Fireworks!!

We had so much fun on Friday the 4th. Last year we moved into our new home just a week or two after the fourth of July, so we didn't know how much our neighborhood celebrated. We got the full experience this year. Starting early in the evening several people were out with small firecrackers.

I have never been one for firecrackers. I love to watch a good fireworks show, but playing with them at home has always scared me. That is why I love that my husband is there to give our son the firecracker experience, and teach him how to use fire safely.

Here they are starting the small firecrackers. At first Brian wasn't so sure about them.


A few years ago we took Brian to see the fireworks in downtown Seattle. They were beautiful and amazing to watch for an adult, not so much for a 2 year old. Since then he has been afraid of the noise.

This year my husband picked out firecrackers that were sparkly and fun, but not loud. (And also the thunderstorm that we had roll through here a few days prior that got Brian used to the loud noise). Brian started to really enjoy the firecrackers.

He still wanted to keep a good distance between himself and the firecrackers. For which I, as his mother, was very grateful.

Sparklers...

As it started to get dark the street came alive with several families setting off their own fireworks.

Our street has several families with teenagers. So they were shooting off fireworks that were significantly louder (read: setting off car alarms). But by this point Brian seemed to be doing quite well with all the hoopla.


But the real fun came after dark. I've never lived anywhere that fireworks were legal. It was nice to pull out a lawn chair and a glass cup of wine and watch the show from our own home.

I loved this shot. We were sitting with a few neighbors looking up at the end of our court where most of the big fireworks were being set off. I loved how it shows the full effect of the fireworks, from the ground to the sky.