Attention spans, sleep deprivation and fireworks

I'm a big fan of the Fourth of July for all your typical reasons (patriotism, BBQ, swimming, family, not-working . . . etc.) But I remember absolutely living for the fireworks. At the mall here in O-Town the city puts on a pretty good show every year. We have our designated spot on the backside of an Aldi. (yeah, you're jealous) The view is ok, and we can actually drive home afterwards without being snarled in traffic. (I just really wanted to use the word "snarled" for some reason.) Yesterday our kids played hard. We spent the morning at the YMCA, and the afternoon at a multi-hour BBQ with some friends. There were several kids there and all four of mine played hard. By the time we were headed to see the fireworks it was pretty clear that the kids were wasted. (Oh fun) We waited for the show to start for what seemed like an eternity. The kids went through all the kid-phases of being tired. (combative, goofy, apathetic, whiny, hyper, lethargic, and comatose) You could also use those names for a new version of the Seven Dwarfs, but it wouldn't be as fun. By the time the thing got going it was almost anti-climactic. The kids barely paid attention to the massive explosions going on right above our heads as they continued to cycle through the phases. They all agreed on the "comatose" phase during the short drive home. Anyway, it was a fun day. We just need to find a way to get that sun down about 4 hours earlier on this one day a year. =)