Block Party

Each year our block party just so happens to fall on the most exciting day of the year for our family.

Our first 4th Street Block Party was on Everett's first birthday, and just days before he learned how to walk on his own. Grammy and Grandpa spent practically the entire day walking with him up and down the sidewalk and that night when I was putting him to bed for the 365th time I distinctly remember giving him his bottle in the rocking chair by the window and singing to him with the sound of kids still playing on the street just outside.

Last year it fell on the day we brought Alice home from hospital. They close off the street to cars, so we had to park at the bottom of the block. I remember walking up the street, holding our tiny little newborn girl, walking past all the laughing kids and parents, anxious as to what Everett's reaction was going to be when we walked through the door.

This year, appropriately, it fell on Alice's first birthday.

It's cute to think that every year on the kids' birthday weekend the entire block

will be celebrating with a big party right on our doorstep.

The jumpy castle was a big hit.

Unfortunately even the big kids love it, so Everett was too little to hang. 

 But the ice cream truck more than made up for it. Chocolate is his favorite. No sprinkles.

Everett's favorite color is red and he spent a while drawing with this red marker. 

He got a little frightened when he noticed red marker stains on his hand – he thought it was blood. He had fallen climbing rocks at JJ Byrne the weekend before, got a bloody nose, the blood getting all over his hands and shirt. So it was fresh in his mind and confused him and he kept asking for a magic sticker (bandaid). I tried my best to explain the difference, but he couldn't relax until we were able to wash it completely off.

 Maybe we'll stick to chalk for a while.