tumble bumble

We went to a 4th of July (well, 30th of June) pig roast yesterday at the Homestead of a guy (Dan) that Julie works with. He lives completely off the grid in the middle of nowhere on something similar to 100 acres of Vermont forest and pasture, with his trout pond, small herd of cows, and beautiful home. Dozens of people managed to find themselves there for the festivities, which included a large amount of fireworks that we didn't get to see do to AJ's attitude about bed time.

Evie found her soul mate in Dan's 4-yr-old nephew, Alex. Evie has long been known for her aggressive hugging tactics and other violations of personal space that generally frighten other kids. But not Alex. He is a like minded guy, and he and Evie had soon invented a game they called "Tumble Bumble", which essentially involved grappling hugs and headlocks intended to knock each other down on the ground. Which for most kids would quickly end up in crying, but for these guys caused belly-laughs so intense they led to hiccuping and an inability to stand up straight. We were a little worried that it was going to rapidly devolve, but never did. At one point, Alex's mom went to make sure it was still proceeding good-naturedly. She came back with a report that Alex had told my daughter "I love you, Evie", and that Evie had responded by smiling and saying "You're an ice cream face" before tackling him to the ground. She also said it may have been the most romantic thing she had ever seen.