
<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-july-2014/14607784570_8f0a283af9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Ian and Nora and Abuelo">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-july-2014/14607784570_a9bedaab12_t.jpg" alt="Ian and Nora and Abuelo"/>
</a>

This has been the month with the least contact with my children since I began this State of the Offspring Address series. Since I injured myself one week into the month, they have been away at their Spanish grandparents' house ever since, one week in the Basque Country, followed a two day visit with us, and then the rest of the month in Extremadura. Judging from my calls with Nora, she and Ian are having a ball. Ian is, of course, happy with his first and third favorite humans, his sister and his Spanish grandfather (I'm fourth), who is still riding high in the standings from his willingness to bend over and walk with Ian wherever he wanted before he gained his ambulatory independence. As a result, I don't have much to report.  <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-july-2014/14791535491_ec61c8933d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sunset Ian">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-july-2014/14791535491_66f810508f.jpg" alt="Sunset Ian"/>
</a>

Sunset Ian in Extremadura

Whenever we call Nora, both my wife and I like to listen in on the line, so we get to hear her tales in both languages. After she speaks to her mother, she asks to speak to me, and I hear all over again what she just said in Spanish, often asking to be reminded what some common words are in English. "How do we say _pájaro_ in English?"

### The Bird

One day, on our phone call with Nora, she was very excited. "Guess what I have!" With a five year old, that question is not merely begging a "What?", but is actually a demand for guesses. Eventually it was determined that she had a pet bird. Apparently a baby bird had fallen from its nest and she and her grandfather had collected it. The original owner of the house was a bird owner, so they had some bird cages lying around. They were feeding it. Nora was very excited. She said that, pending a decision on a new name, its name at the moment was "Tiko", the name of her Spanish family's only pet, an 18-year-old dog who died a few years ago. During the five minute phone call in which she was excitedly telling us about her bird, Tiko, the news arrived of Tiko's passing. "_Abuelo_ says it died," she reported. She seemed mildly sad about it, but not to the point of tears. _C'est la vie...et la mort._.

### Swimming Lessons

Before Nora went down to Extremadura, her mother called ahead to check on the status of the swimming lessons at the local pool. It was confirmed that there was a lesson every morning. We put a good dose of enthusiasm into it, and Nora accepted that she was going to learn to swim at her swimming lessons!

She went the first day and reported back that she had participated in the warmup guided by the teacher, which included running twice around the pool, which was "very tiring!" But then the water wasn't her perfect temperature and she refused to enter the pool, or even acclimate her skin to the temperature with the shower. She's always been _extremely_ picky about the temperature of her bath and shower, so we weren't too surprised. Plus, the instructor apparently ignores the younger kids in favor of the older kids, so the younger kids are left with their parent or guardian to learn.

We talked her into going back twice, but to no avail. To end on a positive note, she has gone to the local reservoir, where the quantity of water holds the warmth better throughout the night, and she did say that she was floating with only one point of support from her grandfather. So there is still some hope.

She's never been athletic, and probably never will be, but it'd be nice if she could learn a life-saving skill like keeping her head above water. As I recall, age seven was a big year for me, with learning to ride a bike, blow bubblegum bubbles, and swim, so there's still time...

### Dancing Kids

For a couple of days in July, Nora spent a few hours with her teacher (she's had the same teacher for two years of preschool and will have her again next year) helping to clean up the classroom, i.e. take down all the stuff off the walls, for the summer. I didn't intend it, but we were walking by the school one day and we ran into the teacher, who invited Nora to come in and help. It turned out to be very helpful because I had several dental appointments for a root canal during that time. One day, the teacher let Nora bring home this toy bee which sings the Spanish versions of English children's songs which you will probably recognize. Ian is a huge fan of music, so he was definitely getting jiggy with it.

<iframe width="505" height="284" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GijXMdfmp48" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

### Photos from Vacation

These are photos I've been sent since they went down to Extremadura on vacation. I'm looking forward to spending a fortnight with them soon.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-july-2014/14771492256_686f181914_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ian eating Watermelon">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-july-2014/14771492256_e85e703e22.jpg" alt="Ian eating Watermelon"/>
</a>

On his very first day down there, Ian learned about watermelon. He seems to enjoy it!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-july-2014/14791361291_2fcc7abe0e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ian eating Watermelon">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-july-2014/14791361291_572820dc85_z.jpg" alt="Ian eating Watermelon"/>
</a>

"This one's done. Can I have another?"

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-july-2014/14607784570_8f0a283af9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ian and Nora and Abuelo">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-31-state-of-the-offspring-address-july-2014/14607784570_a9bedaab12_z.jpg" alt="Ian and Nora and Abuelo"/>
</a>

Having fun with their grandfather.

The state of the offspring is strong.


State of the Offspring Address - July 2014


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14455377340_f65b0f1cbc_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Dead Leg Bruise">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14455377340_5c2d7de899_t.jpg" alt="Dead Leg Bruise"/>
</a>

The fateful day was Monday, July 7, 2014. The time was 13:00h. My daughter and I had just taken my son to daycare, and were going to the local grocer to buy bread and lunch supplies for the day. The day before, when I had gone to the grocery store, it had suddenly begun to rain while I was doing my shopping, and I was without an umbrella. Because they are just such nice people, and our daily relationship is so good, my grocer friend, Andrés, lent me an umbrella to take home for the day. So on that fateful day, I had returned it. As I was leaving the store, I turned around to catch Andrés' attention to make sure he noticed that I had returned the communal umbrella to its spot. He acknowledged it, and I turned to continue walking, with the shopping bag in one hand, and my daughter's hand in the other. That's when it happened.

_**THUNK!**_ <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14763560751_ca72a3df5c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="My attacker">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14763560751_bd0f930f10_n.jpg" alt="My attacker"/>
</a>

At a very slow walking pace, I had slammed my leg into a bollard jutting out from the sidewalk. My American readers may not even know what a bollard is, since they are not used very often in the States in suburbia where cars and pedestrians don't often mix (since there are none of the latter). A bollard is either a bulbous piece of iron on a dock for boats to tie themselves to, or an iron stake that juts out of the ground on the border of a sidewalk primarily used to keep cars from trying to park on the sidewalk. In my town, it is pretty obvious that whoever manufacturers the bollards made a pretty sizable donation to the election campaign of the local mayor a few years ago, because we have them _everywhere_, including where no one has ever tried parking on the sidewalk, like in front of this particular store.

Whenever I accidentally come across an immovable object while I'm moving, e.g. stub my toe, bump head on low ceiling, walk into glass door, I'm always amazed at just how much force I'm using to move my body around doing just the most simple non-energetic movements. Like those other accidents, it hurt quite a bit at the moment of impact, and some words other than "Ouch!" escaped my mouth, but I was able to walk it off and wasn't even limping 50 meters later. We dropped off the groceries at home and went out for a walk to get a wine and a grape juice at a local bar. At the bar, however, I sat down for about three minutes, and when I stood up again, it was obvious that something was wrong. It hurt to put pressure on my leg. I was, however, able to limp all the way home. When I got home, I immediately filled a bag with ice and lay down on the couch to ice the knee. When my wife arrived home an hour later, she immediately saw how much pain I was in. My leg had swollen to twice the size of its counterpart. We decided it might be best to go to the emergency room.

The question was, how to get me to the emergency room. At this point I couldn't put _any_ weight on my leg, and my wife and daughter couldn't carry me. I figured out, however, that I could use a dining room chair to support my weight while I took each painful step. _**Thank goodness** we have an elevator!_ My wife pulled the car up as close to the door of the apartment building as she could, and I managed the three meters to the car in about a minute. While she put the dining room chair in the trunk, I screamingly squeezed myself into the passenger seat.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14580096108_eb7d6c2bf8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Hospital Bracelet">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14580096108_f8c5635ffc_n.jpg" alt="Hospital Bracelet"/>
</a>

At the ER, a nurse rolled out a wheelchair for me, but it wasn't one of those wheelchairs that lets you have one leg up and straight, so I was constantly having to hold up my leg, which would no longer bend. It turns out that a weekday (especially Monday?) afternoon is a terrible time to be at the ER with a non-critical injury, because I was thrust into the waiting room with people who were complaining about being there for three hours. We quickly decided that my wife should take my daughter to "help out" at daycare for a few hours, as children would not be let through to the examination room later, so she'd have no one to be with. My daughter didn't like it, but she understood. While they were gone and I was there all alone with people who were _clearly_ in no pain whatsoever, a nurse rolled in another patient _and rolled over my foot!_ I involuntarily screamed in pain, which garnered looks from everyone else in the waiting room. On her way past me, the nurse apologized in a manner that I found insincere, but it may have just been my mood at the time.

Eventually my name was called, and I went into the examination room. The doctor was clearly exhausted. She didn't even have me get out of the wheelchair. She took one look and told me to take some ibuprofen and to rest, precisely what I had been doing before deciding to come to the ER to see if it was more serious. As she wrote my prescription (you _can_ get ibuprofen over the counter, but with a prescription, it's slightly cheaper via subsidy), she joked with her nurse companion, "This must be the thousandth prescription I've written today!"

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14580090509_66f6489c5f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Swollen Knee">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14580090509_64e6e4f86f.jpg" alt="Swollen Knee"/>
</a>

Swollen leg.

Immediately it was obvious that I would be unable to meet my child care responsibilities the following morning, so we called for reinforcements, my in-laws. Having caring, selfless grandparents willing to care for your kids only 90 minutes away is priceless. The arrived at our house shortly after we did. It also quickly became obvious that I would be better without the kids at home at all. No matter how careful you tell a five year old to be about not hitting your foot that sticks out over the end of the sofa, you're going to get hit. So the next day, they packed up the kids and took them to their house.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14767399112_850fed6894_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Erik's Walker">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14767399112_eca875701b_z.jpg" alt="Erik's Walker"/>
</a>

This is how I got around the house.

By Thursday, I felt well enough to hobble around the house using only a cane. I even sat at my desk a little bit to do some work. Unfortunately, the following night and day, I paid for my actions. My leg was worse than ever. On Friday, July 11, we decided to go back to the ER early in the morning, right after the shift change brought in fresh eyed staff. What a huge difference that made. They were attentive and examined me thoroughly. They gave me an x-ray, which they said showed no bone damage. Despite the superior attention, the treatment was the same. Lie down, with the foot raised, and _don't move_. Thus I was sentenced to my couch prison.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14580091329_90bef7ba83_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Quadriceps Contusion Bruise">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14580091329_bbf42fc7d5.jpg" alt="Quadriceps Contusion Bruise"/>
</a>

We had been confused as to why there was no bruising on the front of the leg where the accident had happened, but while I was at the ER on Friday, I lifted my leg and we discovered where all the internal bleeding had gone. "Just like what happens to cadavers!", my wife chimed in helpfully.

Any improvement was negligible the first week. I went from using the dining room chair to push my way around to using some borrowed crutches which were too short and too rusty to be adjusted. Later, we decided to buy our own crutches, which were cheaper than we'd feared. But now we have crutches to use for all the accidents that our future surely holds in store for our family.

I saw my personal physician on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of that second week, and she confirmed the treatment of _reposo_. I got good and sick of lying on the damn couch. I did some reading and consumed vast quantities of television and movies, which sounds like it might be fun, but the lack of freedom was pretty exhausting.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14455377340_f65b0f1cbc_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Dead Leg Bruise">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14455377340_5c2d7de899.jpg" alt="Dead Leg Bruise"/>
</a>

The bruising continued.

During my extended free time, I did some reading on the injury. Apparently quadriceps contusions are quite common in sports, particularly rugby, and the sports physicians have learned how best to treat it. Ice and rest and elevation, mainly. There's even a nickname for the injury, "dead leg", which seems pretty accurate. The websites about it all say, "The athlete shouldn't play again for twelve weeks." Ugh.

### The Escape

Finally, on Saturday, July 26, after almost three weeks of being sentenced to the couch, I was able to take a walk, slowly and on crutches, with my wife to go have a pizza. The fresh air and freedom was _exhilarating!_

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14580032240_36b2500340_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Crutches Rasmussen">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14580032240_9b9bf498b3_z.jpg" alt="Crutches Rasmussen"/>
</a>

Out about town. To my American readers, the standard crutch design in Europe is one where you support all your weight with your hands, with supports at the back of your forearms, not the armpit style that is used in the States. This is strange to American tourists sometimes, because in America the forearm-support style is usually reserved for people with permanent disabilities.

Since then, I've gone for not-too-short walks every day. As of the time of this writing, I can limp a few steps without crutches, but feel pretty good about walking a kilometer or so with them.

### The Beard

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14767847345_3473d6bd1c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bearded Erik">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-28-the-great-quadriceps-contusion-of-2014/14767847345_28785e6aef_n.jpg" alt="Bearded Erik"/>
</a>

I normally shave in our upstairs bathroom, but I haven't been upstairs for weeks now. Initially that was the excuse for not shaving, but then it became more of a representation of how imprisoned I felt. I don't think I've ever gone three weeks without shaving, since there has been a reason to, and my hermit life made my self consciousness (I don't think I look very good with facial hair) easier to bare. The truth is that many men could grow my three-week beard in about 48 hours, but I'm happy to be on the slow-growth end of that spectrum. Apparently I have little to no hair follicles between my mouth and my chin. Were I to attempt a goatee, it would be two separate patches. Some men weren't meant to have beards; luckily my hair growing abilities are in line with current societal fashion standards.

Now that I'm finally feeling better and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I decided to shave it off, but it was an interesting (to me) experiment while it lasted. I'm pleased that I didn't see any gray facial hairs, and many of them were almost reddish. I was quite surprised at how hard it was to shave off. It felt a little like using scissors to mow the lawn, but I managed.

### Conclusion

I suspect I still have several weeks before I can walk normally, and even expect to have a bit of a limp for the beginning of September, but I hope to be fully operational for October when we travel to the States for a family visit. Injuries are tough, [especially stupid ones](/2014/04/10/how-culpability-effects-pain-perception/), but patience and listening to your body are the way back to health.


The Great Quadriceps Contusion of 2014


<img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-10-bull-run-baby/14435388487_b17ccf7c6d_t.jpg" alt="Bull Run Baby Cutout" class="post-thumb"/>Last Sunday we watched the annual Chupinazo event, a nationally televised event in Spain, which is [very special to us](/2009/07/06/the-chupinazo-july-6th-noon/). It's the start of the San Fermí­n festival in Pamplona. We tried to instill some excitement about it in our children. Of course, at ages one and five, they don't really understand what it is, but we made the minimal effort to change our clothes to the appropriate all-white outfit.

It was only after we finished our photography session that I had another idea for a photo to take. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-10-bull-run-baby/14562893476_d85b128b63_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Chupinazo de San Fermí­n 2014">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-10-bull-run-baby/14562893476_dc66e7ee57.jpg" alt="Chupinazo de San Fermí­n 2014"/>
</a>

You can't put on your scarf until the firecracker goes boom in Pamplona.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-10-bull-run-baby/14584107504_2273575bff_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Chupinazo de San Fermí­n 2014">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-10-bull-run-baby/14584107504_731377d95b.jpg" alt="Chupinazo de San Fermí­n 2014"/>
</a>

And then you party.

Before we changed our clothes again, I intentionally chased Ian around the house with my camera acting as a bull, and I managed to get this fantastic photograph.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-10-bull-run-baby/14619669184_ac64c191f1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bull Run Baby Original">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-10-bull-run-baby/14619669184_b4ae24c6a2.jpg" alt="Bull Run Baby Original"/>
</a>

Which is absolutely begging to be photoshopped into some running bulls, possibly replacing the remote with a rolled up newspaper, as is tradition.

I have found, however, that it is extremely hard to find a photograph of a bull run from the requisite angle, as all the photographs are taken with the intention of capturing the runners faces as they run away from the bulls, never looking back at the bulls. This is the best one I could come up with:

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-10-bull-run-baby/14435158098_22700c6a1e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bull Run Baby">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-10-bull-run-baby/14435158098_7b37daee05.jpg" alt="Bull Run Baby"/>
</a>

I'm not very happy with it, as the angles and lighting could be a lot better. But if anyone wants to try and do a better job, here's the cutout Bull Run Baby.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-10-bull-run-baby/14435388487_b850629e03_o_d.png" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bull Run Baby Cutout">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-10-bull-run-baby/14435388487_b17ccf7c6d_b.jpg" alt="Bull Run Baby Cutout"/>
</a>


Bull Run Baby


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14606073512_595dc12bb5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Fourth of July Party 2014 - Hamburger">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14606073512_1de80604d5_t.jpg" alt="Fourth of July Party 2014 - Hamburger"/>
</a>

For the first time in a while, we celebrated our Fourth of July party on that date. Sometimes we do it for lunch, but this time it was for dinner, and it coincided with the Brazil-Colombia World Cup match, which was fun. Ian could sense with all the cleaning and cooking and table clothes that something was up. Although he's been going to bed at 8pm lately, he was having none of that on July 4th; he wanted to see what all the preparation was for.  When Nora was one year old, she hated parties, needing to spend the entire party in a parent's arms, preferably in a quiet room away from all the strangers. She's gotten a lot better now that she's five, however, and spent the party building a fort in the living room. Ian, however, was actively seeking out guests to play with. I heard that at one point a guest was actually swinging him by his feet upside down, much to Ian's delight. He's gonna be a real party animal, I think.

Plus, as a curious toddler who always needs to have an eye kept on him, he was the center of attention for the whole party, which seemed to suit him just fine.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14603386411_6c1284ac27_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Is there a party going on?">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14603386411_01c3230723.jpg" alt="Is there a party going on?"/>
</a>

"Excuse me, is there a party going on in here?"

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14603388011_a6efdaa6c1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Fourth of July Party 2014">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14603388011_1bdd87e9cc.jpg" alt="Fourth of July Party 2014"/>
</a>

As usual, my hamburgers were a hit.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14420003100_57a7a3734d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Fourth of July Party 2014">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14420003100_76d499e55f.jpg" alt="Fourth of July Party 2014"/>
</a>

Happy attendees.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14606073512_595dc12bb5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Fourth of July Party 2014 - Hamburger">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14606073512_1de80604d5.jpg" alt="Fourth of July Party 2014 - Hamburger"/>
</a>

The chef's burger.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14420039348_2f05593daf_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Fourth of July Party 2014 - Nora">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14420039348_1096eae5e8.jpg" alt="Fourth of July Party 2014 - Nora"/>
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Nora liked hers, too.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14626698843_756a663c01_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Fourth of July Party 2014 - Party Animal">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14626698843_67984a0f0c.jpg" alt="Fourth of July Party 2014 - Party Animal"/>
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At some point during the evening, Ian found the trash can full of empty beer cans and saw them as perfect objects to play with.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14604640054_7a521603b7_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Fourth of July Party 2014 - Party Animal">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14604640054_ca408591fe.jpg" alt="Fourth of July Party 2014 - Party Animal"/>
</a>

I missed the instant where he raised it to his lips as if to drink.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14420253407_6d1b981c77_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Fort that sister Nora made the night before">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2014-07-08-july-4th-party-hamburgerfest-2014/14420253407_75d285eb44.jpg" alt="Fort that sister Nora made the night before"/>
</a>

Ian helped in the dismantling of Nora's fort the next morning.

Over all it was a great success, and I'm looking forward to next year!


4 posts from July, 2014