How nice was it to have a holiday in the middle of the week?!  Our little firecracker made it memorable.  We decorated her wagon and headed to downtown Apex, NC for their little kid-friendly festival and parade.

Two of Charlotte’s BFF’s, Cadence and Josh, joined her for the parade.  I use the term loosely as it’s really a stroll down the block among hundreds of other kids with their faces painted.  It’s cute, really.  It’s tailor-made for toddlers and preschoolers as it’s held between 9am-noon.

Among the hundreds of star-spangled tots were their equally patriotic parents.  I was amused at the crowd and the similarities in our parental paraphanalia.

Almost every parent had some or all of the following:

• A decorated Radio Flyer Wagon-  Many had the identical streamers and star stickers I found at Target.  I did not upgrade to the glitter star door-hanger from the store’s 4th display, but the more enthusiastic parents had several of them.
• A yuppie jogging stroller- This seemed acceptable to have in lieu of the Radio Flyer.  Particularly if your older child was riding their tricycle in the parade while one parent waited with the infant in the stroller.
• Diaper bag or backpack- Stocked with Goldfish or some organic snack that wouldn’t melt in the sun.
• Sippy cup-  Each had the child’s name on it in the form of a silicone band or dishwasher-safe sticker.
• Expensive DSLR camera- The parent in no way had mastered all its features.
• iPhone-  To take pictures with instead of the DSLR.  Some pictures had to be uploaded to Facebook/Instagram/Twitter/Tumbler/Foursquare etc.  I mean, are our children really doing something if we don’t put it on the Internet?
• Overpriced sunscreen- No doubt from Target.

Poor Miss Charlotte only made it halfway down the block when she saw Daddy and started crying and reaching for him.  She was smiling and waving up until then.

I was so happy strolling in all that silliness.  I mean, we are in a country where we have the freedom to raise our children however we choose.  There are women in other parts of the world who can’t relay the ups and downs of parenthood or spout their opinions on the Internet everyday.  I do.

Today I happily celebrated my freedom by participating in social media.   Happy 4th of July, everyone!