4th of July

I am a HUGE fan of fireworks. My love of them was started as a child when my father allowed us to purchase fireworks through the mail. Lots of fireworks. Seriously fun fireworks. Fireworks that went bang, fireworks that sparkled, fireworks that turned into little paper lanterns, fireworks that rolled around, spun, shot up in the air. You name it, my dad allowed us to get it. Except bottle rockets. I guess they were deemed too unsafe for pops. I remember poring over a catalog with my sister each year picking out what incredible fireworks we would be setting off on the 4th. They would come in inconspicuous boxes, because uh...you're not supposed to mail explosives. But dude, it was fun. And we did not run out. I remember setting small fires in my backyard one year as my friend Lisa and I lit smoke bombs and then threw them across the yard because the trailing smoke looked cool. Of course, at the end of the smoke bomb, a little fire shoots out, and if the grass is dry, that is not a good thing. Especially when your parent looks out the window and sees you refilling the "safety bucket of water" a few too many times.



Don't worry Dad, motherhood has not caused me to lose my touch - and Ed insists on the ol' safety bucket of water!

Connor does not share my love for exploding things. In fact, he will duck his head and do just about anything he can to avoid them. This all stems from some particularly noisy fireworks at a Nationals game two years ago.

But I live in Virginia. A state that allows people to purchase fireworks inside county limits. As in, there are fireworks stands within a mile of my home. So this year, I went to the stand, and I asked for everything that did not make noise - which is somewhat limited, but still includes a few fountains. I decided that I could possibly ease Connor into the idea of fireworks being cool, laying the groundwork for future years.

And much to my relief, it worked!



Over the course of a few days, Connor fell in love with fireworks (something I know I will regret in a few years), and he became expert at placing the firework, running away, then Ed would light it as he watched from the porch.

His friend Zoe got in on the action as well!



And Helen, of course, gets left out of nothing (except waking up early, but we're not telling her that anything goes on in the morning as she snoozes away).



The show was enjoyed by a small, but select crowd composed of individuals who go to bed prior to dark.



Elaine