Independence Day

Well, yesterday was okay. I was stuck inside pretty much most of the day - which is a bummer because it was beautiful outside. Elli and I decided to skip the parade because when our scouts went to hold our seats, they called back and said that there was no shade. We need shade. So we stayed home, I watched Mythbusters and she slept...which she needed from the horrible night before. Then we all had lunch and it rained a little and then cleared up into a perfect afternoon to be on the water. But! I had to be a mom and skip out on it. I was really irritated about it all because I so desperately wanted to go outside and play. Elli was SO whiney and there is nowhere for us to play in the yard right now...there are sprinklers going and grass being planted everywhere. So we watched from the window and when the shade finally covered part of the dock, we found our way out there and watched boats. We grilled on the barbeque and hung out in the evening. Mike and I stole a chance to take a long walk after I laid Elli down for the night. It was nice. When everyone went to fireworks on the pontoon - Becky, Mike, and I stayed home. We did see several light shows from across the lake, so it wasn't like we missed out on 4th fireworks. I guess that my lesson learned this Independence Day is that as a mother, independence is a fleeting thought. Now that I have a little girl who is dependent on me, there are is rarely a moment where I just get time for me, to be with myself, independent. It's okay I suppose. There will be a day when I long for these moments again where she needs me, when she cries when I leave a room, or when I have the power to make her world the best most wonderful place ever. Why can't I have these reasonable thoughts in the moment?
Here are a couple of pics from yesterday. A family photo, and the cutest baby in the world.