Hi friends,
It’s been a busy week for the Gomez family. My newest grandchild (the fifth, a girl!) was born early Thursday morning, so since about 2:30 that morning life has been mostly about the new baby, so I haven’t had time to sit down and write a newsletter. And since I have a dentist appointment early Monday morning, I won’t be able to write it then either. So, I’m cheating. Today I hope you will enjoy a favorite anecdote from my child-rearing years. This was originally published on my blog in 2008, but I’ve edited it slightly. Enjoy!
Screaming for Ice Cream
I heard the distant "ding-ding" of the ice cream truck, followed by eager gasps from two of my children, seven-year-old David and eleven-year-old Samantha.
"The ice cream man!" David cried out. "Mom, you said you'd get us ice cream."
I smiled, remembering my promise from a few weeks earlier: "The next time the ding-ding man comes by, I'll get all three of you an ice cream."
We had waited weeks, and now the time had come. Maybe.
"Go get my purse," I said. "Just in case he comes down our street." I was doubtful. After all, we'd heard the distant "ding-ding" in times past, only to be disappointed.
David came running out of the house about 30 seconds later, holding my purse out in front of him. I took the purse, laughing, and told him to go play.
Time passed. It was getting close to bed time. Hope seemed to be lost. So I called the kids inside and told them they could have milk and cookies instead.
A few minutes later, two of my kiddos were seated at the table. David dunked a cookie into his milk, then suddenly erupted with, "The ice cream man! He's coming!"
I’d never seen him jump out of his chair so fast! Before I could respond, David and Samantha bolted out the door, David in the lead. I followed in time to see him dashing down the sidewalk, arms flailing in the air, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Ice cream! Ice cream! Ice cream!"
The truck had just turned the corner. Was it too late?
I went back into the house to grab my purse, just in case. When I came back outside, the ice cream truck had turned around and was heading up the hill toward our corner. The looks of glee on my children's faces were priceless.
Laughing, I told the young girl in the truck, "They thought they'd missed you."
And she replied, "We heard them screaming."
It was five dollars well spent.
While we’re on the topic of ice cream, here’s a dairy-themed poem for you. Consider this a warm-up for National Poetry Month. I’ve got some fun stuff planned, and I hope you’ll be here for it.
Dining Out
I’ll travel through the Milky Way—
a dairy lover’s dream
of cheese and butter…
and vanilla ice cream
served in great heaps
upon a plate shaped like the moon,
with the Little Dipper for my spoon.
Preorder Mari in the Margins, my middle grade novel in verse (and doodles)!
Congratulations on your newest grandbaby! <3
Congrats! I can't believe you're a 5 x grandma! Mazel Tov!