Independence Day honors the birthday of the United States of America and the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

It's a day of picnics and patriotic parades, a night of concerts and fireworks, a great reason to fly the American flag and sing the Star Spangled Banner.

Here are 2 of my favorite renditions of our National Anthem.

Morris at 22 months old, and Whitney Houston.

Both of them give me chills.

Which one is your favorite?

As a mom, I try to make the holidays fun for the kids.

I want them to enjoy childhood and the innocence and fun of being a kid.

So, when the Fourth of July started rolling around, I started thinking about a fun family tradition.

Fireworks came to mind, but then I remembered I have an insane, rough and tough 5 year old and a curious 1 year old. Matches, fire, and explosions are probably not the best thing for us to be experimenting with in the backyard.

Baking is fun and easy. Sugar is a key ingredient, and it requires minimal use of knives and a hot oven. Maybe Morris will be game.

The "Flag Cake" seemed like a very appropriate recipe for celebrating the Fourth. It's a recipe from Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network). I love her style of classic elegance. I was ready to take it on.

Before I proceed I must warn you that I have a cooking dysfunction. I am "recipe intolerant." This means that no matter what the recipe says, I never follow it completely. I don't know why. But for some reason, butter, cream cheese, and sugar always seem to make their way into everything I cook (even if it's mac and cheese).Since these were already in the recipe, it seemed like a winner.

This recipe was for a very large cake. Immediately I strayed from Ina's instructions. I cut the recipe in half to make a smaller version. Well, I sort of threw in extra butter, sugar, and vanilla. As for the icing, I used the same ingredients, but again I did my own thing as far as the portions go.

I also changed the flag "toppings". She used blueberries and raspberries. I used blackberries and strawberries. Subtle differences to accommodate my picky palette.

Nonetheless, it turned out great. The cake has pretty thick texture similar to a pound cake. I made the traditional cream cheese icing (the same one I use for Hummingbird Cake, Red Velvet, and Carrot Cake).

I had fun making and eating it with the boys. We will definitely add it to our 4th of July family traditions.

And just for added fun, we lit candles and sang happy birthday to America.

Today is my mom's birthday.

There would be no Hot Mama without Hot Mama's Mama.

Wishing her a happy happy birthday!!!!!

3 Gemini and an Aries.

Morris and Bronson are 4 years apart, but their birthdays are 2 weeks apart. So, the summer is a busy time.

Bronson is 2 today, and the 2nd one definitely goes by quicker.

Happy Birthday to my little "B"...

I can't believe I have a 6 year old now. I was just reading over the entry from Mo's birthday last year. It truly does go by quickly.

Our lives have undergone major transformations since last year and I'm amazed and inspired by Mo's ability to adapt to a new environment as well as lifestyle changes.

Mo reminds me so much of myself. I see so much of me in him. Sure, he's good looking, funny, and smart. Those are the obvious similarities:-)

But he's very compassionate, a perfectionist, and a competitor til the end. He thrives on making others happy even if it means he has to sacrifice. And he's a little stubborn and hot tempered too :)

As a parent, it makes me proud to watch my son grow into such a loving and kind young man. Sure he curses on occasion, farts, and karate chops my neck, but what else could a mom ask for?

Happy Birthday Mo!

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” Washington Irving

“A mother understands what a child does not say.”

Happy Valentines's Day!

I turned my back for a minute (how many times have you heard that one) and Bronson grabbed a box of chocolates from the counter and went to town!

This is pretty good.

Let me try another one.

Just one more

Mommy's not even looking...hee hee.

Uh-oh. Busted.

Best dinner ever! Thanks mom.

"When you are in Love you can't fall asleep because reality is better than your dreams."-Dr. Seuss

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.
-Helen Keller

Happy Valentine's Day.

Dear Mo and Bronson,

I know as you boys get older you will start to read mommy's blog. So let's just pretend we are in the future and approaching your 16th birthdays.

I'm guessing you'll be into cars and hip hop. That's cool. You might even watch the MTV hit, My Super Sweet Sixteen which showcases over the top birthday celebrations. That's fine also.

But even if mommy is rich and jet setting from Cali to Capri on a regular basis (oooh...the law of attraction), let me tell you in advance how your 16th birthday WON'T be going down:

*You won't be getting a $360,000 Maybach. You might get a Mazda (in which I'm gonna need to help for half as well as your car insurance).

*You won't have Fabolous, Jim Jones, or Lil Kim perform at your mega exclusive A-List birthday bash. You might have your high school gospel choir or Glee Club there to sing Happy Birthday. Or maybe one of my friends that had a record deal many years ago could possibly chime in a hook or 2.

*I will not hire a uniformed driver to accompany you home. I might dress up in a cute ensemble given that my boobs and butt are still decently in tact and drive you home to make sure you get there safely (and you better give me a goodnight kiss).

*I will not be handing you a check for $10,000 as a birthday gift. I might hand you the bill from the evening and offer to pay a portion of it.

Yes, Morris and Bronson, this might be the fabulous life of Sean "P. Diddy" Combs's son, Justin's life, but not yours.

You will be lucky if I let you stay out past midnight (given I have a GPS tracker on you somehow). And don't even think about brining any little girls home.

Forget about it!!!!

Well, it's probably getting late. Don't forget to brush your teeth. And put that toilet seat down!

Oh, and Happy 16th Birthday boys.

Love, Mommy

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Merry Christmas!