Of parades, barbecues. bouncy houses and block parties

For the fourth of July weekend this year we stayed at home. On Saturday we threw a long awaited for birthday party for Xander our five year old, and on Sunday we participated in our neighborhood kid parade and block party.

For Xander's birthday we decided to have a low-key party with just six kids. This is after the over-the-top blow-out fourth birthday party we threw for him last year, which was a lot of work, but at minimal success. For Xander's birthday party we rented a bouncy house. The bouncy house plus some water play kept the kids entertained, and gave the adults an opportunity to enjoy the barbecue.

Today we went to our neighborhood fourth of July celebration. We'd skipped last year due to our East Coast trip. The block party has definitely gotten better. The parade through the neighborhood was fun. Xander and Caleb road their bicycles and wore red, white and blue. There were tons of kids this year, most between the ages of 3 and 6. Afterward there was a neighborhood potluck, and then games for the kids. Xander and Caleb had a blast.

We concluded the day with another barbecue, and sought out fireworks at a the Tamien train station where we could see the fireworks from San Jose Municipal Stadium, as well as the illegal fireworks. All and all it was a wonderful two days, now we just need to figure out what we want to do tomorrow. Mellow day, or a trip to Angel Island.