Welcome to our Independence Day edition!  Fourth of July in the States will be celebrated this week, so we’re finding things around the house to get ready for it!  Join us!

MONDAY:  Time to decorate!  My kids are placing small flags along our driveway today, and we’ll have a few extra to share with our neighbors.  We are also making streamer holders for later in the week (see Friday).  We are covering empty paper towel rolls with construction paper, and we are taping several lengths of red, white and blue streamers to the inside of one end of the roll…viola!  A streamer holder!  My kids can decorate the rolls however they see fit.  We’re reusing our paper towel rolls, making something for an activity later on in the week, and spending some qualtiy time together - what could be better?

TUESDAY: We’re cooking today, getting ready for Friday’s celebration!  I’m putting my kids in charge of dessert, partly because they love to be in the kitchen with me and partly because I’ll be less likely to eat it all while I’m working on it with them around.  I’m doing something simple this year, simply for time’s sake.  I’m taking the pre-made roll of sugar cookie dough from the refrigerated section of my grocery store and rolling it out.  We’re cutting stars from our dough this year (I have about three different sized star cookie cutters).  Once we get the cookies baked and cooled, the kids are going to decorate them.  I am using premade frosting, although making your own would be nice (no time this year for me!), and we’re simply using sprinkles on those.  You can go all-out by using decorator bags and tips, different cutters, or even take it a bit further…why not teach your child how to make Great-Aunt Sally’s secret apple pie this year?  Or, how about making some cupcakes and decorating those?

WEDNESDAY: Strike up the band!  Yeah, yeah, I know I am asking for trouble, but what kid doesn’t like to make a bit of noise?  We’re making our own musical instruments today, from a shoe box guitar (rubber bands across an open shoe box), tin can drums and a plastic bottle pipe.  My older son loves to fill plastic bottles with varying amounts of water to get the different tones and then create his own melody.  Its fun, and it keeps him busy for a long, long time!

THURSDAY:  I scream, you scream - yes, its time for ICE CREAM!  We’re gearing up for the weekend by making our own ice cream sundaes today, complete with whipping cream, cherries, sprinkles and syrups.  Everyone gets to make his or her own.  Extra points to those that can create an object out of their sundae! 

FRIDAY:  Everyone loves a parade!  Find out if your community will host a parade today and be sure to join in!  If there isn’t a local parade, why not make your own?  Decorate wagons, bikes, scooters and trikes with balloons, streamers, flags and ribbons.  Invite the neighborhood kids to join in and have your own parade!  Be sure to use your streamer holders and wave them proudly!