Grand Finale
Part 3 (final part) in the series Memories Like Fireworks
This memory is from tonight. The culmination of Fourth of July memories recapped in my Fireworks series is in the memories made tonight.
We’ve been living in southern Ohio for 7 years now. There is a small town, about a 10 minute drive away, where I went another year before with just kids #1 and #2. I remember being blown away by this town’s fireworks the first time, so I decided to finally return this year, with kid #3 in tow also (baby #4 stayed home with Dad). I am very picky about fireworks displays, especially because my number one pick is in my hometown in Illinois.
And we were not disappointed. A bouncy house, home baked goods for 50 cents a piece, games with prizes like punch-balloons — what kid wouldn’t be in heaven? Then, we collaboratively laid out our blanket on the park’s green field, and set up our 2 chairs and stroller for a good view.
The sky was a fading creamy pink and purple sunset. A few wispy shadowed clouds lined the horizon. My kids kept asking me, “how long until they start?”, as we watched the sky slowly turn darker. Soon, it was time (10 p.m.? I never remember how late they actually start!). We heard a few practice *bangs* from across the baseball fields.
My 2 year old straightened up in his small lawn chair, eyes staring off toward the horizon where the *boom* came from. The other two were also called to attention. It was beginning…!
For the entire first half of the show, my 2 year old sat in my lap, clutching me and screaming. I guess he didn’t like the loud *booms* that he could feel in his chest. It was a very close setup to the fireworks, producing the kind of *booms* that rattle through your bones. Then, at some point, he decided he finally liked them. “Bwue, geen, wewow,” he named off, trying to identify the right colors. How relieving — and awesome!
Miss priss 4 year old wanted to “dance and jump up and grab them!”. I told her to “go ahead, dance and go crazy girl!”. Why not? She had the time of her life and especially loved the “purple” fireworks (I thought they looked more blue, but whatever).
My personal favorites are the sparkly ones, the ones that scatter sparks through the sky, rippling downward like glitter and fading softly.
And then, they were done. The immense grand finale that was literally right above us a moment ago left us feeling quiet and motionless. 2 kids popped their punching-balloons in the grass during this time, leaving one kid as the punching-balloon Reigning Supreme. People started packing up and herding to the grass parking lot. We trudged our way through the crowds and cars, all the way back to our SUV surprisingly without a hitch.
We did it. We survived through our adventure at the fireworks tonight — Kids #1, 2 & 3, and I. We faced some challenges, but overall enjoyed our time together. I will never forget the energy shining from my kids as they stared at the phenomenal fireworks display. It’s another memory to add to the books.
So that’s it, the Grand Finale of the Memories Like Fireworks series. This has been a flash-series designed and created in one day — the Fourth of July. Did you enjoy the glimpses into my life, seeing just what fireworks on the Fourth of July mean to me — in the past, the present, and my fantasies? If you enjoyed this story, and this series, leave a comment below.
Read the other stories in this series:
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