Fifty-Seven Flags
I wrote this last year on the Fourth of July - Another Quiet Night - and here I sit, one year later, contemplating the same things I have for the past three. It’s funny how having kids changes so many things; things that were once simple become mountainous, impossible. Moments of simplicity are precious.
Sam has yet to see any fireworks in his lifetime. It is dreary here and the forecast calls for rain again. I mentioned that on our walks we’ve been counting the flags in our neighborhood. Over the course of a few blocks we easily can find over 50. Now, to be fair, one house accounts for about sixteen of them. The Fourth is a big deal in this little place where we now live. A parade is scheduled, and the fireworks go off near enough that we’ll be able to see them from our yard, assuming they go off at all tonight. Sam really likes the flags - he notices them. We talk about them and why people put them up. The other day while we were driving somewhere he asked me to sing him a song about a flag, and I sang the Star Spangled Banner, loudly and un-self consciously, for the first time in a long time. We have a flag up on one of our trees in our yard; it’s the first time my husband and I have displayed or even owned an American flag. And I have to say, I do feel proud when we return to our house and get to count our own, “57 flags!” and that feels good.
Labels: Holidays and Celebrations
Love your little patriot! Think before our neighborhood cookout we’ll walk and count the flags…what a perfect reminder.
Happy Fourth!
Comment by Cheryl — July 4, 2008 @ 11:08 am
Happy Fourth!! I really enjoyed this post. I love the counting of the flags! We don’t have than many houses in our small neighborhood, and I miss those long walks.
I am going to sing the Star Spangled Banner with the kids today!
Jen
Comment by Not Just Any Jen — July 4, 2008 @ 12:03 pm
Yay!
We went to an Independence Day parade earlier today. Each mailbox on the street had a flag on it. It was cool.
Comment by Rebecca (Ramblings by Reba) — July 4, 2008 @ 12:04 pm
I was just reading on AOL that Philly has the #1 fireworks display in the country. Don’t think that is the one you can see though. I say if they do fireworks, keep the kids up and watch some of it. (at least Sam). Happy fourth.
Our flag is flying but we are just hoping that people at home don’t do fireworks. It has not rained here in so long that we still have not had to mow our grass even after being at your house for 2 weeks.
Comment by jaybee4000 — July 4, 2008 @ 12:44 pm
Doesn’t it stink how dreary it ALWAYS is on the 4th of July!? GRRRR…
Comment by Jo-Lynne (Musings of a Housewife) — July 4, 2008 @ 3:43 pm
Wow, 57 flags. That sounds like a great stroller game and my son and I will have to count the flags on our walk tomorrow.
Comment by Kelly — July 4, 2008 @ 7:30 pm
I never thought of counting the flags. Its a great idea, Your so smart. I have kinda avoided telling my kids about what today was about other than to be proud to be an American. I just don’t have the energy to tell them NO the power rangers did not fight for our independence. LOL I think we will count flags this weekend and maybe even post how many we see. its good to know we have so many proud Americans living around us!
Comment by The best is yet unwritten — July 4, 2008 @ 8:13 pm
We watch the fireworks on tv, if at all. I’m not going out to sit in 100 + degree weather with 100,000 other people, it’s way too hot, and the baby would hate it.
If we lived at the beach, maybe, but not here.
Happy 4th!!
PS I think 57 flags is awesome!
Comment by sari — July 4, 2008 @ 10:45 pm
Oh I love this season! What a great holiday!
Comment by jd — July 5, 2008 @ 1:14 am
Sweet memories…
Hope the sky is clear this year!! My family ADORES fireworks. To the extreme. The louder, the brighter, the better!
Comment by tracey — July 5, 2008 @ 1:04 pm
I have always preferred the Star Spangled Banner to our own anthem. My mom used to catch me singing it in my bedroom after watching the intros to the many hockey games that my dad would watch. She thought it was funny, especially since I didn’t know most of the words but I tried anyway.
I hope the weather cooperated and Sam was able to enjoy his first fireworks experience. (A could have cared less. But that did make it easy to leave earlier and avoid the majority of the traffic rush.)
Comment by Mama D — July 5, 2008 @ 2:02 pm