JULY 4TH

Happy Fireworks, Fellow suburbanites!

If you can't tell by my enthusiastic tone, I like 4th of July, I like it, I like it a lot.

What better holiday to be the proud owner of a house with a backyard and a fantastic grill that cost you and arm and a leg then this one?

So I say all you need for a great weekend is...

A WARM and welcoming demeanor, a COLD tub full of wine, beer and water and a HOT barbeque ready to take requests. (And obviously, at least one obnoxiously patriotic item on at least one member of the family!!)

So here are a few more thoughts for y'all. Just as basic as the straightforward holiday, itself. No prissy cakes, crafts and recipes here.

FUN:
* Create a water park for the kids by filling up a few kiddy pools, putting out a slip and slide and running a few sprinklers. If you're really feeling adventurous how about putting the hose down the jungle gym slide for maximum slippage or put the kiddie slide into one of the pools.

* For the older kids and adults, why not play the all-American game of baseball?

* An oldie but goodie game ... What about some good ol' balloon toss? Buy red, white and blue balloons and ribbons, along with some dried beans; get out the kitchen funnel from the cabinet (or make one from cardboard). Blow up the balloons, funnel in the beans, and tie-up the balloon with ribbon. And 1, 2, 3, See who can throw the farthest pass or keep it in the air the longest.

FOOD:
* How about stuffing the burgers with crumbled blue cheese for an unexpected twist? (And there's your BLUE)

* An easy secret sauce to try on burgers and hotdogs: Mix ketchup, mustard, relish and a little lite mayonnaise. (And here's your RED)

* Doctor up plain baked beans by adding canned black beans, lima beans, kidney beans, crumbled bacon or sautéed onions. Pineapple chunks are another delicious addition. (And there's some WHITE -- lima beans and onions totally count, I swear.)

* Make regular brownies or cupcake and frost them with white icing. Let the kids decorate them with red and blue sprinkles, or top them with blueberries and strawberries to make them look festive and your an instant martha stewart.

FESTIVE:
* Since no party is complete without music, be sure to create a great music mix that will bring you hours of fun.  Here are some easy starters:

Born in the U.S.A.- Bruce Springsteen
This Land Is Your Land- Woody Guthrie
Living in America- James Brown
R-O-C-K in the USA- John Mellencamp
Living in the USA- Steve Miller Band
American Child- John Denver

FIREWORKS:
* Lastly, on a  more serious note as it is a sensitive topic in our family and in others as well, if you have a baby, toddler or an older child who is fearful about the noise and hooplah that fireworks bring, don't push their fear aside let them know you understand. You see, their fear (as I have learned all too well) is very real whether you find it irrational or a hindrance to the groups fun, it is real and really scary actually. Help the child to set up a game plan for the evening that helps them not to worry the whole time about the fireworks display. Fmiliarize them with what to expect through pictures and online videos of fireworks.  Decide together how they would like things to go. Decide that perhaps you will hold your hands over their ears or maybe even go inside during the display so as to advert the whole thing. Help them come up with a solution that is their own. That way they feel empowered and proud to have solved things ... "How about I sit in your lap with my iPod and you put your hands over my ears and eyes?" my son asked the other day as his back up plan to forgoing the whole days activities. My reply. How about we shake on tha plan. 

Suburban Share: Got any fun things you like to do for the Fourth, do share ...

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