July 4 Festivities

I usually love July 4 as it’s a time that we spend together as a family, and initially I felt this way this year, but unfortunately, I didn’t foresee the drama that was to unfold. Like most families, July 4 means good quality time for our family, or it did in previous years. We would go to the 4th of July parade and then either head home or to another family member’s place for a bar-be-que before catching the fireworks in the evening. Of course, we would dress up in red, white and blue and make the most of the day. By the end of last week, that’s exactly what I was expecting to happen.

This year, the bar-be-que was being held at our house, so I was particularly grateful that the holiday was on a Monday. This meant that my hubby was around to help me get ready. I love hosting get togethers and had been planning the decorations and menu for some time, so this weekend was all about getting the house and yard ready for everyone on Monday. Everything seemed to be going to plan until Sunday afternoon …

While I was in the kitchen baking on Sunday afternoon, my daughter strolled in and casually announced that she was going to spend July 4 with one of her girlfriends because her family was having a party and they had a pool. Needless to say, I was briefly struck dumb, as this was the first I had heard of this plan. Plus, my daughter knows that July 4 is a family day for us. I was shocked when she made this announcement.

Luckily, my husband was also in the kitchen and could clearly see how I felt, so he promptly ushered my daughter out of the room. All I heard next was raised voices, what could only be called a shriek of “that’s not fair” and feet stomping up the stairs. Obviously, my husband had vetoed my daughter’s plans right then and there. While I was glad that she would be around, I was definitely not looking forward to the sullen teen we would have to spend the next few days with.

My compromise was that she could invite a friend to spend the day with us, instead of heading out for the day. Of course, when my son heard about this, he wanted to have a friend come too. Trying to arrange last minute plans on the Sunday night of a long weekend is not easy, but after multiple phone calls, each had a friend coming over on Monday to spend the day with us. And while I was dreading how it would turn out, I couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised. The day was glorious, everyone was in a festive mood and a good time was had by all!