Family Circus

Ah, yes.  It's that time of the year again.  That oh so special time of the year, when Stockwellians come from near and far to descend upon that idyllic place in western Maine that should probably be called Stockwellville but is actually called Waterford.  They come bearing costumes, patriotic regalia, and party shoes, and it always proves to be a weekend to remember.  We had to miss Opening Weekend this year, so this small branch of the Stockwell clan was bursting with pent up excitement to get over to the lake and see all those cousins we'd been missing for nine long months.  And there are, of course, pirate ships, rafts, porches, running routes, trails, swingsets, and toys with which to get reacquainted.  This begins my 15th summer at the compound, and this my 14th Fourth of July celebration (we missed just one year for a wedding).  With each passing year, I feel a little less like an outlaw admiring this amazing spectacle of family tradition, and a little more like an insider, treasuring these wacky parades and parties and carnivals, and thanking Ben's ancestors for envisioning and creating this legacy.  This is such a gift, all that they've left for us, one that I want to do my part to preserve for our boys and the future generations that come after them.

I mean really, where else can you...

Eat every meal with your cousins (who happen to be almost ALL boys) at a picnic table that's just your size

Share a snack on a pirate ship after a morning spent doing trail work

Ride on a float in the town parade

Produce your very own, boys-only performance at a legit playhouse

Have a kids' sing-a-long with a spectacular view.... 

and lots of snuggles

Play with gigantic bubbles (and twenty of your closest cousins) at the annual family cookout

Who needs to wash up afterwards when you can just use the soapy bubble water?

And last but certainly not least, get a second chance at Halloween...in July!  If I'm being completely honest, I must say that I used to dread this part of the Stockwell Fourth festivities.  It's surprisingly challenging to come up with a costume idea when everyone else in the world is planning franks and fireworks!  But with kids... oh is it fun.  This year, the boys wanted to be characters from Madagascar 3.  Luckily, a trip to our dress-up box revealed almost instant costumes - Adam as Alex the lion, Ethan as Gia the jaguar, Ben as Vitaly the tiger, Grandma as one of the penguins, and yours truly as the evil animal control officer Chantel Dubois.  

It turns out we weren't the only ones with this idea, so we joined another crew of Madagascarians and became a true Afro Circus.

When I thought about it, I realized my role as Animal Control was really quite fitting.

Parade-ing is hard work.  Thank goodness for snacks.

The Three Musketeers.  T-R-O-U-B-L-E

Alex the lion with his buddy Peter Pan

Waiting patiently during the awards ceremony

Funniest costume ever: Sister Wives