Fourth of July

<p>Shorter version: <br>
In answer to the two most pressing questions, yes, we went to see fireworks, and yes, it was as traumatic for Isaac as you might imagine. Staying up way past bedtime plus loud noises and flashing lights does not a happy child make.</p>
<p>Longer version: <br>
July 4 doesn't seem like July 4 here since it's a normal schedule day and there isn't any particular holiday concert. The little music class that Isaac often joins did a parade, which consisted of walking from building to building, mostly in the administration area, and singing a song before moving to the next area. We joined for one song, but because of all the walking through buildings it wasn't practical to use the stroller. And he's not old enough to know what he's missing, so that's fine.</p>
<p>Before that, Isaac and I made a trip to Meijer in Traverse City for a few more diapers, etc. I could have gotten it at the store here, but I wanted to go somewhere and we needed enough stuff to justify the longer trip for cheaper prices. Isaac slept in the car on the way there. He also took another 3+ hour nap this afternoon and slept in the car on the way to get ice cream this evening. I guess he isn't getting enough sleep for all the energy he's expending.</p>
<p>We went with friends to a place called Moomer's, which we visited once already this trip, maybe the first day or so before I started blogging. They were voted best ice cream in America by Good Morning in America, or something like that. You can watch their cows next door, which is nice though maybe cow smell doesn't mix well with the taste of salted caramel ice cream, say. It is very good ice cream, but it still doesn't hold a candle to our little Eiscafe in Weimar. As mentioned, Isaac slept, so we left him in the car with the windows rolled down and parked next to a picnic bench, so he missed out until the very end.</p>
<p>For fireworks, we went over to Frankfort to watch on the beach. We got there late so had to park far out, but at least the walk meant the traffic had eased up by the time we got back to the car. I've had a lot of luck just showing up right before fireworks are scheduled and getting a good spot. Much better than staking out a spot at 1 pm or some such nonsense. The show was right in front of us, some even seemed to be right over us. They were fired from boats in the lake and often set them off from several boats in a row at the same time, so the show was wide. I guess they don't have to worry about setting the whole county on fire here; I hear they had to do a laser light show this year in El Paso.

Isaac started crying right away so Andy took him for a walk. They went back a block away from the beach but Andy said he kept pointing in the direction away from the fireworks. So it was basically everything I was worried about last year, which came to nothing then. But we were much much closer this time. But he was fine after it ended.

Mom, you told me about remembering how the Pike house in college made homemade hot air balloons (sorry everyone else, I'm too tired to describe them better) and everyone thought they were UFOs. I guess these are a thing now, because a lot of them were in the sky at dusk over the lakefront. Again, not worrying about burning things down helps. You must be able to buy the paper structure because when we tried to do it at home with newspaper one time it was a complete failure. Anyway, the paper was red on these and they were quite beautiful in the evening sky.

Here's our cold little El Pasoan in the dark before all the hubbub.