Capturing Memories - the 4th

The 4th of July was panning out like most holidays - we went to my sister's for bar-be-que; the kids played outside with their cousin while we oohed and ahhed over my niece, who is almost 4 months old. After supper we headed out to the driveway armed with packages of red, blue and green sparklers. By the 2nd box, the fear had faded and the kids were dancing around fighting off mosquitoes, being Harry Potter with magic wands, and laughing like crazy at their own silly games. The boxes dwindled and the sky paled to a soft gray. We caught a glimpse of a few neighbors' fireworks, but it was already 9:00 and time to go home.

With windows open, we drove back to our house, less than a mile away. Booms, bangs and sizzles filled the night air. The kids were in awe. They'd always been asleep by the time the real fireworks began, so tonight was magical. As we drove down our street towards home, fireworks exploded in showers of pink, green and white above the rooftops. Freak's little voice (from Rodman Philbrick's Freak the Mighty) shouting out chemical compounds as the fireworks burst in the sky, filled my head, mixing with the "Awesome!" from my backseat. The kids scrambled from the car and ran for the upstairs deck where we were treated to a spectacular display. We could see Fire in the Sky at the Hearnes Center in the background, while our neighbors provided a most impressive show. Their competing shows echoed through the night with a shower of blue off to the south, an explosion orange and green to the north, a burst of pink sparkles directly ahead. My three little cherubs shrieked in delight and clapped their pudgy hands hardly noticing the dogs who circled their feet surely thinking this excitement was for them.

With a grand finale of fireworks at Fire in the Sky and a few final bursts from our neighbors ending the show, I scooped up my babies and ushered them inside. I'm sure their dreams exploded in red, white and blue, while the echoes of bangs faded into the black night sky.

Happy 4th of July!
Ms. Hagen