With some cities canceling their fireworks celebrations due to budget problems, watching a good old patriotic film might just be the alternative you're looking for. But what to watch? There are so many to choose from? Well, here's a list of a few of my favorite American films. These are mostly family-friendly, although some might be a bit over the heads of younger children.

• Mister Smith Goes to Washington -- Jimmy Stewart is wonderful (as always) as a naive and idealistic senator who finds himself surrounded by greed and corruption in Washington. Stewart, however, sticks to his guns and tries to do the right thing and, in the end, prevails. In America, every man counts and one man can indeed make a difference.
• Dave -- When a corrupt president falls ill, his good-hearted doppelganger is tapped to fill in so the American public don't find out. Instead of being a patsy, he comes to take over and turn the presidency around. It's a fun little film that shows what the presidency should be about -- helping people.
• Young Mister Lincoln -- A classic, fictionalized look at one of our greatest president's early days, this film is fun and uplifting. If only all our presidents could be this upstanding, we'd be a lot better off. Henry Fonda is wonderful as the man he felt was almost too great for him to play.
• The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming -- I first saw this when I was younger and was impressed at how the Americans, after first going into a tizzy when a Russian submarine runs aground on their island, come to understand that regardless of where you come from, we're all just people.
• My Fellow Americans -- Two ex-presidents, running for their lives, get to meet the real people who were affected by their presidencies. It's a reminder that our politicians are there for us, not the other way around. Of course, this is wrapped up in an adventure with danger, corruption, and, of course, a ton of laughs.
• 1776 -- Imagine how much more our founding fathers could have accomplished if only they had broken out into song now and then. Actually, after watching this powerful portrayal of the days leading up to the signing of the declaration of independence, I'm convinced they did. Every time I watch it, I get choked up thinking about what these men went through and what they sacrificed to make this great nation possible. If you only watch one patriotic movie in your life, make it this one.

So there you go, half a dozen films that will make you think about what it means to be an American and what a great country this is. It may not be perfect, but it's pretty darn good and we've got the means built into the system to make it better.

Happy 4th of July! Welcome to the one holiday nearly as fun for kids as Christmas, only with fewer financial obligations for parents but with the painful twist of the grand finale (fireworks!) at the very end of the day instead of first thing in the morning.

If you aren't the lucky owner of a cottage or waterfront property (or related to someone who is) it can be really tempting to let the kids plop in front of the television while you work on marinading the steak and prepping the potato salad for a cookout.

However, with just a few craft materials you probably already have lying around and some easy instructions, you can quickly throw together a last minute 4th of July Kid Parade that will be the talk of........well, everyone who was actually around on the 4th! (And if you keep the neighbor kids occupied for a few hours, their parents might even invite yours over to burn some daylight out of gratitude!)

Looking for an, er, interesting way to celebrate the 4th of July holiday this year? How about with food! Sure food will play a crucial role in your celebration--it generally does--but why not toss things up a bit this time around, and even make it fun for the kids?

We're considering doing a menu of all red, white and blue foods. Yes, blue foods. Now we all know there are no naturally occurring blue foods--unless you count blueberries amongst your tally--but it's a fun treasure hunt to think of and then collect foods that are blue (if not naturally so) along with their easier to uncover red and white versions, all in the name of patriotism.

Red foods include strawberries, tomatoes--if you're feeling adventurous, and I'm decidedly not this holiday weekend--as well as cherries and various other kinds of fruit. One could twist on that and include red meat in the menu along with ketchup. White foods, while not that healthy, are in abundance. You have white bread, potatoes (and therefore potato salad?) as well as eggs (sans the yolk), milk, yogurt and various kinds of cheese. You could also go the white meat route with this one. And the blue foods? Well, other than the blueberry and some types of edible flowers, the only blue foods I can think of are Popsicles and Icees. You could dye pasta blue, as I did once, for blue pasta salad, but I don't think anyone would eat it. There are also blue potatoes and blue Terra Chips as well as blue corn tortilla chips. Dessert could always be blue--no one seems to fear blue icing.

Can you think of any 'blue' foods to include at a picnic or celebration this Fourth of July?

Pic of blue eggs by the_moog.

"You look like a flag," my husband Tom tells me and I smile, because I know what he means. We go through this every summer in the days leading up to the 4th of July. It's a bit ridiculous, I know: cheesy and sentimental and a little over-the-top. But I can't help it.

I dress myself in red, white and blue.

It's my summer compulsion--just as surely as the days become progressively warmer, the color red pushes its way toward the front of my closet. Combine it with the already-busy whites plus the blue of my trusty jeans, and you've got the makings of an American flag.

Tiny white stars on a red background begin to appeal to me this time of year; alternating stripes of blue on a white background (or is it white on a blue background?) look lovely. And for this brief time at the beginning of July, I see red, white and blue everywhere: red flip-flops, red bandannas, ripe, red strawberries in the grocery store. Blue skies, blue jeans, plump blueberries the size of marbles. White puffy clouds, white petunias, white whipped cream. You know where this is heading, right? A resplendent vanilla flag-cake in the fridge, which is a whole new level of flaginess--not only am I wearing it, but I'm eating it, too.

It's officially summer. To me that means long evenings, watermelon and picnics. Preferably watermelon served all day at the picnic and into the long evening. While I never grow tired of picnic food--burgers, potato salad and pasta salad come to mind--by the end of the summer many people do. The Minimalist over at the New York Times has compiled a list of 101 ideas to ratchet your picnic dining experience up a notch. I was interested enough in trying something new to give the menu a glance, but my critical eye looked for easy, simple recipes and ingredients I'd be able to both pronounce and unearth at a local supermarket while still tending to my number one job, being a mom.

Some of the recipes are familiar or simple enough. Make egg salad and add curry powder to make curried egg salad. That sounds yummy. If I had kids old enough to eat egg salad they might freak out though. The cornflake chicken bites seem more the kid-speed. If you're going to take the time to make fried chicken you might as well throw cornflakes on it and make it bite-sized for your little ones. I would definitely give that one a try. Other recommendations include some that can be store-bought, which is simpler and easier if not cheaper. My aunt never arrives to any event without a deli-bought relish tray. Does it really make a difference if she or someone else is cutting up the vegetables? I don't think so--they crunch just the same.

The 101 ideas provide something for everyone and some recipes are easy enough to make, to modify or to buy at the store. That makes for a good picnic. The kids might be confused by the non-picnic basics though. Worst case scenario? Make some of these for the adults and stick with the hotdogs and burgers for the kids. But perhaps try to get them to try some egg salad with curry in it, just for fun. Jsut don't forget the watermelon.

What about you? Any great ideas for a little something different at the picnic that even the kids will enjoy?

I know at least one dad who says that being laid off from his job and becoming a stay-at-home dad is the best thing that's ever happened to him. (I'm not sure his wife would agree). Not only does he get to spend his days with his children, he's lost 50 pounds, lowered his blood pressure, and is no longer suffering the daily stress that came with his job. Roger recently wrote about wanting to be a stay-at-home dad himself, and how many other fathers feel the same way.

At our own preschool pickup, there were usually more dads than moms waiting out in the hallway everyday. In general, I've found that most of the activities my kids participate in have a good number of dads involved, and in many, at least half of the adults are men. Sarah Gilbert over at WalletPop wonders if part of the reason dads are more involved today has to do with the economy. Are dads spending more time with their kids right now because they aren't working? Or are dads just more involved in general?

Perhaps it was the end-of-the-school year activities that threw you off. Maybe it was the start of travel baseball, because you haven't had electricity most of the week due to storms.

Whatever your week held, here's a quick and easy, yet memorable Father's Day gift (or graduation or birthday) that can be put together in minutes and is a great way to present gift cards, tickets, or special photographs.

Materials list:

• 2 paper lunch sacks (any color will do)
• hole punch
• string of some kind (yarn, ribbon, shoe lace, even garbage bag ties will do the trick if that's all you can find)
• assorted artwork and photos of Dad

Check out the gallery for the easy peasy last-minute-squeezy directions! HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

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Think that Dad wants a big, fancy present for Father's Day? Think again. According to a recent survey by Discover Card, what Dad really wants is a nice dinner out and something handmade by Mom or the kids. Dads also reported wanting:

• gift cards
• DVDs, books, or music
• tools or appliances
• sports or hobby-related gifts
• travel

Unfortunately, the survey also found that dads weren't always getting what they wanted. The most commonly given gift was hobby or sports-related, which ranked sixth on Dad's list. And homemade gifts ranked way down on the list of gifts Dad usually receives, even though most respondents claimed to love those the most.

So if you haven't yet shopped for Father's Day, you might just want to try making something (even though there's not much time left). Check out Angie's recent crafty posts or visit DIYLife for more ideas about homemade gifts for the father in your life.

Let's face it--the economy stinks. Or, maybe, we never had any money anyway. Still, we love dad and want to get him something special--or at least useful and not (too) gimmicky--for Father's Day. We don't have the money for the new watch he deserves or the new car he could really use (to haul us around in to our various activities). So, what can we get him that will show him how much we love and appreciate him and that's not another tie or t-shirt without breaking the piggy bank?

Wayne Parker over at About.com has some ideas for frugal--not cheap--Father's Day gifts. I appreciate the fact that this list was compiled by a man. Not that a woman couldn't pick out just the thing for her baby daddy, but there is something appealing about the idea that this man would recommend and possibly actually want--let alone approve of--these choices. I especially like the notion of the baseball cap organizer--I know a dad (massive Angels fan) who could use one of those. Also fun and unique was the secret safe. Who would have thought? My only assumption is that the safe isn't big enough for certain kinds of videos or magazines, but rather for extra car keys and the like. Depends on the dad, I suppose.

Other ideas include buying dad a DVD of one of his favorite movies or TV shows, or perhaps getting him a subscription to his favorite magazine (but not the kind that would go in the secret safe). Honestly, some dads might prefer a gift certificate to Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts or wherever they get their morning coffee/tea. If dad is athletic, sports socks are actually a good gift--they're not cheap, they're very comfortable and they will be used. Pair them with some wrist sweat bands and you're good to go. Get dad a new water bottle to take with him--just make sure it's free of bisphenol-A.

The 2 little boys, Avery and Bennett, sit at the kitchen table and Tom is there and big brother Carter, too, and we are the perfect birthday scene: me carrying the homemade layer cake on a big white plate across the kitchen, everyone singing the "Happy Birthday" song. It's like a picture from a dream I had a long time ago, only it's real.

Of course, the day involved the usual mishaps. I'd briefly wondered if I should make 2 cakes, one for each boy, but quickly dismissed the idea when I realized I only had enough flour for one cake, whole wheat at that. And then there was the birthday candles gone missing, which we solved by lighting long, thin tapers in two silver candlesticks. And the fact that everyone had sniffles and what appeared to be the beginnings of a summer cold.

All of these things, blessedly ordinary.

When it was time to blow out the candles, each boy staring intently at his flame, concentrating on making the perfect wish, I wanted to make one, too, a wish and a prayer--a thank you, sent up to the heavens on the curling smoke of the twins' birthday candles.

Five years ago, it was a sunny June Sunday, an azure-blue day, a lemon-yellow day, only the babies were too small and I was whisked away in the back of an ambulance to a far-off hospital that would become the babies' first home. Days stacked up, dozens of them, and only on occasion, when I was feeling especially brave and hopeful, would I allow myself a dream like the one at my kitchen table. A day of songs and cakes and misplaced birthday candles--ordinary sniffles, the common cold and nothing else. A regular life.

Five days after the ambulance ride and the early delivery, our pediatrician touched her hand to my sleeve and said, in the nicest possible way, "Avery has Down syndrome." I didn't know what those words meant, then, and I repeated them to her, and myself, and anyone who would listen--a question and its own answer: "Avery has Down syndrome? Avery has Down syndrome."

Shortly after, it was Father's Day. Another June Sunday, this one meant to celebrate fatherhood and children and family, only that year, it felt like a cruel joke. The dream of the birthday cake and twin candles was one we only sometimes believed--there was, then, the possibility of an equally real scenario that involved another kind of day, one of grief and loss.

Five years ago and five days. Life and death, love and loss, twinned together. And fathers to celebrate. Tom's parents were helping out and we all--Tom and I, his folks, and our 4-year-old son Carter--made the trip to the NICU to see the babies that Father's Day. After, we ate at a steakhouse where they served us a giant fried onion, open like a flower, blooming in the middle of us.

What I remember most about that time is kindness washing over me like rain; kindness tucking in around me like a blanket. Strangers stopped me to tell me of another family they knew with a baby in the NICU, or with a child with Down syndrome. Books carefully placed in the black nylon pocket of the breast pump, or on top of my pile of paperwork. Words, too, like "I'm proud of you" and "I love you."

And the kindest of all was Tom with his gentle steadiness, his constant presence. Packing up the plastic baggies of milk for the babies; cooking grilled cheese sandwiches for Carter, pickle on the side, slicing the pickle into long spears, so no one would choke. Washing dishes, picking up the house, stuffing dirty clothes into the machine and dumping the powdered soap on top. All this without being asked, or asking anything in return.

We went out to eat that Father's Day five years ago because it seemed like the right thing to do. Tom said he didn't want to remember it as the day we didn't celebrate--the one year in a long string of years remarkable for what didn't happen. So we went--part bravado, part stubbornness, part desperation, part hope--which is the worst combination for digesting a rich meal. I don't think anyone ate very much.

And now we are 5. Many of the details of those early beginnings have already grown dim; what remains is vivid and bright. I see the love of a father for his grown son. I see the love of another father for his small children--a fragile situation, a precarious time, but his love is real and strong and steady. And I see that onion, unlikely flower, blooming anyway--a sign of things to come.

Lately it seems a lot of pressure has been placed on getting presents for each other for pretty much every holiday that comes around in a year. I don't know if it's the economy, the effect of its sluggishness on me, or some sort of pregnancy hormone telling me it's materialistic for consumers to be expected to shell out a lot of cash for Mother's Day and Father's Day--right up there with Christmas!

This year I've been thinking about free gifts that aren't cheap cop outs for Father's Day. What could I get my husband, who is an unbelievably amazing father to our son and, somehow even, to our unborn daughter, that won't break the bank or make him feel like he's getting the shaft--after all, it seems Mother's Day dwarfs Father's Day on most counts (which is unfair).

So what can we do for dear old dad? One thing I've always found fun and sweet is to go through all the old photographs and put together a collection of dad, mom and the kids through the years. I try to turn up long lost friends as well. That's totally free, and as much fun to create as it is for dad to peruse. Another idea? Head to the park for a picnic. Ok, yes, you may wish to go to the grocery to pick up a few of dad's favorite treats, but you were going to eat anyway, right? Take everyone to a nice shady spot, lay everything out and promise to provide clean up duty so dad can just relax and enjoy.

Need a Father's Day gift for the dad in your life? Look no farther than the bookstore. Novels are a great choice for dads who enjoy them, but even if Dad isn't a bookworm, he might enjoy reading about his favorite sport or activity. Don't leave out the dad-to-be, who is sure to need some pointers before the baby comes!

After Dad opens his gift, he can kick back in his hammock or favorite chair for a peaceful day of R&R (reading and relaxation). Check out some of the great books in the gallery below for ideas before you go shopping....

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For the third year, writers from all corners of the internet are joining in to recognize that not all families fit the traditional mold. Many, certainly, will be those who themselves are part of an LGBT household, but other will be those, like myself, who simply believe that a family is any group of people who come together out of love and caring for each other.

Whereever you fall on the vast map of family types, this is a good opportunity to meet others whose family groups do not match your own to get better insight into what's really important and why we all put up with those darling, maddening, ever-so-cute, annoying brats joys we call children. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with one's ability to love and care for a child.

I look forward to the day when this event is no longer needed and LGBT parents are just parents and no one bothers to notice, but until that time, I am very proud to be a part of Blogging for LGBT Families Day 2008.

I don't even think about ice cream from October to May, but once the mercury hits a certain point, it becomes another food group. When we walk into our local ice cream store every spring after a long winter apart, the woman behind the counter greets us with, "The usual?" I'm pretty sure that can't be good. I'm only admitting this as a way to tell you that we love ice cream at our house.

Whether you've planned a backyard BBQ for Memorial Day, a camping trip, or just plan on celebrating at home with your family, homemade ice cream sandwiches are sure to hit the spot with your little ones. Unlike the store bought versions, your kids can customize these sandwiches to their very own liking. Try making a couple different kinds of cookies, and buy a variety of ice creams, frozen yogurts, or sorbets, as well as nuts, chips, or sprinkles to roll the sandwiches in before freezing them.

Family Fun has a very authentic-looking ice cream sandwich, while Whole Foods will help you make it a little healthier (killjoys). Cottage Living has me drooling with these Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches. Finally, for you honey lovers, The Domestic Goddess has her Bee-Nut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Delicious!

Memorial Day is rapidly approaching with the promise of pool parties, outdoor barbecues and food galore, and I can't think of a better family dessert to serve than this Dirt Cake from Martha Stewart's website. Is it a plant? A housewarming gift? Nope, it's a cake made from ingredients such as Oreos, chocolate pudding and whipped cream served in a terracotta pot. (Don't worry, it's sterilized.)

Unique and quirky, these cakes are sure to create some buzz and keep the kids digging for more. Plus, you can experiment with different toppings, such as gummi worms placed around the "dirt". Head over to Martha's website to get the full details on how to create this cake for your Memorial Day festivities.