point she tried to rip a sparkler from my hand, broke the handle in the process and ended up with a small burn on her neck. My screams of terror as I watched this slow-motion disaster scared her more than the actual burn, but I was a guilty mess the rest of the night. (My guilt was not assuaged the following morning when we discovered that Paige developed a rash from the bandage we had applied...) The burn healed quickly and never seemed to bother her, but I will be forever wary of sparklers. (As if my firework paranoia wasn't already bad enough!)

Reese enjoyed staying up late with the grown ups and older kid guests. She ate popcorn on the front lawn while watching the neighborhood sky light up with fireworks on every corner.

Before the trauma of the evening, the girls posed in their 4th of July dresses.

Paige takes her "cheesing" seriously.