The celebrations began with a breakfast surprise from Bear. Canadian flag French toast! Strawberries {YUM!}, whole wheat French toast, whipped cream, and a French toast maple leaf made with one of our maple leaf cookie cutters. It was awesome!

We hit the festivities at the park which included a lot of inflatable, bouncy fun for kids older than Lucy and younger than us, crafts we had no desire to buy, and overpriced food we did not consume. But lest you think it wasn’t any fun I will point out that I had a blast showing off my adorable daughter in her adorable outfit. She was very popular. Plus we got free maple leaf temporary tattoos!

After hitting the park we stopped at the grocery store to pick up some groceries {which most certainly did not include a key lime pie…nope, definitely not}. And after lunch we all had naps, but only the most patriotic of naps. Really, they were very Canadian naps.

And finally we went to watch the fireworks. We found a great spot that was far enough away that we avoided the really bad traffic on the way home, plus the fireworks weren’t loud enough to scare the little one. We may not have been all that close but it was a great view. We could see the tepee, the moon, and the fireworks all together. How’d Lucy like the fireworks? She loved them!

She watched them very intently and was jumping in my lap in her excitement. I wasn’t sure whether she would hate them or be indifferent at her age. I certainly didn’t expect her to enjoy them as much as she did. I think her reaction was more fun than the actual fireworks (which were also very nice)!

I love my native country, don’t think I don’t. But I also really love Canada. It’s a great place to live and while I may not be a true citizen I have a lot of Canadian pride. I love the freedom, the tolerance, the natural beauty, the diversity, the wildlife, the health care, the Tim Horton’s density, and yes, I even love the word “eh!”

All in all it was a great holiday, probably the best holiday we’ve had since moving to Canada. We had good food, good fun, and good naps. And we had each other to enjoy it all together. Happy 142nd Canada!

O Canada!
Our home and [cherished] land!
True patriot love in all [of us] command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Canadians, how did you celebrate? Tell me in the comments. Non-Canadians, feel free to tell me how cute Baby Lu looked. ;)