Operation Patriotic Party

With summer break in full swing, Grace has taken to quizzing me daily on our summer plans. It's like living with a pint-sized social drill sergeant.

"Will I see my cousins?" she asks.
"Yes," I reply.
"Grandma?" she adds.
"Affirmative," I say.
"Do I have to wear sunscreen every day?" she asks.
"No. Not when it rains," I counter.
And then she hits me with a new one.
"Can I have a summer party?"

I hesitate.

Party? The word sounds like an assault on my immediate goals, which center around lazy summer mornings, a reprieve from lunch packing, and a pardon from car-pool duty.

But since Colonel Party Pooper is not a rank I aspire to, I agree to a summer celebratory playdate for Grace and her troops.

Our planned date is near Fourth of July, so we settle on a red, white, and blue theme that's right up my American girl's alley.

For activities, we'll start out with one of our favorite Fourth of July family traditions — a red, white, and blue pedicure called patriotic piggies. I paint the big toenail on one foot with white and red stripes while the little toes sport blue polish. On the other foot, I paint the big toenail solid blue and top it off with a silver star sticker (a coat of clear polish over the top seals it.) On the little piggies, I alternate solid polishes of red and white.

For head-to-toe fun, we'll make firecracker crowns and create a string of stars for each guest to take home.

We'll keep the snacks simple — Star Spangled Sundaes (a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with strawberry sundae syrup and blueberries) and red, white and blue patriotic drinks.

"Mama, I'll perform the Declaration of Independence!" Grace says excitedly.

With entertainment taken care of, "Operation Patriotic Party" is officially cleared and ready for take-off.