We aren't usually home for the Fourth of July. It was kind of nice to be there this year, especially considering last year's fiasco, when the neighbor kids kept tossing fireworks into our yard and trying to burn my house down.
But the real reason we stayed home was for my niece Gabi. Gabi took up fencing last year, and qualified for nationals this summer. The competition was about 20 minutes from my house, so my brother Scott, sis-in-law Mari and two of their kids came to stay with us. Mari's friend Dawn was also participating at nationals, so she traded private lessons for Gabi for a couple night's lodging.
I love having a full house, although my nephew Grant noted one of its shortcomings. He asked me why I only have one bathroom in my house.
"We have two," he bragged. "Grandma and Grandpa even have their own bathroom!" I promised Grant I'd run over to Home Depot and buy another bathroom for his next visit.
Mark loved their visit. He got to abandon summer camp and hang with his cousins for a few days. But as Independence Day arrived, he learned that the fun was over, and it was time to fight.
Well, for Gabi, anyway. Scott, Mari and Dawn left with Gabs at daybreak, to get her registered and ready to fence. I went later on, with two sleepy boys in tow.
Gabs did her best. She got a few good hits in, and while she may not have scored as high as she'd have liked, we were enormously proud of her (and her red-and-white striped sock!).
But the real reason we stayed home was for my niece Gabi. Gabi took up fencing last year, and qualified for nationals this summer. The competition was about 20 minutes from my house, so my brother Scott, sis-in-law Mari and two of their kids came to stay with us. Mari's friend Dawn was also participating at nationals, so she traded private lessons for Gabi for a couple night's lodging.
I love having a full house, although my nephew Grant noted one of its shortcomings. He asked me why I only have one bathroom in my house.
"We have two," he bragged. "Grandma and Grandpa even have their own bathroom!" I promised Grant I'd run over to Home Depot and buy another bathroom for his next visit.
Mark loved their visit. He got to abandon summer camp and hang with his cousins for a few days. But as Independence Day arrived, he learned that the fun was over, and it was time to fight.
Well, for Gabi, anyway. Scott, Mari and Dawn left with Gabs at daybreak, to get her registered and ready to fence. I went later on, with two sleepy boys in tow.
Gabs did her best. She got a few good hits in, and while she may not have scored as high as she'd have liked, we were enormously proud of her (and her red-and-white striped sock!).
And after the competition, it was time to celebrate! Mark and Grant were thrilled when I stopped to buy fireworks, but crestfallen when I told the cashier I wanted some small, not-crazy things like sparklers.
"Awwwwww," they both sighed. Grant tried convincing me to buy a giant box of explosives called the Finale, but I reminded him what a hot mess I am. I'd probably just set myself on fire.
I'm a Dinsdale, which means I don't know how to put out just a little food for a party. I made five pounds of potato salad and two pounds of cucumber salad, and delegated the meat-cooking duties to my brother Scott. He grilled up hot dogs, burgers, steaks, and asked, "How many people are coming to dinner?"
I smiled and said, "Well...just us." Oh, and my brother Smed and his girlfriend, too. Hey, the best part of a big dinner is the leftovers, right?
Actually, for the kids, the fireworks turned out to be the most fun. We'd purchased 12 boxes of sparklers, and the kids were determined to burn them all up as fast as possible.
However, we soon realized the dang things were misnamed--they should've been called smokers, because that's mostly what they did! The entire yard was full of smoke in mere minutes, but the kids didn't even notice. They were just thrilled to be playing with matches, and lighting stuff on fire.
I also experimented a bit with the sparklers. This is my idea of some real hotcakes!
The kids also got to light up the fountain fireworks we bought. I personally would not have let them (yes, I'm a paranoid mom), but Scott supervised them very closely. And they were so excited to do it.
"Look at mine!" Grant screamed, as the fireworks shot up. "I did that! I lit them! I'm a BEAST!" he shouted, pounding his little chest. Man, was he proud of himself! It was so cute...
There were a couple fireworks shows scheduled in the area. Scott and I debated which one to take the kids to. But while we were talking, the neighborhood lit up. You could see and hear fireworks erupting all over the place. It was pretty awesome--the fireworks were huge, bright, and very close.
"That one's from Disneyland, Dad!" Grant shouted. Scott answered that yes, it was, then shook his head silently when I looked at him. Another burst of colorful lights prompted Grant to yell, "The Finale! Someone's setting off the Finale!" So he got his 4th of July wish after all (and I made it through the holiday unscathed).
The neighborhood pyros showed no signs of slowing down, so finally, we just put the kids to bed. They were exhausted after the long day, and they all smelled a bit smoky, but they were happy.
And I was pretty happy, myself.
"Look at mine!" Grant screamed, as the fireworks shot up. "I did that! I lit them! I'm a BEAST!" he shouted, pounding his little chest. Man, was he proud of himself! It was so cute...
There were a couple fireworks shows scheduled in the area. Scott and I debated which one to take the kids to. But while we were talking, the neighborhood lit up. You could see and hear fireworks erupting all over the place. It was pretty awesome--the fireworks were huge, bright, and very close.
"That one's from Disneyland, Dad!" Grant shouted. Scott answered that yes, it was, then shook his head silently when I looked at him. Another burst of colorful lights prompted Grant to yell, "The Finale! Someone's setting off the Finale!" So he got his 4th of July wish after all (and I made it through the holiday unscathed).
The neighborhood pyros showed no signs of slowing down, so finally, we just put the kids to bed. They were exhausted after the long day, and they all smelled a bit smoky, but they were happy.
And I was pretty happy, myself.
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