Fourth of July

Between four young kids, my parents being out of town, and Ellie being scheduled for an endoscopy tomorrow morning (we get to arrive at 6:15AM), Greg and I decided not to go to a big fireworks show this year.  The kids have had fun playing at home most of the day, and going on repeated trips to Home Depot with Dad, as he's worked on the dryer vent, the drinking fountain and a number of other household projects.  I spent most of the day watching Downton Abbey and getting all caught up on laundry, including changing all the kids bedding and adding new hypo-allergenic mattress protectors, and cleaning the house.  It may not sound like the funnest holiday, but both Greg and I were saying how nice it was to feel a little more 'caught up'.  I just got Owen down to bed (for now, we'll see if fireworks wake him up), downloaded the pictures from my camera, played outside with the kids (Greg and I taught Annie and Ellie how to jump out of the swings -- Ellie got hurt, not super surprisingly, but bounced back) and now I'm taking a few minutes of downtime while Greg plays in the backyard with the kids, all before Uncle David and Aunt Talina come over soon to light some fireworks in our front yard, then we'll figure out getting kids to bed. 
Not the most exciting, memorable Fourth of July -- but it's been nice.