Independence Day - We remember!

Have you been helping your children get ready to celebrate Independence Day?  Are you celebrating Summer?  July 4th?

In our house, we remember exactly why we celebrate Independence Day.  In our house, we remember those who have fought the battles to give us the freedoms that we have had and that are now being systematically taken away from us.  We remember those who have died in those battles.  Maybe you do not know anyone personally who has died.  I know my brother lost a good friend during Desert Storm – well technically not Desert Storm at that point, it was Operation Provide Comfort - he watched him die.  Although I only knew him from chatting with him on the phone, half a world away in Italy, he was my brother’s friend – somebody’s son, brother, grandson, nephew……  My husband served his country during that time period as well.  I know in other entries, I have listed numerous family members who have served our country at various points in history.

This Independence Day, celebrate our country’s freedom.  Go to a parade, sing our National Anthem. (You do know the words don’t you??  Have a good look at the 4^th stanza – you might be surprised at the words there – funny how we do not sing anything but the 1^st stanza these days - only the 1st is listed at the White House's site), wave the flag and remember those that are serving our country.  You may not like why they are there, you may think we should not be there, but those soldiers are there and we need to remember and take care of them.  Greet them with a smile and maybe a hug.  A huge Thank-you would not hurt either.

Need a jumping off point to get started teaching the kids?  Go here and get the Amanda Bennett Unit Study for it - I have used it the last couple of years and G love the books and M loves all of the Lower Level Activities.  I suggest, at this late a date, you kind of pick and choose what to do out of it.  I actually love the whole Patriotic Unit Study that she does - it includes the Independence Day unit as well.  Annie's Page is a good place for information as well.  I sort of pick & choose things out of it since it is not CM style, but important events like this lend themselves well to a small unit study that includes some fabulous living books.

 Oh, and in case you forgot what those nameless, faceless soldiers look like – go watch this - and have a box of tissues handy:

Everybody in the U.S. should see this. Please watch it.

The following is the hottest thing on the internet and on Fox News today.
Lizzie Palmer who put this YouTube program together is 15 years old.  There have
been over 3,000,000 hits as of this morning.  In case you missed it, here it is.

Has some music....turn on sound.

 Click on link below:

http://www.youtube.com/v/ervaMPt4Ha0&autoplay=1