Summer Solstice
Celebrate the sun on the longest day of the year. The summer solstice is June 21st. Wake up early and watch the sunrise. Play outside all day long. Lather on sunscreen and rest in the sunshine. Then stay outside until the last pink rays fade into night.
Pray St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of Brother Sun.
http://tburnsfamilyfaith.typepad.com/CanticleoftheSun.pdf">Download
Ice Cream Sandwiches
You will need:
- ½ gallon of ice cream, packed in a rectangular carton
- One egg
- One chocolate cake mix
- ½ cup shortening
- ¼ cup softened margarine
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Beat the egg, shortening, margarine, vanilla, and half the cake mix until smooth. Stir in the other half of the cake mix.
Divide this dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each part into a 10” by 6” rectangle on a lightly-floured surface. Cut each of these rectangles into 8 smaller ones and lift carefully onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 5-6 minutes, and remove cookie sheet from oven. Immediately, lightly prick each piece with a fork several times and let cool.
When the cake pieces are completely cooled, take out the ice cream and open from one side. Slice off a block of the ice cream, and cut into pieces that fit in between two of the cake pieces. Continue making the rest of the ice cream sandwiches in this way. Wrap any that aren’t eaten in plastic wrap and freeze. Makes 16 sandwiches.
Try different flavors of cake mix and ice cream to vary this treat.
Fireworks Flags
You will need:
- Black construction paper
- Glue
- Glitter
- Dowel or stick
Use glue to “draw” fireworks shapes on the black paper, then sprinkle glitter on the wet glue. When the glue has dried, attach the construction paper to a dowel or some other type of stick so that the “flag” can be carried and waved.
Patriotic Placemats
You will need:
- 8½” by 11” red and blue construction paper, one sheet of each color per person
- 11” by 14” pieces of white paper, one sheet for each person
- Scissors
- Glue or clear tape
- Clear contact paper
Cut the red and blue paper into strips, 1” wide by 11” long. Fold the white pieces of construction paper in half, width-wise. Cut a straight line from the fold to within 1” of each outside edge. Continue doing this down the page, making the slits 1” apart.
Open up the mat, then begin alternately weaving in the red and blue strips from bottom to top along the short side of the white paper. Take a red (blue) strip, and weave under and then over the white portions toward the top. Then take a blue (red) strip and weave opposite of the first strip, over then under. Continue alternating this way. Keep the colored strips close to each other while you weave. When you have woven in a few strips, it may be helpful to secure the ends of the woven strips down with a small dab of glue or a piece of tape.
When the placemat is woven, cover with clear contact paper and use for meals on the Fourth of July.
Thank God for Water!
Water is an important part of living. We need water to live – to drink, to bathe, to refresh us when we’re hot. We need living water from Jesus to live, too. Throughout the summer, and always, look for ways to celebrate the gift of water and give thanks to God for this wonderful resource.
- When washing or bathing your child, make the Sign of the Cross on his/her forehead and remind him/her that he/she was baptized into God’s family with water.
- While your children play in the sprinkler or do battle with super-soakers, ask them to pause for a moment, hold hands, and briefly thank God for the gift of water and the fun it provides.
- On car trips, identify lakes, rivers or streams that you pass. Make an unplanned stop and have the whole family hop out and wiggle their toes in the water for just five minutes.
- Check the library for a book of science experiments. Find some using water that are age appropriate for your children. Spend an afternoon doing hands-on learning.
- Be conscious of each time you use water, and be grateful.
- Plan a quiet prayer time next to a fountain, bubbling stream, duck pond or fishbowl. Look, listen, and give thanks.
- Discuss with your family ways to conserve and respect water. If the kids volunteer to cut back on taking baths, accept the suggestion in good fun and help keep the discussion enjoyable. Focus on the idea of how we take care of a special gift given to us by someone we love. Children can turn off water while brushing their teeth. Teens can read labels on products used in the home to determine if any contain chemicals that contribute to water pollution. Parents might install water-saving showerheads or consider landscaping part (or the entire yard) with native plants and grasses that do not require watering. With our stewardship, God’s gift of water will continue to sustain life, provide recreation, and lend power for generations to come.
