We have a phenonomom in our neighborhood. It happens every Wednesday afternoon, when the kids are usually outside enjoying the pleasure of school's early release. And every Wednesday, I forget. Until...
"MOM!!!!! I heard it!! I heard the Ice Cream Truck!" I hear as Lizzie and Eli make a beeline for their piggy banks and scrounge up enough change to make a dollar.
The ice cream truck business, a symbol of innocence, suburbia, and childhood nostalgia, has a great racket going on. They've invested most of their energy towards making the loudest possible speakers to blast their annoying tune far and wide so that you can hear the truck coming from four streets away, usually even from inside our house. And herein lies the problem.
The kids hear the music, and bolt to the front yard, only to find an empty street, with the music playing somewhere in the background. Close enough to be mouth-watering, but nebulous enough to not know which direction to face.
Ivy is clinging to me, repeating "I scared Ice Cream Truck Man," which might be her first justifiable and rational fear. I suspect she might be the only one thinking clearly in this group and I'm not going to do anything to allay that fear. Just keep repeating that to yourself, Ivy.
Lizzie and Eli were so disappointed to have missed The Truck that I consented to riding our bikes (Eli with a fistful of bills) around the entire block, looking for the Ice Cream Truck. By the time we got back to our house, we'd seen no sign of the elusive Truck. It's enough to drive little kids (and the adults with them) mad! Eli was a wreck, tears streaming down his face, begging me to get in the car and find The Truck. I thought about it for a second, but then decided against it. I had to draw the line somewhere!
For the next 45 minutes, the kids clenched their quarters in their grimy sweaty palms as they rode their bikes up and down the sidewalk with their radar-like ears listening for any sound of the Ice Cream Truck tune. If they only used half of the energy to listen to me as they did for the Ice Cream Truck, our house would have much cleaner rooms, homework would be finished lickety-split, and we be on time to many more activities.
Eventually, we flagged down the Ice Cream Truck as he finally decided to saunter down our emtpy street. I love how Lizzie jumped up and down and waved her arms in the air from the sidewalk like she was being saved from a shipwreck. Wait a minute, maybe I should have been the one waving and jumping...
So, the battle was won! Stewart Kids vs. Ice Cream Truck, and the kids came out ahead. I have a suspicion that Ice Cream Truck ice cream tastes better to them than ice cream from our freezer for having had to do all that work. Maybe I should make them chase down their dinner in a singing van, and they would appreciate that better?
Next Wednesday, I'm not taking any chances on disappointment: I'll remember to keep the kids inside, turn up some loud music, and have a dance party.
6 comments:
I know exactly what you mean! There have been several occasions on which I would have loved to indulge in a little afternoon ice cream with Ava...but really, that truck is SO elusive (and isn't the off-kilter jingle just a little too creepy? Kind of like a scary clown at night...it supposed to be sweet, but still gives you the willies...just a little. Ivy is one perceptive gal)! You hit the nail on the head with that one...LOL.
If you want the kids to run FROM the Ice Cream Man instead of toward it, you could tell them the old joke about why the music IS so loud. ...Its to drown out the screams of the kids in the freezer ;)
brent
That joke is sick and hilarious, and I've never heard it before! Love it!
This post was great! I was cracking up the whole time I read it. Truer words... except I can tell you don't live near me anymore. The ice cream truck in April!?! We have stopped freezing, but I'm still wearing my winter coat. Thanks for the story--back when I was little we would also chase the truck down!
I can't stop laughing. This is all so true. You are such a great mom to ride bikes around looking for that aggravating truck.
You should put nails in the street to slow this joker down, just make sure he doesn't blow out in front of your house.
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