Making memories

Last night we took the girls on a long walk. We walked from our house to the local frozen custard parlor. Passionfruit guesstimated that it was one mile and one half. We started out a little after 7:00PM. We walked through our neighborhood. We took a short cut through the blocked off construction entrance for the housing addition. Most of our neighbors used this entrance as the primary entrance. I found this ironic since we live in a gated community. What's the point of the gates if your not going to use that entrance? I personally hate the gates but I didn't drive through that entrance. Passionfruit would from time to time and end up with flat tires frequently.

Well the walk to Rustie's was great. Storyteller froliced like a puppy. Unfortunately she paid the price for such abandon. A scraped knee. Drama Queen complained once about being too hot. That ended when I said we could go home and forget the custard. Miss Independence was a little trooper. She marched along holding my hand. Nary a whimper or complaint.

When we got to Rustie's the place was quiet, only one other couple was there and they already had the goods. As we ordered things started jumping. Passionfruit has a difficult time making his mind up. We sat down to await our treats. The line continued to build. Soon it was going out the door. Passionfruit looked at me and said we made it just in time.

Soon we realize that one concrete would have been enough for the three girls. I took the girls to the restroom for a bathroom break and a clean up. Passionfruit gathered up the cups, and was waiting for us. I looked at him and told him that if he wanted to carry them that was fine but expect no help from me.

Our walk took us past my high school. The marching band was there practicing. We made a detour to watch. There was this loud clicking sound. Passionfruit wanted to know what that was. I looked at him and said, "It sounds like a giant metronome to me." He gave me the look. This look is one I get when I tell him about my high school experience. I went to a large suburbian high school that was fairly wealthy. Passionfruit went to a rural high school that was small. His whole school population was less than my graduating class. My class was the first class in several years that was under 1000. We only had 976. While we're holding this conversation the girls keep creeping closer and closer to the parking lot where the band is practicing. The girls are enchanted.

When I call for them. Storyteller comes back with a gleem in her eyes. "I want to do that!" So perhaps I'll end up being a Band Booster afterall. Around here that consumes the whole family. You live, eat and breath band. Fundraisers, costume decisions, competitions, games, more fundraisers. I've watched my friends as they do this thing. I have no idea what to call the phenomenon-- other than mass mind control. My friend's son is not in band this year but she is still involved. She's on the sewing comittee. I have no talents like that. Perhaps, I will be viewed as non-valuable and only expected to help suds cars up at the bi-annual car wash.

As we start back to the house Passionfruit is freaking out about the time. I mean he's getting rather tense and grumpy. I walk up to him and I said, "Honey, you're looking at it wrong. We are making memories here. Hopefully, they'll be happy ones." Passionfruit looked at me and he said that he never even thought of that. It was exactly what he needed. He started calmming down.

Now at some point Miss Independence starts complaining that her legs hurt. She suffers so from charlie horses. I remember how painful they were. Unlike my mother I do tend to these pains. Usually I give her one children's Motrin. So I pick her up and carry her on my back the rest of the way home. Then she becomes aware of the stars. I don't know if she's ever seen stars before. She certainly seemed entranced by them. Storyteller when she sees Miss Independence on my back wants me to carry her. OH MY GOSH! That child is packed. She isn't fat but she is heavy. I mean I think she's all muscle. Drama Queen weighs as much as Storyteller but she's taller than Storyteller. So I denied her a ride.

All in all it was a good experience. The girls thought it was a long walk. But they enjoyed eating the custard. I just hope they remember this in a good way. What it taught me was we needed to walk more as a family. At one point Drama Queen told her daddy that she was a fast walker. He smiled and told her, "You ain't nothing like your Mommy. If she were alone she would already be to Rusties." Years back in 1998 and 1999 I got into walking. I walked every morning during the Spring and Summer and part of the Fall. We lived in a neighborhood at the time that had a 1 1/2 mile loop. I walked that loop twice in the mornings. It only took me 30 minutes to finish. I lost a lot of weight and that might be the reason why I got pregnant with Storyteller. Won't it be great if I got the girls into the walking thing? Although, they really don't need to loose weight I do.