a fourth and a third

the last two years our fourth of july has been rained out. in other words, since sunny was born we haven't had a sunny 4th. :) but this year was clear (and hot), so everyone turned out in force to watch the fireworks. we had a barbeque at our house and then joined some church friends at the park nearby. i was a little worried about the kids - late night, dark, and the fireworks themselves... but they were spellbound. even sailor, who sat openmouthed on my lap at the display (we were only a few hundred yards from where they were being set off). and sunny got a couple of those cool glow-in-the-dark necklaces (thanks, tandy :) that he spun wildly in the air, and he chased his friends around the picnic blanket, and hopped from lap to lap.
"oooh!" he said, along with everyone else, as the brilliant colors exploded overhead. "i like them, daddy!"

and, a second later, with just as much happy excitement, "they're really scary!"

and i swear that sailor said, "pretty." (she is kind of saying lots of random words these days. it's hard to know how much she understands, and how much is just strangely close to what would make really good sense. )

so a tradition is begun.
i can't remember the first time i saw fireworks.
but now i can remember the first time they did. ;)

***
and i cannot, cannot believe sunny will be three tomorrow. three years ago tonight i was eating pasta at the olive garden before heading over to seton northwest for my pre-induction. i was large and nervous and so ready to meet the life i'd been growing inside for so long.

i never ever could have imagined what he would be like. his playful, joyful spontaneity, his sweet sensitivity, his brilliant leaps of understanding... his own miraculous person like a flash of lightning or a glorious rainbow.

my precious, precious child: happy third birthday. i wish you many more years as full of delight as these last three have been - for all of us.