Two things have to happen to make a real Independence Day celebration – a picnic and fireworks. (You weren't expecting a reading of The Declaration of Independence, were you?!) It rained off and on for our Fourth of July, so we picnickeded inside. Philadelphia did have fireworks, but it drizzled and was beary crowded. Mommy and Daddy fear that we’ll be bearnapped in large crowds. We fear getting wet around Mommy, a'cuz she thinks that's a good time for a b-a-t-h!

Of course, we live less than a mile from the stadiums, and the Phillies always have two or three nights of fireworks after their games around Independence Day. Every year we hope we can go to a nearby park and watch them. For the last 4-5 years, Mommy or Daddy wasn't up to going out to see them. Don't get us wrong – we all see them anyway! We all pile on Mommy's bed, squished together in the top right-paw side, and stretch out to see them through her window. Can't see all of them there, but can see most of them above our neighbor's roofs!

This year, the Phillies were away around Independence Day, BUT they had the fireworks when they came home, at the end of the two home games – once on Wednesday, July 7^th and once tonight – Friday! Truthfully, we simply forgot about it on Wednesday, which was good, a'cuz the game went into extra innings, so the fireworks didn't start until 11:30. (One year they started at 1:30 a.m., waking us all out of a beary good slumber! Quite rude!)

Tonight we remembered! Tonight Mommy and Daddy both felt good enough to go! Amazing!

We used to go a little early to buy some yummy Italian Water Ice (they freeze up fruit juice so fresh, there is always a little fruit pulp in it, and then grind it up until it's the consistency of a snowball – a sticky snowball in a cup.) We can't do that anymore, a'cuz Mommy and Daddy have to watch their sugars, but we did take some saltless potato chips (we don't know how they live on that kinda food all the time, either) and soda with us! We left at the bottom of the seventh inning, singing our beary loudest sing, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," the traditional song of the seventh inning streeeeetch! We even got the bestest seats to have for the event – a tall corner curb that frames the park to make sure all the soil doesn't slush across the sidewalk and end up on Broad Street, whenever it rains hard! No one was there when we got there.

Another family of Peoples joined us soon afterwards, and their daughter entertained us with her cartwheels and splits. (Spaulding adds, "She was my age – 8!") Since kids know we're real, but grown-ups don't always, we got sneaky and were doing our own gymnastic moves in the park behind that curb and Daddy and Mommy, so her parents couldn't see us. She did, and we all ended up exchanging tips on how to do some cool moves. We even showed her older brother (he was as old as you can be and still be a kid – 10!) how to ride a skateboard really! The poor boy was trying to flip the skateboard completely around! We showed him how to push off with one foot, until you go fast enough that it keeps going without effort. He caught on quickly, as if he knew how to do that for years! We're excellent teachers! Their parents never knew we were there! Kehehehehehe

Now, the family left and came back in the middle of all this playing, so you know we waited a while for those fireworks. While they were gone, we even chased after lightning bugs, and brought some back, so Daddy and Mommy could watch them glow up close. (Lightning bugs only like areas with grass and trees, so they don't come to our garden!) Well, we also ate all the potato chips and drank all the soda, and STILL no fireworks. We should have taken a radio, to see why the Phillies were taking so long.

We were all hot, tired, and hungry, so we all agreed it was time to go home. We made some hotdogs and coffee, and were watching The David Lettermen Show when we heard the fireworks. It was another 45 minutes after we left! We could have gone up and watched from Mommy's window, but we wanted to finish up the hotdogs instead. The Phillies went into extra innings AGAIN!

The best we can do is hope that next year, everyone feels up to trying again AND the Phillies get a little faster beating their opponents! They aren't hourly workers, so get just as much to play a three-hour game, as they get for a five-hour game.

Next year, maybe we can see some fireworks!