That cold, wet weather we’d been stuck with for a month blew away and gave us "Canada weather," as my husband calls it: blue/purple skies, high flat clouds, cool, but not cold wind, the laundry can dry, the allergies back off. Not that mud doesn’t have it’s fun uses.
My Uncle P and Aunt B stayed at my Mom’s house for the weekend, they are about to return to Brazil for four years with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. My Cousin K, her husband Br, their baby B, and my cousin B came down from Cambridge for Friday and Saturday.
One tradition of the 4th of July in my Mother’s family was repairing the cedar picnic table set that had been in the family since the 50’s, I think this tradition is just about over now. Uncle P was disassembling the parts that were good, trapped the queen of the carpenter ants, and called us over to see the tunnels, pupa and eggs. He didn’t think Mom should dry the wood near other wood that is in good shape.
K liked Baby B’s baby food. I usually give her whatever we are eating. I’m afraid K stole quite a few sweet potato puffs before I noticed AND walked off with B’s water sippy! When it was time for K to go home to bed the first night when everyone was going to the ballgame, K kept yelling Baby B’s name in protest. She wanted to play more I’m sure, not just steal more food!
They prayed together and said goodbye, thanking the Lord for Skype among other things. It was very tender to be part of their goodbye.
Aunt B said she’d have to cry later, right now she wanted to enjoy her time with us. So we did. We played crochet; K earned he new nickname as The Randomizer,
they coached my kids on how to deal with ambition, frustration, and competing with taller, stronger, more experienced people who will invariably beat you at parlor games; and climbed rocks at Beavertail lighthouse after church on Sunday.
The salt air blew my allergies away for a while. 
We found a survey marker. Are these things scarlet pimpernel? 
K wanted to climb rocks just like her brothers. We found lots of critters in the tidal pools, including a sea star.
Aunt B thought the erosion patterns were cool.
M found a crab shell with an eye still attached for me. Umm, thanks?
The boys especially got to know Uncle P as they climbed rocks together.
K decided that rock climbing must be what big kids DO, so she threw herself into it heart and soul.
We didn’t set out to instruct the kids in patriotism, but holidays and traditions tend to bring out opportunities. Mom made a cake once for B with blueberries and strawberries to make a flag. You do something once with kids and it becomes a tradition. I think that’s how they begin to remember what a year is like and get a handle on time, before they learn to read and follow a calendar.
Mom explained about the states, the flag, some history. We’ve just gotten through the chapters on the American Revolution and Constitution in SOTW, so the boys were up on things, but mostly that was it. I must figure that most of my patriotic duty is hit on Sundays when I pray for the President and other leaders with the pastor, I do pray for folks in the world with the boys when the news is bad (which inevitably brings up comparisons with our way of doing things or the way we aspire to do things and how it may work or not work elsewhere) I hit topics as they come up. But I’m glad that holidays bring things up. (Not that I wouldn’t serve or teach the kids to serve in other ways too.)
I’m thankful for this lovely time with family. I’m thankful for America. I’m thankful that the fog rolled away!