4th of July

We had a very exciting 4th.  We went camping at a family friends house.  Mark and I got some time to ourselves Saturday night thanks to Mark's parents.  It was just what we needed.  We went to the Monster Pulls with some friends. 
Marshall still doesn't like the fireworks so that always seems to put a damper on things.  Last year we bought him a pair of earmuffs which seem to help, but when he has them on he is constantly yelling at me while the fireworks are going off.  So I either get a screaming child in my ear or a yelling child with earmuffs, either way I don't get to watch.
My pond is finally in, but I still have to build the wall around it.  I desided not to dig it into the ground but instead make it look like a wishing well, this should be fun.
Our projects for the past few days have been very limited but we did get to do some neat ones, before all the festivities began.

Can-do Stilts
What you need:
puncture-style can opener
2 (29 ounce) cans of tomato sauce
Acrylic paint
Paintbrush
Sponges cut into desired shapes
Disposible plates
Tape
2 (5 foot) lengths of cotton or nylon clothesline
Skewer

What to do:
1. Puncture a can in opposite spots on its side.  Drain it by blowig into one hole to force the sauce out the other.  Repeat with the second can.  Wash both cans under running water to clean them, inside and out.  Remove their labels and let them dry.
2. Paint both cans a solid color.  When they're dry, dip dampened sponge shapes into plates of different colors.  Apply the stamp to the cans and let dry.
3. For the handles, tape one end of a length of clothesline to a skewer.  Push it through one hole and out the other.  Have your child stand on the can, holding the line's ends.  Knot the line at hip level and trim.  Repeat for the other stilt.

My sister and I are going to take the kids to the lake today.  I don't take them much, cause Mark still has a hard time going with and I won't take the four by myself.  My sister is one of the few that understand why and is always willing to help, cause she knows that we can't always keep the kids from the lake.