The ice cream truck.
What a tease. They ring their bell and play their jingles (and what's up with Christmas jingles on an Ice Cream truck?) and I swear they have some blower hooked up to send their tunes to your home MILES and MILES away. Either that or there is some cruel old man in our neighborhood with his window open and a speaker perched on the sill............
More than once we have spent too long on the curb waiting for the truck to appear. Warning the kids we will give it two more minutes...only two minutes later to be convinced by the whimsical tunes growing louder that the truck is almost here.
We are always wrong.
So imagine my surprise when the truck caught US by surprise last night. I was patting myself on the back for creating an impromptu activity for the kids that combined education, exercise and nature.
Our scavenger hunt, a.k.a., walk around the block. Kids made their lists.
1. Black Car
2. License plate beginning with C
3. Stone the size of your thumb
4. Three worms
5. Barking dog
6. Purple flower
7. Cloud the shape of an animal
8. Something fuzzy
9. Something that makes noise
10. Something you think is a treasure
Here's Bronwyn's list:
 |
| Those are check marks. A flower. and the C from the license plate of a neighbor that must have wondered why my kids were way up his driveway examining the back of his car ;) |
But we didn't get to complete our hunt. Why? Because out of nowhere--without 20 minute teaser jingles, or whistles and bells, comes the ice cream truck around the corner.
You know that look your kids give you--the one that is a mixture of pure glee and pure fear that you will stand in the way of their pure glee? Both my kids gave me that look instantly.
How could I deny? After all it was just the other week we ended up having an impromptu neighborhood get together all because us parents kept passing around wine and beer while standing on the curb for hours waiting for the ice cream truck to appear as the echoing jingles kept promised but never delivered. After enough wine a few parents forgot what we were on the curb to begin with. The kids...they never forget. Ever.
But this time the truck was not a mirage. It was here. But, we had a problem. I. Don't. Carry. Cash.
Nope. I live by plastic. The DAD carries the cash. And he was working late.
I tried to explain that to the kids. To them all they heard was "we have no money." Which sent Jack into a panic over how we were going to afford his Lego's and Minecraft skins. Once he understood I meant cash he was like this:
He has a wallet. In his wallet is money. He'll lend me some cash to buy his ice cream.
What a saint! He takes off to the house to grab his wallet. I take off to wave down the truck and chat the driver up while we wait on Jack.
And where does the ice-cream loving girl go? She follows her brother despite (or is it in spite...I wish I paid attention in English...) my hollering for her to stay with me (terrifying three's I call it!)
Oh...this story isn't over yet. As I approach the truck I see two sets of parents and kids racing out their houses with that look on their face. Clearly caught by surprise by the stealth-like nature of this ice cream truck. And then here comes Jack.
If I ever doubt his resourcefulness remind me of this. He couldn't find his wallet. But, he remembered where he has seen money before. In my car...in the pockets, on the floor, and in the console....you know you have coins there too...Starbucks change ;) So Jack comes running with coins in his shirt. WHEW!
But where is the girl.
So here I stand. With neighbors already finishing their pops trying to pick up the blowing play dollars that Bronwyn is dropping and help Jack sift through dimes and pennies (cause that's all you ever have in your car) to count up enough to buy 2 ice cream pops.
And what did they get for their gummy coins?
I bet that truck driver will play his music WAY in advance next time...don't you? At least they both got to check off "something you think is a treasure" off their list.
