So, my husband has to work that night in DC, and I really don't want to take the kids out at night in major crowds, past their bed time just to watch a 30 minute firework show. My friends are telling me that I should still take them becuase it's only once a year. But I really don't like crowds. Also I am allergic to mosquito's and usually end up on antibiotics when I get bitten because either half my leg or arm will swell up like a balloon (depending where I am bitten) and so I try to avoid being out at night because of that. So, is anyone else just going to stay home and watch them on TV? or am I a party pooper like my friends say?
Oh, I'm not worried about what my friends think. I'm not going to go anywhere. This was just a fun question to see if I was the only one who wants to stay home. I'm sorry if this came across the wrong way :)
Cheryl, I would love to get together some time! Right now though I am getting over a cold and sinus infection and so is my son. So, as soon as we are all 100% I would love to plan a play date or something! My kids are bored already with school being out and they really don't have a lot of friends yet since moving here, so they would love to play.
Can you have some friends take the kids and you stay home and relax? Best of both worlds!
I wish I could stay home that day but my husband (well more of his mother insisting) wants to go out to his stepdads lake lot all day (no house, just a small shackhouse (yes, an actual shackhouse) that is notorious for TARANTULAS. Plus its supposed to be the hottest July 4th weekend in years. Not my idea of a great time.
We're having people over for a fish fry, then going to the watch fireworks on the levee. I took my daughter every year from the time she was born. But we enjoy it. If you don't, then you should stay home and do what you enjoy doing. There is no right or wrong way to celebrate a holiday.
If you are then so am I! Its still damn near 100 degrees at midnight here and I don't wanta go! We were supposed to go to biloxi and plans fell thru but its kinda good since the baby and me came dwn with a nasty cold. Ill be just fine sittin my miserable behind in the house!
We normally stay home. We live near the beach so we usually go down to like 43rd street (don't have to pay for parking) to see the fireworks. Last year we got there around the time for the fireworks then they ended up firing them off late, while we left. So we ended up watching them from our car.
This year we are taking our kids (5,4, and 11mo), his nephew - 14, and his niece-12, to Niagra Falls to met up w/ his parents. They are celebrating their 40th anniversary and want to sspend it w/ the grandkids. SIL can't go cause she is starting a new job on the 5th and BIL is out to sea on deployment. Whatever you do your kids will enjoy themselves. :)
My family has stayed home the last 3 years. We are the same way about crowds, and it always seems that there is some jacka$$ playing his radio too loud and songs with inappropriate language in them for an event with kids around. We DVR several fireworks shows, make ice cream sundaes, and watch them together in our living room (air conditioned and bug free!)
I don't think we've gone out on July 4th since our daughter was born over 2 years ago. ;) lol I was scared of fireworks as a young child, so unless your kids are begging to go I would stress over not going. :) Do what works best for you and your kiddos.
BBQ & Sparklers this year :)
....What? Having panic attacks, being short tempered, a limb swelling to non-use/ anaphylactic shock, and having to go on antibiotics (no sex w/out a condom for a month) is their idea of a PARTY?
You've apparently got friends who are heavy into the S&M scene.
Your children are young. They don't need to see the fireworks. I've sometimes choked up from the fumes of the fireworks. I love the show and hate the crowds and actually would rather stand on a rooftop to watch fireworks without the noise.
Now to the real problem mosquitos. Vitamin B taken two pills per day makes you taste bad to mosquitos and fleas. Mosquitos like sweet sugary blood. Give up sugar and they will bite you much less of the time.
Since I just gave birth to our third baby two days ago, we will be staying home. :)
I love fireworks and hate to miss them. There is a show just 5 minutes from us at Craig Ranch, but I also hate crowds and the traffic afterwards is a night mare. Plus I don't like being out late when I have to get up early the next day. So we will probably just walk over a few blocks where we can get a fairly good look at them. If we didn't have to get up early the next day, we would take the boat to the lake to watch them.
If you're happy staying home, then you should stay home. But there are lots of ways to see fireworks without getting near the crowds. If you're aware of a specific fireworks show, think about where else you could sit to see the same show without actually being in the crowd with everyone else. There could be a parking lot or a park 5 miles away that could be empty but you'll be able to see a majority of the show anyway. When it's over, you can just drive away and put the kids right to bed! We do that all the time and everyone's happy.
Check out Mt. Vernon. They have a daytime 4th of July festival including "smoke fireworks" that can be seen during the day. Wear bug spray!
I'm staying home. I've stayed home for the 4th for several years. You should do what you want to do. Missing one year of fireworks is not going to harm your children.
We can stay home AND have fireworks.
Every year, people go to the river bar and shoot bottle rockets, etc.
I live in a rural town so no crowds and it's notoriously drizzly on 4th of July....no fire danger. Lots of people walk around, with umbrellas if need be, and visit and check out what everyone's doing. Everyone here knows everyone so it's not anything formal. There are always plenty of fireworks. Then we come in for hot chocolate. I'm not kidding.
We're lucky if it's 60 here on 4th of July. I pretty much hate that part.
There have been years you can't keep a sparkler lit it's so wet so yes....we've done the TV thing.
If you don't want to go out, don't.
The biggest city next to us does a fireworks show and frankly....forget it!
Way too many people. Nowhere to park. It's dangerous as hell because some people just pull over on the freeway to sit in their cars and watch.
Too much trouble for me.
I always bought my kids fireworks and if we can't do them on the actual night, I let them do them before or after, weather permitting. LOTS of people here do that.
Find a way to have fun with the kids at home.
Best wishes.
Stay home and do what makes you happy. Your friends can make their own decisons, but don't let them pressure you. You have valid reasons for staying home. Enjoy!
Stay home guilt free, there's always next year.
We are staying home, I really, REALLY hate crowds. Besides we are pretty new to this area and I haven't a clue where to go if we wanted to! If I was in your shoes I wouldn't go either. Two kids by yourself in a huge crowd, while they are cranky, tired and hot? Yeah, pass.
We can go just a few blocks away and park and watch the fireworks the town does. Weve gone nearly every year and enjoyed it. Our grand daughter will have fun like last year. I take pictures of her watching and its fun. I dont think we had more than 25 cars where we went and its easy to get out and home when done. They set the fireworks to patriotic music on a radio station and that adds a lot to the event. I never liked the big crowds the times we were at the coast, and everyone seemed drunk and dangerous. So staying home but going a few blocks away is great. July 4th is special to us too. We met on July 4th in 1972. The whole country has had fireworks ever since,,lol.
Hate the mosquitos, and the crowds, and the tired cranky kid.... I'm staying home.
We are staying in. My child goes to bed around 7pm. I have tried to keep him up later but by 7:30-7:45 he is standing at his crib crying "night". He is only 19mo. I don't think he will really care about these things until he is a little older.
C.:
I'm just up the road from you - we do fireworks here in our Cul-De-Sac!!
Come on up!!
Oh heavens! Stay home! It is so not worth it. :)
I plan on staying in. My husband has to work until 9, and there is no way I am going to take on a huge crowd of people by myself with infant twins. Before we had kids my husband & I always went to the movies on the 4th, the theaters are always empty once it gets dark.
Why do you care what your friends think? You're an adult - do what works for YOU!!
I know how you feel!
I also hate crowds, all the fireworks shows have a cost attached to them, the fireworks start late, at 9:something because of the heat/sun, and it will still be around 100 degrees at that time. The only time DD has seen fireworks was 2 years ago when we were on Coronado Island in California. We'll see, I guess. I'd love to be somewhere else for the 4th.
