Happy Birthday, USA!

To celebrate the 4th, the Kang-Weyants went to the parade in Sierra Madre. Kate loved the free flags they handed out. She liked the free candy even more. Nothing like celebrating the 4th with your first box of Nerds. Mom-Kate totem pole. Kate thought the fire engines were too loud.

"Why do they have to keep honking their horns, Momma?" Good question.

After a healthy lunch of hot dogs, popcorn, and pizza, Kate wanted to revisit the park she frequented as a toddler.

Later on, Lucy and her Moms came over for a BBQ and fireworks.

The artist-in-residence painted the girls' faces. "Take a picture of me, Kate's Mom!"

Lucy was a cat with patriotic whiskers -- "Don't paint in my nostrils, Chris!" And Kate got a couple of red cherries on her cheek.

Hilary made her annual flag cake. Yum.

After dinner we headed to a small bridge in Pasadena so we could watch the Rose Bowl fireworks for free.

Chris set up the camera on the tripod in the middle of the street to take this shot. Just as the shutter was about to click, Kate shouted, "Appa! There's a car coming!" Chris saved the camera from being killed.

Waiting for the fireworks show to begin.

Kate and Lucy dancing with their glow stick bracelets on.

Chris took a lot of lovely shots of the fireworks.

Hmm... how an egg is fertilized?

Everyone loved the smiley face fireworks.

We got home very late, waaaay past Kate's bedtime, as you can see from her sleepy eyes. It was a lovely 4th of July.

Farmer Kate

Father's Day weekend we drove up to a farm so Kate could see that fruits and vegetables actually come from the soil and not from Trader Joe's. Farmer Kate walked to the other end of the field to examine the other crops. Kate and Mom picking out a head of butter lettuce while doing a kimchi-squat.

Sang-chu, also known as red-leaf lettuce.

Appa presented Kate with a very large bouquet of lettuce.

Though it was a blazing 90 degrees, Kate still found the energy to run.

"Those are funny cucumbers, Momma."

Zucchini.

Peach trees!

The heat finally got to her, and it was time to hitch a ride in the wagon.

Strawberry fields forever.

We picked a huge amount and ate even more. They were the sweetest strawberries I'd ever had.

Posing with our left-over strawberry stubs. It was hot-hot-hot out there.

Meanwhile, the farm animals were having a meeting.

Bull.

After picking some spinach, parsley, lettuce, carrots, and strawberries, Kate ran around the play area.

She was all smiles until she tripped and whacked her chin on the train. Hunger + dehydration + physical pain = meltdown.

Not surprisingly, Kate didn't like me taking a picture of her here.

Hugs from Momma under the cool shade of a jacaranda, Kate's birthday tree, made everything better. Water and snacks helped, too.

And a hair-stroking never hurt either.

Blood-sugar up, temperature down. All smiles again.

After refueling, we picked a big bushel of delicious blackberries. Kate's eagle eyes and short stature made her adept at spotting the ripe ones at the bottom of the vines.

We packed up our fruits and vegetables, and Kate drove us home.