The 4th of July

We started our 4th with a craft- a finger/foot painted tablecloth. I think the kids had as much fun watching the wash water change from white to pink to purple as they did painting. Luca decided that to get really perfect hand prints, there must be jumping involved.

 

I love our neighborhood for so many reasons, and this row of flags is one of them. Starting on Monday of the week, every house on our side of the street was flying the Stars and Stripes.

 

Pulling out the face paint for extra fun, Bean Girl got ready for the festivities in her "American outfit". (Court's face paint sweated off almost immediately but you can see faint remnants of his patriotic stripes in some of the pictures.)

 No holiday celebration would be complete without cupcake decorating with Noah, and this time Naomi got in on the action too. A lot of candy was eaten during this process...

 All American Meal: burgers, dogs and sweet corn on the grill, deviled eggs, watermelon... Mmmmmmm

 Let the show begin! Luca and Court are so excited they're levitating.

 The 'light it and run' instruction from last year stuck.

 This is Luca guarding her box of artillery shells.

 

 A trip onto the roof to check out what the neighborhood is up to.

How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!  ~Thomas Jefferson

We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty for their souls.  ~Robert J. McCracken

 We have enjoyed so much freedom for so long that we are perhaps in danger of forgetting how much blood it cost to establish the Bill of Rights.  ~Felix Frankfurter

 All we have of freedom, all we use or know - 

This our fathers bought for us long and long ago.

 ~Rudyard Kipling

 

And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood