Set it Off
This weekend was the July 4th holiday. We don't actively participate in the festivities, not because we're un-American, but because we're pet owners and it doesn't seem right to add to Hermione's already hysterical panting and shaking. Adam worked and Nora and I spent time in the kiddie pool, splashing and playing silly three year old games.
Feeling generous, we let Nora stay until dark so she could watch the fireworks go off around the neighborhood. We've a great set of windows in the upstairs game room where we can keep an eye on the sky without battling mosquitoes or people who set off fireworks. Drunks, gunpowder, and small children shouldn't mix. (Ask my husband's brother who ended up in emergency because he blew is face up by being poorly supervised around fireworks. Yeah. Good times.)
We cuddled and watched the sun go down. Nora likes to lie across my whole body, one hand scratching my arm for comfort. She asked a million questions. Most of them were "When will the fireworks start?" Slowly the sky grew dark and her excitement built.
"Are they celebrating my birthday?"
"No. Independence Day."
"What's that?"
"America's birthday."
"So it IS about my birthday!"
"No."
The conversation cycled about a hundred more times before the fireworks started popping regularly enough that she was able to quiet down and watch them.
"Mama, this is amazing. It's like a party we can all go to!"
Watching her eyes light up every time the sky streaked with light made my whole body smile. She was so in to the idea of fireworks and parties and Life Itself that I didn't mind missing out on adult time before bed.
Ten o'clock came and Nora went down to bed, even though people were still setting off displays in the neighborhood. I sat, for a while afterward, in the dark, the walls splashing with color and the sounds of pop, pop, pop, going off around me. Nora may be wrong about the fireworks being specifically being for her, but it does set off the countdown to her birthday. We're officially less than two weeks away before I've a four year old on my hands.
Feeling generous, we let Nora stay until dark so she could watch the fireworks go off around the neighborhood. We've a great set of windows in the upstairs game room where we can keep an eye on the sky without battling mosquitoes or people who set off fireworks. Drunks, gunpowder, and small children shouldn't mix. (Ask my husband's brother who ended up in emergency because he blew is face up by being poorly supervised around fireworks. Yeah. Good times.)
We cuddled and watched the sun go down. Nora likes to lie across my whole body, one hand scratching my arm for comfort. She asked a million questions. Most of them were "When will the fireworks start?" Slowly the sky grew dark and her excitement built.
"Are they celebrating my birthday?"
"No. Independence Day."
"What's that?"
"America's birthday."
"So it IS about my birthday!"
"No."
The conversation cycled about a hundred more times before the fireworks started popping regularly enough that she was able to quiet down and watch them.
"Mama, this is amazing. It's like a party we can all go to!"
Watching her eyes light up every time the sky streaked with light made my whole body smile. She was so in to the idea of fireworks and parties and Life Itself that I didn't mind missing out on adult time before bed.
Ten o'clock came and Nora went down to bed, even though people were still setting off displays in the neighborhood. I sat, for a while afterward, in the dark, the walls splashing with color and the sounds of pop, pop, pop, going off around me. Nora may be wrong about the fireworks being specifically being for her, but it does set off the countdown to her birthday. We're officially less than two weeks away before I've a four year old on my hands.
Comments
we didn't see a SINGLE pretty firework this year... watched while someone else shot off firecrackers and bottle rockets.. made me feel a little pinch of sad. s did too.