4th of july fireworks over the hudson!

the 4th of july 2021 was fitting for 2021- not pre-covid-like, but also, not 2020!

most new yorkers are traveling again- leaving because they can, but also most people haven't come back to nyc full-throttle yet. crowds were low-ish, and it was great. we kept our traditional picnic in central park- another year without friends, but still beautiful & so special. it was also in the 80's, which sure beats the 100's it has been with the heat index.

(2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 [no 2020 blog post because, well, 2020]... even a 2015 here- and it was really similar to this year!)

after our picnic i did laundry, which i can do BECAUSE I HAVE A WASHER AND DRYER. wait- did i ever post about our new apartment? crap. later. most important point: we have a washer and dryer now, AND A SECOND BEDROOM, and the extra cost is a mere disney vacation every month.

THEN we went downtown! dinner at bubby's (note the 2015 flashback)- dinner really means photo booth. WHICH IS STILL THERE & OPEN AND I LOVE IT MORE THAN MOST THINGS IN LIFE. I. LOVE. FILM. PHOTO. BOOTHS. love them. love them.

we park hopped, then went mini golfing, then we found a spot on the grass along the hundson in tribeca to watch fireworks. a couple families we know joined us, and the kids go bananas whenever they get to see real humans talk to them. it's pretty special.

the fireworks were thanks to new jersey, since the macy's show (on the east river) is still a little brave for a family like us who hasn't done fireworks since...... ever? yah, never. 

sunset, a+.

the rockettes!

I bought the tickets intending to take just my older 2, but with Mike unexpectedly sequestered as a juror last week, and all of our sitters unavailable, the tiniest guy was my lap child addition. We spent all day talking about how we act, and what we do and don’t do in “grown up places.” Harvey & I even made a special trip to the newsstand for extra milk duds beforehand in hopes of keeping his mouth extra distracted. To my shock, he was the best of us all tonight. Other than a few random yells when it got quiet of, “I SEE SANTA, MOM! LOOK MOM!” he was an angel. Harvey even told me he was tired, and fell asleep in my arms for the entire second half (he doesn’t nap anymore so that was, like, BONUS!). Also a bonus was the fact that he spent all day thinking “Rockettes” = “rockets” and woke up asking if he missed the blast off. The whole situation was really the sweetest. And, man, that show is always something SPECIAL. It’s the perfect blend of everything I love about the season and the city. High kicks all around!!

the 4th of july!! (2019)

 we spent the 4th of july the same way we have celebrated so many of our favorite years: in the city. in central park. the morning started off with a kids parade, and ended (long before the fireworks started) with a picnic. this year we were in the very same spot we did our first year living in the city, and with some of our favorite friends (+ the babies who have been born since), the davises. it's actually slightly unnerving to see just how much these little kids have grown and our families have changed!!!!

kids parade! and as it usually is on the morning of the 4th, it was CRAZY HOT & HUMID. everyone was in matching red, white & blue wiiiiiith bright red cheeks. and drenched in sweat. 

BACK TO THE PICNIC. 

there was of course yummy food (our friend, lauren, always comes through with cute & delicious goodies. me? i brought raspberry star cookies from trader joe's because, well, why try;) 

this is when harvey sat on conrad's head. he saw the kids wrestling and this is his move. sit on head.

THEN THIS HAPPENED! 

we all heard the kids screaming & found harvey laying it onnnnn cute madalena. he kissed her at least 3 times. then ended with a big ol' hug.

first kisses for these babies.

he's very forward. apparently. 

actually, i recall thanksgiving when he sat next to madalena for dinner and just kept staring at her!!! i have a video of him just mesmerized. the love is deep.

sparklers!!! always a hit. no fire started. so that's good. harvey was quite unsure about what was happening. he just kept saying, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!?" and blowing them out. whatever works, man.

CHECK OUT JUDE'S FACE & NAILS!

the kids played in mud pretty much the entire time.

leave it to kids to find the 1 patch of mud, like they find the 1 lost chocolate chip and manage to make it look like 100.

in addition to the davises & brennans, our friends david & melissa were in town from north carolina!! melissa and i met over 10 years ago working together in salt lake. she was actually the first person to find out i was pregnant with elle! we have soooo many hilarious stories from our years together. her & dave are the kind of friends who just pick up right where we left off. so fun to see them.

and that's a wrap! mike fell asleep on the couch at 9, and i made it until 9:30 catching up on the handmaid's tale while i listened to fireworks pop in the background. happy independence day, america!

nyc 4th of july's in 2015 here, 2016 here (IN THIS VERY SAME SPOT! BABIES!!!), 2017 here, & 2018 here!

also, the year we went jet skiing for the 4th weekend here, although technically not the 4th, it's just so good it deserves a good-hand-over-the-heart mention.