Summer Solstice and how we celebrate!

Such a great time of year!  As well as a little sad.  Summer solstice means the longest day of the year, but also begins the lessening of daily sunshine.  Such a catch-22!

We have chosen to celebrate, though.  There was a huge festival downtown, and we were not about to miss it.  By 'we', I mean Amelia and Mommy.  Remember that Daddy hates people and is always grumpy at these things.  This year was perfect as he wasn't even here; he's on a ten day patrol in some random part of Alaska.

So we walked around, perused the goods, and smelled the yummy smells wafting from food booths.  As well as had our toes stepped on by men with very large shoes, and battled with strollers.  You should ask me sometime about how I feel about strollers.  Seriously, do you need to bring a double-wide, double-long stroller to a very crowded place?  No.  Try an umbrella stroller.  Don't be an idiot.  Everybody else is cursing you, and what a dimwit you are.

Anyways . . . . 

We did our first sweep, and towards the end they had some things set up specifically for kids (that's new!).  Mila almost levitated in her shorts when she saw the bouncy house.  So, we stood in a (very, very, very) long line to get a ticket, then again to wait for the bounce house.  I believe I should get extra Mothering credits for this.  And no, this smile does not make up for it!

I guess I needed a kiss right in the middle . . . . 

Then we were off to find an official festival treat.  Mila instantly decided on ice cream.

She even gave it her official thumbs up.  She was giddy.  Again.

Oh that you could really see this picture.  Her face is covered in a medley of sugar, her toes are black (literally), and she is sticky.  Still smiling, though.

For the piece de resistance - dancing off all that sugar.  I really tried my darndest to create a little video clip.  However, I suck and Daddy is somewhere else.  So, here are three clips.

This last one she was really into.  After the band stopped, she even bowed to the audience (I mean it was her performance, not the bands - right?).  Her evening ended after a little pirouette.  She ate concrete, and now has bloody knees.  Which meant a bandaid!  She left her stage, tears streaming down her cheeks, and many older people praising her moves.  She was good to go.