Peace March

Yesterday morning we rolled out of bed, drenched in sweat despite having the fans blowing directly at us all night. We swam through the humid air as we headed downstairs. We filled a backpack with bottles of cold water and walked about six blocks uphill to get to the line-up for the 117th Takoma Park Independence Day Parade.

Our family marched with Takoma Attachment Parenting, a chapter of API. David and I, along with four other families, are founding leaders of TAP. Our group's motto is "Peaceful Parenting for a Peaceful World." Attachment parenting is the name given to a style of parenting that encourages parents to treat their children with deep respect for their emotional needs as they grow up. At some point, I'll write a fuller post about AP practices and goals. Like many people, David and I found "attachment parenting" after we had already committed to parent in this fashion.

Although on the walk to the line-up I was wondering if the whole thing was really a lousy idea, the whole turned out to be wonderful! Son had a ball carrying our banner part of the time and then passing out brochures with more information about our organization. Lots of folks along the parade route cheered us on. TAP won a first prize Judge's Award for our peace dove!



After the parade, we went to a pool party/ cookout at the home of the parents of another TAP leader, about an hour out of town. The water felt wonderful. We also picked wild blueberries in the adjoining woods, ate fantastic tabouli, drank beer, and talked about our birth experiences with the 9-mounths-pregnant SIL of one of the leaders. I knit a couple of rows of Icarus and admired out host's beautiful quilts. Lovely afternoon.

We came back for fireworks in the evening. I decided to stay home and hit the sack while the boys headed out--and discovered as I walked in the door that our power had gone out during an intense afternoon storm. Despite the incredible heat in our now fan-less bedroom, I was asleep in seconds. Then the fireworks started, very near our house, making the bed rattle and me awake over and over with a start. I can't believe how exhausted I was!

Still no power at home. Son and I are at a local cafe. He's asleep on a comfy couch while I take advantage of the free internet access to make this post.