What are your Independence Day plans??

[On_Call]

I don't know about anyone else, but the holiday has snuck up on me - while I was busy doing a million other things, I guess.

Not to mention that the 4th falls in the middle of the week, which I hate.

Do you all have big, fun plans? husband and I talked about it tonight. I guess we will cook out - and hang by the pool. Maybe my sister and b-i-l will come over - or maybe we'll see what our neighbors are doing. Guess it will be pretty low key. I have no idea what the weather is supposed to be like. Our town puts on a firework display each year, but I'd be surprised if they actually do it Wednesday.

Half my office is taking off Monday - Wednesday and the other half is taking Thursday and Friday off. I guess I will be one of the lone bones in the skelaton crew, as I am low man on the totem pole and will be taking a week in August, when nobody else wanted to go away. Oh well.

Hope somebody else has a more exciting game plan!

 

[tiredmommy]

We're going to a friends for a bbq. There may be as many as 7 families with kids of various ages. It should be fun. :smile:

 

[Nancy]

Must be the day for sisters and brother in law's.

husband is playing golf with brother in law and nephew at our club. The girls will go to the pool, me, sister, easy child and difficult child. After golf they have a bbq and fireworks. It's always a good time but this is the first year my sister is coming. Her daughter just graduated from college and moved to Phoenix so she is having a tough time and I'm hoping this takes her mind off it for a bit.

Hoping for a nice day. It was 90 today.

Nancy

 

[mum2JK&TH]

It's Canada Day here for us on the 1st and that is also husband and I's anniversary. This will be the first time in 4 years that I will not be at a horse show with easy child, so I am looking forward to this year. I am happy to say that as of this point we have nothing planned and I couldn't be happier! Our house is always so busy with something that it's nice that this weekend it will be quite. husband and I will probably go out for dinner for our anniversary and I was thinking of taking the kids to their first drive-in movie (they have all pretty much closed down but a client told me about one in the next city over). I'm not a big one for the crowds but we'll try and find a quieter place to watch the fireworks. I am looking so forward to this long weekend. It's much needed :smile:

 

[DammitJanet]

Well depending on when they do the fireworks around here we will probably take the baby to see the show. Maybe do a small cookout at a park locally and hit the local pool if we can. That would be fun I think.

 

[witzend]

Nothing here. Maybe someone will invite us for fireworks or a bbq...

 

[Kjs]

Nothing planned! Kind of bummed about that. We have always gone to Milwaukee for the big fireworks on the 3rd. This year I will be working and cannot get off. I have off on the 4th(night) which we always went with the neighbors to the lake for the fireworks in our town. There is a big thing all day at the Lake. But, Summerfest is going on and easy child is taking difficult child to a concert that day. So, I will be sad. I am done with work at noon on the 4th, so I will sleep most of the day. Maybe I will just go with the neighbors anyway. I love fireworks.

 

[Sunlight]

I love the 4th!! I am one of 7 kids. since birth, we go to the same local park, take our kids and their kids now and picnics, tarps, tables and camp out for the day.
the night before the park has an oldies concert, free booths and games for the kids, and low level fireworks. on the fourth, we go back again late afternoon for picnics more fun and games, there is a DJ and dance for the older teens, a great petting zoo sky divers, and other stuff going on with fireworks late. all free!

kaleb and ant are going along with boyfriend and I this year to join the family. it will be nice!

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

This has always been one of my favorite holidays. I don't think I will be able to participate this year. That's OK though, I'm just fine with that. I just don't think I can handle being outside.

Thank God I have A/C!

I will watch the Taste of Chicago's firework display on TV. And eat pretzels and drink Diet Pepsi.

Tink will be with her father. And he will probably set a bad example for her by setting off illegal fireworks.

He's such a tool.

 

[timer lady]

Not much on the calendar here. husband, kt & I will be hanging out; will probably take kt to the lake.

I hesitate to attend the fireworks celebration with kt - it gets her so hyped & she has day treatment the next morning.

husband thinks getting our fire pit up & running & making s'mores with kt is more agreeable.

 

[PonyGirl]

Cowboy Christmas!! Big cause for celebration this year, as ALL the hay is IN the barn already! Yea! (We moved 1600 bales last weekend - Yow! Blisters but otherwise okay :smirk: )

Our city holds a 5K/10K race in the morning, so I will head to town early to watch easy child come thru. After that, I will hang around on Main Street with all the Cool People, and wait for the Parade which starts at 1PM.

The Cool People are any number of my friends in AA/NA who will gather at a particular corner and set up camp. Always a blast, and strength in numbers against the evil demon alcohol, which flows freely on the Fourth. :wink:

husband will join us for the Parade, and after the parade we will wander Main Street for several hours. Live Bands will entertain at either end, Firemen put on a Water Fight in the middle. Hours of Fun! :smile:

Early evening, we'll head home and do group meal. This year's menu is Italian Beef sandwiches, Corn on the Cob, Deviled Eggs, Potato Salad, and Sour Cream Cucumbers. Someone will bring desert! Usually we buy a load of (illegal) fireworks, but this year we'll fight the crowd & head back into town to watch the big display put on by the Lion's Club.

The 4th is my Favorite Holiday! All the fun & family, no pressure to buy gifts!! :salute:

Peace

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

I wanna be a cool person with you, Pony Girl!

 

[meowbunny]

A quiet, busy day here. I have a major project due on the 5th so will probably work much of the morning and early afternoon. Go to neighbor's for a bbq in the afternoon. Maybe hit the waterslides if I get enough done. Watch the fireworks from the hill if they're held on the 4th -- have to check that out.

 

[PonyGirl]

BBK - You ARE Way Cool!! :thumb: And welcome to join us anytime - Can't Miss us!

Peace

 

[On_Call]

Wow - sounds like a lot of great plans - and some great sounding low key days - are being planned!

We are going the low key route, I guess. :beach:

One year, we went to visit husband's family in MN for the 4th and crawled through Chicago's "Taste" festivities - UGH!!! Two kiddies in the back of the car in bumper to bumper sitting on the Skyway was not fun - I'm shuddering just thinking about it. Must be a fun time if you live there, though!!

Still hating the fact that it falls mid-week this year. As I'm always looking ahead, next year - due to it being a Leap Year - the 4th will fall on a Friday. Guess I'll look forward to that. :grin:

 

[LittleDudesMom]

I love the 4th and always had a big bbq with family and friends and then followed by fireworks in the backyard. However, this year we are playing it low key. Last 4th of July my easy child's friend was killed by a firework (not here, and for those of you who don't know, easy child and best friend were there when it happened) and she says she doesn't really feel comfortable with the whole firework thing, even sparklers.

So, I'm just waiting on hearing from my cousin who starts work in Baltimore on the sequel to High School Musical. She is always a big part of our celebration and she's not sure she's off on the 4th, or the company will vote for Friday so they all have a three day holiday.

When I hear from her, I'll throw something together with some friends at the last minute. May be on the 4th, may be the 6th, I just don't know yet. I sure do want to pull all my decorations out of the closet!

If anything, I'll take difficult child to one of the large displays that night and play the rest by ear.

Sharon

 

[Wiped Out]

I don't think we're doing much for the 4th this year. If the pool is open and it's hot I'll probably take difficult child to the pool. I'll probably cook out or we'll get some Popeye's chicken! easy child is asking to go to her new boyfriends for the day (that's another post-don't know yet what to do about that). The big fireworks here is Saturday-the biggest in the midwest. We never go though-sometimes we sit on the roof to watch.

 

[amstrong]

We are having husband's family, tons of friends, difficult child and his best friend. Cooking ribs, brother in law is bringing a moked shoulder, having baked beans (my specialty), slaw, potato salad, cake and home made ice cream! Pool, deck and landscaping is finished and SH did a georgeous job. This is the first one we have had in this house. We have one every 4th but last year we had just moved in and were unpacking.

It should be fun!

 

[Nancy]

Sharon, about 8 years ago our old neighbor's daughter was killed by a firework that fell over and shot right into the crowd of people. Her Mom and Dad witnessed it and she died in their arms. It was a horribly tragic accident and the parents worked very hard and testified in hearings to have the law in Ohio changed for how fireworks are suppose to be tied down and secured. Their daughter was the same age as our easy child. Ever since then easy child will have nothing to do with fireworks and honestly I'm a little frightened of them myself unless we are far far away.

I'm sorry for your easy child to have witnessed that and for losing her friend.

Nancy

 

[busywend]

Sharon, I remember well that incident. It was terribly sad.

That is a good reminder to everyone with fireworks at their house - legally or illegally. Be very careful and keep kids away from the lighting area. Fireworks are very unpredictable. Every year there is someone hurt by one.