A celebratory weekend

Happy third birthday to Little Bear! This is the first year that he's been old enough to understand birthdays well enough to anticipate it in advance; he's been talking about his birthday for the last week, and this morning when he woke up he ran into our room exclaiming, "I'm three years older!" Three years old, one year older; so confusing. We'll get it all to make sense eventually.

He was too little last year, but now that Little Bear is old enough (and verbal enough) to help me think of meals for the week, we instituted the "birthday person gets to pick what's for supper" rule. Little Bear chose waffles with blueberry syrup, scrambled eggs, and bacon. He was so happy when Matt let him climb up on a chair and help whisk the eggs before they went in the pan!

I'd planned to make him a cake and he was all excited about helping me decorate it, but we woke up to heavy smoke outside and highs expected to reach the upper 80s, so since we won't be able to open up the house and cool it down, we decided it would be best to keep the oven off and pick out a cake from the bakery. I'm kind of disappointed—I prefer to bake everything myself instead of buying it, but birthday cakes are particularly special. But he was happy, and it's his birthday.

I don't know if it was because it's his birthday, or because we reiterated the "chocolate donut if you are good" so many times in the car, or because we were in the front pew probably less than ten feet away from the bishop, but Little Bear was SO GOOD during Mass today. Still, quiet, paying attention... It was wonderful. Noticing the seven candles on the altar and realizing that the bishop would be celebrating Mass today after we'd already sat down in the front pew made me a little nervous about Little Bear's behavior since it was hot, but he thoroughly exceeded my expectations. 

And now for some holiday weekend Answer Me This:

1. How did you celebrate the 4th of July?

With cherry pie! We didn't really go anywhere or do anything else to celebrate the 4th, but I did manage to make the pie. And we talked a little about the point of the day, and said prayers for all of those serving in our armed forces. Mostly, though, we just had a quiet day at home.

I used too much pie filling, as usual... or maybe too little crust. At least I've learned to put a sheet pan under my pies while they bake! How full are you supposed to fill a pie plate?

2. Do you sunburn easily?

I do. Or at least I did; I haven't spent nearly as much time out in the sun in recent years as I did when I was younger, but I always used to burn and peel, and I don't think that's happened for a few years. "Getting a little sun" recently has actually meant "getting a little bit tan," as opposed to turning pink/red.

3. Hot dogs. Yay or nay?

Meh? I mean, I'd certainly eat one if that's what was being served, but I wouldn't ever go out of my way to have one. And now that I'm actually thinking about it, standard commercial hot dogs are pretty full of preservatives and non-real-food substances and just don't taste very good, in my opinion... I definitely prefer a proper sausage whenever possible, ideally a reindeer sausage.

4. Have you ever personally set off fireworks?

Yes, every 4th of July during high school (maybe also early college?) as long as there wasn't a burn ban in force. 

5. Have you ever jumped off the high dive?

Yes, but not in many years; I don't think I've been in a pool with a high dive since middle school.

6. Do you do anything weird in your sleep?

Several college roommates told me that I talked in my sleep in Latin, but that apparently stopped after I stopped studying Latin. There's nothing I'm aware of now.