We have always really enjoyed the 4th, we used to purchase fireworks and all that razzmajazz, however...after my husband tried to blow his face off one year and earned the title of being the first fireworks injury in the ER that year...we kind of stopped getting fireworks. Just because something LOOKS like a roman candle....doesn't mean it is. Never look INSIDE...ding dong.
The past several years the kids and I have been spending a week at my Mother's home enjoying the 4th and all of that towns festivities. However, this year I was unable to go back home. My sister and Mother are moving and are in the process of packing so I didn't want the kids and I to be in the way, plus my work is so wishy washy I didn't think it was even safe to try and ask for a day off. So for the first time in several years the kids and I will be home for the 4th. I'm very disappointed I don't get to go home for the 4th though, I really enjoy going back to see my mother and family back home. I love all of the fun things the kids get to do back home too! However, when my Mother and Sister move they will be an hour closer to us! Yay!!
I will PROBABLY have to work that day (but should be home in the afternoon so I'm not really worried about having to work I'll be home in plenty of time for our BBQ and to head to the park for the big city fireworks).
We took the kids out the other day to one of the fireworks stands to pick up a few little items. I refuse to let my husband go crazy and he is highly supervised as I know he'll try to buy every great big blowy uppy thing he can find!
For kids....we kept it to the bare essentials. Some of those pop its, those confetti shooters, sparklers (I love sparklers!), smoke bombs, those disco disk thingies, some of those snake things, a couple of hens (I dunno how to explain what they are, I just grew up calling them hens laying an egg). Nothing exciting. Infact on the scale of awesome fireworks, these all probably rate a 0 on the excitement level. For my children however? They are awesome. I did want to get a few fountains, sadly I did not see any of them at this stand.
 |
| Keegan was pretty impressed with the possibility of seeing what these bad boys did. |
 |
| Marshall kept asking, Can we PLEASE get these! They look BIG and LOUD! Love that boy! |
 |
| Ready to take their haul home! |
My husband came across some unused bottle rockets from a year ago (Apparently he bought a few when the kids and I were out of town last year! Shame shame!)
Anyway, the husband took the kids out into the back yard to shoot them off. I had to go out and supervise to make sure he didn't try to blow his face off again, or the kids faces. My kids were totally encouraging daddy to shoot off a bazillion at one time. Uhh, hellooo no. Miss Buzz Kill here to save (ruin) the day. I would like to have my children still in one piece by the time the 4th is over! Though I am glad they had fun out there.
We did a lot of yard work today. It was a GORGEOUS day so it was perfect to get out and mow, and weed eat the yard. My yard looks good and is ready for the 4th of July!
Tomorrow when I get off work I need to make home made potato salad, and make the 4th of July cake. Might make some pasta salad, depends on how much I feel like cooking! We're planning on having beer brats, hot dogs, and hamburgers for the 4th.
After we have our own little BBQ at home we'll be heading out to the local park to watch the city fire works. We've been to that maybe a couple of times when Kams was a baby. It was nice, crowded, but nice.
When we come home I'll let the kids do their sparklers (My favorite part of the 4th, I know I'm lame, right?!) I just have this healthy little respect for fireworks and don't really want to be blown up.
Since the weather was so nice today I FINALLY sat up the kids tent! I was excited. It wasn't raining, no rain in the forecast until after the 4th, life was great! I hurried and sat up the tent so the kids could play in it today after we were done with the lawn.
Later this evening? Wouldn't you know it RAINED. Go figure. Every single stinking time I think about putting up the darn tent....it rains. This time I at least managed to get the tent UP! It wasn't a heavy rain at least and it wasn't all big and windy so we just left the tent up.
Guess I should have listened to my daughter earlier when she was freaking out saying "it's gonna rain mom it's gonna rain!!"
The kids (and my husband and I) got soooo dirty today helping clean up the yard and then shooting off fire works (they love the black sooty stuff from shooting off fire works)! They were in big need of a shower tonight that's for sure. You know it's been a good fun day when you all wake up nice and clean and by the time the day is over you are covered in dirt from head to toe! You know you have worked hard, and played hard and gotten a lot accomplished that day. We aren't afraid to play in the dirt and get dirty in this house! However, at the end of the day it's super nice to get squeaky clean!
We took a break from our yard work so Keegan could show me some of his skateboarding moves. He's getting pretty good for a 4 year old. I know there are some pretty amazing children skateboarders out there, Keegan isn't at that level yet, but he is proud of what he has accomplished so far and so am I! He keeps his balance very well on the skateboard and knows how to get it going. He may not be grinding that skateboard yet or pulling an olly (I have no idea what the skateboard lingo is so pardon any guffaws please). Keegan has been skateboarding since he was 18 months old, it's something he enjoys (along with riding his bike and trying to go as fast as he can, he really really wants a motorcycle). At the moment he just pretends his bike is a motorcycle (sound affects included).
 |
| Little man in ACTION! |
We hope everyone has a great and safe 4th of July! We are really looking forward to spending time together as a family and enjoying some ummy yummy BBQ!
Mae
