Remember, remember...

...the 5th of November (well we did ours on the 4th since both Josh and Spense would be gone)
gunpowder, treason, and plot.
We see no reason, why gunpowder treason,
should ever be forgot.

One English festivity that I have refused to let go of is bonfire night. I always make sure that I buy a few extra sparklers around the 4th of July so that we have some over to burn when November comes around. My kids don't quite get it I think, but they sure enjoyed caramel apples and sparkler fun this year. Actually, I feel like most Americans don't get it. Whenever I tell people about it they just don't seem to understand why we would celebrate some guy called Guy Fawkes who failed to blow up Parliament, and why we would be so nasty to burn an effigy of him on the bonfire. Go figure!

I made the traditional "Cowboy Stew" complete with authentic Heinz baked beans thanks to Fred Meyer and Hayley. Hayley also made a bit of pavlova as requested by Spenser. It looked great and tasted nice (once we had scraped off the burnt bottom). It was mainly due to cooking complications which meant that the oven got turned up much hotter than it needed to be. We know that you're a good cook really Hayley!

Cowboy Stew


Zach thought that it was pretty yummy

Hayley and her pavlova
(does it look like Hayley likes food or just being in pictures?!)

We also made some caramel apples. Olivia didn't fully appreciate that she needed the caramel to allow her sprinkles and M & M'S to stick at first and so that caused quite the drama until the penny seemed to finally drop. Thomas thought that it was great to stick as many M & M's on there as possible, although he never actually had a bite of it. Just like his dad he doesn't seem to care for sticky toffee!

Melting the caramels

Look at those M & M's

Olivia became rather partial to the sprinkles

Our great neighbor Kim tracked down some sparklers for us. Her brother has a stand down on the Indian reservation (hence they may be slightly illegal) and he bought a few extremely long sparklers up for us. As we lit them we understood a little of why they were so illegal. They weren't exactly what you might call safe! The kids had a good time, once Olivia overcame, the initial fear, and Thomas even remembered this time not to pick up hot fireworks. We definitely lit up the back yard with some smoke and were just happy that the firefighter that lives near us didn't drive by!

Awaiting the lighting

Child like wonder!

Josh enjoyed himself!

Zach mainly enjoyed his bottle

Should a sparkler really do that?!
The question that I should probably be asking is
"Should a mother really let her child play with that?"

For those who have no idea at all what I'm talking about here is a brief explanation of bonfire night, which I stole from my sisters blog (thanks dear!)

On the 5th November 1605 Guy Fawkes was caught in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament with several dozen barrels of gunpowder - and was named "The Gunpowder Plot". Guy Fawkes was tried as a traitor with his co-conspirators for plotting against the government. He was tried and sentenced to death and the form of the execution was hung, drawn and quartered which reflected the serious nature of the crime of treason.

The following year in 1606 it became an annual custom for the King and Parliament to commission a sermon to commemorate the event. This practice, together with the nursery rhyme ensured that this crime would never be forgotten! Hence the words "Remember, remember the 5th of November." It serves as a warning to each generation that treason will never be forgotten. In England each year on the 5th November, we light fireworks and Bonfires as a remembrance and celebration that good overcame evil!