My life in a parallel universe...

Sometimes I think I live in a parallel universe where my children's lives are the polar opposite of what my own childhood was like.

I grew up in a small, rural town. My kids are being raised in the Silicon Valley...

I am an only child. We have three kids.

I grew up in a mostly homogeneous, white community. We love living in a community where Caucasians are in the minority. My kids have friends who speak Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish, Hindi, Hebrew, Danish, or Farsi, just to name a few.

The 4th of July is another perfect example... We've been invited to a BBQ at the home of some friends who live in San Bruno- one of the few cities in the Bay Area where 'safe and sane' fireworks are legal.

Strangely enough, Young Son doesn't even know what a sparkler is. (Teenage Son and Teenage Daughter have used sparklers once- when we were in Idaho on the 4th... That was like 11 years ago!) I was explaining it to Young Son tonight and it's just more than his mind can even fathom! He can't quite believe that we will do fireworks on our own, since our usual scenario is to go to watch the city's fireworks display at a local high school or at a theme park.

I have lots of fond memories of doing fireworks at home growing up. We would go to the local fireworks stand run by the Boy Scouts or one of the local churches. My mom would then have to hide the fireworks until the 4th to keep my Dad and uncle from lighting them prematurely. I loved sparklers, and showering fountains, but my favorite were the ground flowers. I vividly remember the colors and the sound they would make as they spin.

It seems like an American tradition that my kids have somehow missed out on...

We'll make up for that a little tomorrow as we celebrate Independence Day! I hope you all have a great 4th!