I was sitting in my front room typing on my computer and relishing the fact that my Dad finally got my laptop to consent to communicate with our wirless network, when my Mommy Radar pinged me. I became abruptly aware that I was not sure where Gleek was. I constantly track the locations of my children even when my conscious attention is occupied elsewhere. This tracking is accomplished primarily by corner-of-the-eye sightings and by ear. I knew that Kiki, Link, and Patches were all watching Scooby Doo, but Gleek was not there. I went looking and found her asleep in bed. Apparently getting up early for balloons and parades combined with staying up late for fireworks is enough to wear a little girl out. It wears out little boys too. Not too long later I found Patches asleep on the floor of the family room.
It has been a very busy couple of days. I already wrote about the Balloon Launch. The parade was not so awe inspiring, but it was good fun. I particularly liked getting to sit in a chair on the shady side of the street rather than on hard concrete in the sunshine. This luxury was provided by the good folks at Dragon’s Keep who blocked out a section of ground for the use of Dragon’s Keep customers. It worked out well for Dragon’s Keep too. Several of my kids and my parents all spent money there after the parade was over.
As soon as we entered the van to go home from the parade, Kiki began angling for us to attend the city fireworks display. We haven’t gone to it for about four years. We used to go every year. Howard would camp out early in the day and we’d haul carloads of picnic stuff. We did that for 10 years, but around year 8 we stopped enjoying it. It became a burden rather than a joy. All the preparations and hauling and most of all the horrendous traffic jam to get home killed our joy in the event. It took as an additional two years to realize that we didn’t want to do it anymore. So we haven’t gone for four years and Howard and I have been happier. But Kiki was longing for something a little more exciting than fireworks in the street. She’s been longing for it for a couple of years now. Then my Dad volunteered to buy tickets to attend the Stadium of Fire. This had never been an option for our family since seats cost $45-$125 apiece. Howard was exhausted from his all-nighter at the Keep and couldn’t go. I did not want Gleek or Patches to go since they would not be able to sit still. (I don’t even take those two to $7.50 movies let alone $45 events.) Howard was too tired to watch kids, which meant someone had to stay with Gleek and Patches. In the end it was my Dad and my two older kids. That turned out to be just right. A part of me regrets passing on the chance to sit in the stadium and see the big fireworks, but I don’t regret spending the time with Howard and my two younger kids. Maybe I can hit a big fireworks display for July 24th which is a Utah state holiday.
Stadium of fire, while cool, is not actually all *that* cool, IMO. The sound quality isn’t too good, you sit too far from the performers to really feel the energy, and the fireworks make a lot of smoke.
And I’m certain that Kiki had the time of her life 🙂 Yay for Grandpas.