Fireworks

Last night- we had the schools fall fireworks. All across England from Halloween until Nov - firework/bonfire displays are on to commemorate Guy Fawkes (a member of a group of English Roman Catholic revolutionaries who planned to blow up parliament). So we headed to the event at the school- (sky did not look good). Get there and like any other school they start selling junk -whistles, light up stars, flashlights (etc). So you have kids running around blowing whistles and shaking fluorescent flashlights everywhere (isn't fun to be a parent).They at least have beer and mulled wine for the adults. Anyway- the whole school is there so you have nursery schoolers thru high schoolers. It starts to rain- which we brought umbrellas unlike some people that have lived in England their entire life who forgot theirs. I So we head to stand by the bonfire to warm up- got to love it a huge fire for which they have no visible barriers and small children running around it. It is 5pm and we have 1 hour to kill until the 6pm fireworks. It continues to Rain (HARD) and now we have a shifting bonfire wind blowing live embers on us. Casey starts crying- so I say let's watch them from the car. CJ then starts crying that he wants to see them and he and another classmate were playing ben 10 so he was fine being pelted by the the torrential downpour. Chris and I try to reminisce about our high school bonfires days-while watching the 16 year olds (who btw appeared not to have snuck booze into the event and were actually drinking tea; sad that is so cold/wet they need to drink tea instead of beer:( The hour ticks by and the fireworks finally happen- pretty professional ones at that (not Beijing but good enough that you wonder if this is what your tuition $$$ are being used for) We come home soaking wet -two crying/tired kids who we place in a bath and who continue to blow the awful whistles (the whistles have unfortunately been LOST! today) until the bitter end. The box has been checked we celebrated Guy Fawkes day and will stay home next year!