Picking Up Pieces

Ben was the consummate fireworks unindicted co-conspirator for Kelsey - and on occasion, Emma. Last month Kelsey asked, as the fireworks stands started to appear around the edges of town, "Are you going to take me around to get fireworks?" "Of course," I said brightly, "If you want me to." And so today we did just that. Emma came along, too. And just to know background, I had arranged for Kelsey, Emma and me to go down to visit Benj and his family for the 4th. I knew I couldn't in all good mental and emotional health stay at home facing alone both Ben's and Robert's birthdays (on the 2nd and 3rd) and a favorite holiday. I couldn't figure out anything exiting other than spending time with still more grands so I invited myself to Benj's. This is a somewhat bold but necessary thing to do and something I don't feel Benj feels too used about. So, on with the story, Kelsey spent much of the past week poring over fireworks ads, looking at the stands as he went around town, making notes of coupons and what he wanted to buy as well as laying out a route. I amended it to include a stop at the airport to pay the hangar rental while we were at the stand about a block away. Kelsey asked if I was going to go into the stands with them or wait in the car. To know my options, one must realize it is sunny and 93 degrees as we leave the house, would you wait in the car? It seems in the recent years Ben waited in the car. I didn't. Also, I had a secret agenda of basically buying most of the fireworks, after Kelsey and Emma selected them thinking they were going to pay. This way they would get what they wanted and be aware of the cost but still not out much money. I feel constantly in a position of wanting to do for them as a thank you for their daily kinds of help and conpanionship.  We started out on the route Kelsey had laid out and he also got to do a little more driving. He seemed to prefer looking at his ads after the first group of stands so I took over the driver duties. We went to four tent-style stands and in each I picked up the majority of the tab after the kids selected the assortment. I, being a fireworks neophyte just read descriptions and asked questions about various kinds of boomers and then pulled out the wallet at the sales counter - AND by 4 stops while the temperature rose and the Escape information panel informed me it was now 99 degrees I melted. It was passed glow or any other mid-Victorian nicety, I sweat! By that time we also had a nice stash of  various kinds of displays for both little kids and older ones, day and night. Benj's neighbor is really doing a big display for the evening of the 4th so I thought it not such a good idea to take over part of his act. Kelsey was missing that aspect of his purchases so I suggested we have a small display at home tonight after dark. That seemed like a good idea, so he selected some for that. I requested that we have a few for midnight on New Year's Eve since I truly want to celebrate putting 2011 behind me, another idea that met with approval and understanding. As we got into the car after the last of the tent stands Kelsey said rather sternly, "Gram, we are going to have to cut you off. You have bought enough fireworks." I think that really meant I had done well. We went into the one stand left, the one with air-conditioning and they found the few that they felt they still needed and then Kelsey treated us to a limeade as we headed back home. Kelsey arranged a show at 9:00 PM in the driveway and we had plastic chairs set up for viewing. It was a pretty fine show but I rather over-envisioned the American flag aspect of one of the goodies I bought. It said that it had showers of colors and an American flag at the end. I thought that meant up in the air a flag would erupt in fiery colors. Wrong! After a fountain of colors shot out of the top there was a kind of a pop and upon later inspection a small plastic flag came out on a paper flagpole - not really visible in the dark, but what can one expect for 75 cents!?!
Actually two things - we had fun in the buying expedition and the show and, most importantly, I think the kids and my entry level upper management fellow would be,  if not proud of me, at least satisfied that I was trying to fill in. Oh, I also found out that he had stayed in the car after the year he bought one $30.00 aerial boomer. I think it was financial self-preservation trumping high heat.