Canada Day

In our house, Canada Day is the biggest event of the year next to Christmas! We have a tradition of visiting with friends from morning (the parade begins at 10am) until after the 10pm fireworks. The kids dress up in red and white and jump and dance at the roadside while the parade passes by. The parade is a small local one. Boy Scouts, a fire truck, a pipe band, the veterans and some local political figures march pass in an hour long tribute. Not impressive from an adult perspective, but an awesome display according to the kids. This year, our friends' sons marched in the parade.

We were late getting up. Not me - I am an early bird by nature - but the remaining members of the family were still asleep at 9am. J awoke at 9:15. Choking, wheezing and gaspiing for breath. She tried her puffer to no avail. Woke up the kids, threw them in the car and we were off to the hospital. We were fast-tracked through to a bed where J had a ventolin mask. The kids did not want to miss the parade, so I drove them to the friend's place, threw them out of the car - no sun screen, no hats, no breakfast yet. She too care of it. Back to the hospital.

3 ventolin treatments later, J was finally able to breathe and we left with a handful of prescriptions, directions to call the allergist on Tuesday and a warning to stay away from the animals (!). Asthma. Late in life to develop it, but here we are. With 12 pets in the house, it looks like we are going to be forced to give some away. I have an awful feeling it is the cats. Both J and 6 are HUGE cat lovers! I am sure there are some difficult decisions ahead...

Asthma trigger? I had the ducts cleaned on Friday. Thought it would help with the allergies...oops no. Apparently it stirs up more stuff - at least initially. Geez!

The remainder of the day was good. I had a drink ( and I never drink). Slurring after half a vodka cooler of some sort. Confirmed I am a cheap drunk. Made the fireworks display interesting though...

Happy 4th of July to all US friends!