Scenes from the 4th

These photos almost make it all worth it -- the laundry; the dirty dishes; diaper changes; the three times that Maisie ran off -- wait, make that four times -- the temper tantrums (both the kids' and mine, when the dog ran away); the popsicle-stained clothes; the incessant, maniacal Dora/Diego theme music; the times I yelled at someone to shut the door; the colony of flies that came in through the open door; the popcorn debris; the cracker crumbs; the warnings; the time-outs; and the number of times that I impaled my foot on a lego or an army soldier.

Almost....