The solution?
Face painting, of course! I keep my kit in the car except when I bring it in between gigs to clean it, and so it was right there in the back seat when I needed it. It was perfect, and I was happy to do it. Eric and I didn't tell them what we were doing when we went to the front of the house, and the smiles started as soon as I opened my kit and started to set up.
My friend's daughter has been face painted many times, but never before by me. She asked for a butterfly, my most requested faced, and let me match the colors to her outfit.
A young neighbor managed to hit upon my second most requested face, the tiger.
Even the ones who didn't want to actually get painted were engrossed with the process, and just watching me paint kept them entertained for a bit.
By the time I finished, it was just getting too dark to see and the kids were happy and ready to play together again.
