Fun on the fourth with a side of near disaster

We are lucky to have on our doorstep the beautiful Biltmore Hotel. For years the City of Coral Gables and the Biltmore put on a fantastic fireworks display for the 4th but then the Biltmore closed down it's golf course to renovate it and last year when it reopened the 4th was a ticketed affair, and I mean affair. I am not sure what made me call them yesterday afternoon at 2-ish to see what the dealio was this year but it was once again open to the public. Woo hoo we were going. They did say that I needed to check the City's webpage for parking details. Fat chance  peeps I have a client that lives one street over so a quick call in to him and oingo boingo, primo parking.

The events started at 5, we left our house at 5.30 and by the time we arrived things were getting started. The stage was set with the Miami Dade symphony and lots of stands were set up selling refreshments. I had packed a few bits for the kidlets so we unloaded our chairs and blankets in the shade and we played Frisbee for a little while. Have you ever noticed that things catch your eye but you don't really pay attention to them but later if you need that information it is there, i.e.: there were a few City of CG paramedics driving around in golf carts.

We were having a pleasant time.

The historic Biltmore

The orchestra

Someone looking very grown up. (notice her new glasses)

Will she ever be a lady? (ROFL)

new specs

Little Miss Red White and Blue

The girls continued to frolic, sometimes I joined in and sometimes not. It was HOT but there was a lovely breeze. I was watching them prepare to climb a tree so I said to myself, oh this isn't going to end well and I reached for my camera but before I could turn it on I heard Lily shouting, ants ants ants RED ANTS ON MY FEET. Things became a blur at that second as I picked ants off of her, Rosie was also leaping about with ants on her.

Lily only had a few and I sat her down very quickly and spoke to her very very calmly. I told her she had to look at me and stop freaking out, she did. I asked her if she had been bitten, she had. She was terrified. I was NOT. I had her pen with me but chose to wait it out for a little bit. I watched her closely the bites turned into hives immediately. She started to itch. I got ice for her and iced them down. One bite on her leg was massive but the hives were not spreading. We stayed still. I was keeping an eye out for those paramedics I had seen to ask them for benedryll. After 20 minutes it became obvious that she was not going off the deep end. I was so happy. Kidlet got bitten by ants and didn't go from 0-60 in 7 seconds. This is massive. The paramedics came over and took her vitals, her blood pressure was elevated, (ya think) her big bite freaked the older man out cos of its size, it thrilled me cos of its size, it is all in your perspective! Her eyes were red but she was fine albeit shaken and we stayed to watch the fireworks. As for my littlest Peanut, she had far more ants than Lily and didn't get bitten once...go figure.

I have a big gap in the evenings events as far as photos cos a big part was the ant drama. So we went from chilling out when we first arrived to these.

As the patriotic music played the most spectacular fireworks were displayed

The girls ohhed and ahhed and said they are NEVER going anywhere else to see fireworks

Just as things were getting going it started raining so we sat in the chairs and made a little house out of the blankets and stayed dry. Many people left but not us, rain can't scare us away. It only rained for a few minutes but as we were walking back to the car along with 52 million of our closest freinds the heavens really opened and we got drowned. If you have been to Florida you know the kind of rain I mean, if not just think fire hose. We laughed so very very hard, Rosie lost a flip flop so I was trying to turn around in a surging crowd of 52 million in the pouring rain to retrieve her shoe which was being trodden on. Excuse me, coming through, didn't work so I just shoved my way to it, laughing like a fool the whole time. By the time we got to the car we were dripping.

What was the first thing the kidlets said?... that was awesome!

 Yes girlies, it was.