Does anyone here hate fireworks? I know, I must sound positively un-American. I never used to hate fireworks. This new loathing came about for one reason and one reason only.

I have kids.

Two delightfully little and innocent kids who are as scared of fireworks as they are of, I don’t know, say thunder, and who–if they aren’t well enough into that blissfully deep, impenetrable sleep of childhood–are likely to wake up screaming in fear. Since fireworks tend to take place well after bedtime, this throws off the whole night (grown up time), the next morning, and sometimes even…nap.

Probably this doesn’t sound worth mentioning…unless by chance you also have wee ones you’ve worked like the devil to get into a good sleeping rhythm.

In that case, you, like me, might hate a big, loud burst of green and red, too.

So…how was everyone’s fourth