An Ice Cream Truck Caper

Three years ago, the ice cream truck rolled by with its out-of-tune calliope, and I went berserk. You can see a post about it here. That was the first time I had ever seen a real ice cream truck, and I was out of my head with excitement! I didn't think they existed anymore, and for all I knew, they never really had to begin with! But there it was, rolling slowly down our street! It was a good day....possibly made better by the fact that Miss Mouse wasn't too thrilled about the popsicle, which meant I got to eat most of it. Teehee.

It has been three years, though, since I have had the opportunity to chase that truck and return with the prized popsicle. Apparently, we are not a block with enough children, or maybe we're a block with a bunch of really cheap parents (like myself) who won't likely buy a treat each time the truck goes by. Whatever the reason, the calliope is not oft-heard on this street. So when it was last week, the girls shrieked in unison, "The ice cream truck!!", which was mostly hilarious because Sunny Mouse didn't have a clue what she was cheering about. She just knew she should be excited because Big Sister was. Last year, Grammy chased the truck and brought back the prize, so Miss Mouse knows well the tasty treat that comes from that musical, off-key, white vehicle. She was ecstatic and sent me out with shouts of encouragement to "run fast!".


Off I ran, shoeless, chasing the silly truck. Mr. T was still preparing for his bike ride, so I was able to chase that truck all the way down the block without worrying about having to stop to return to the Mice empty-handed. Apparently, he had shouted at me to run on the grass to save my feet, but I was so focused on chasing the popsicle prize that I hadn't understood anything he had said.

On a particularly slushy day last winter, I went out to check the mail in my t-shirt, flowered kitchen apron, a pair of shorts, and knee-high muckboots. It wasn't until halfway down the driveway that I realized what a site I must have been for the neighbors. Well, last week, it wasn't until halfway down the block that it occurred to me that perhaps the neighbors are all just getting used to this weird, eccentric mom......



As I returned to the yard, I held the two popsicles in the air, victorious, as Mr. T shook his head and chuckled.

To return to the cheers of the Mice and see their incredibly excited faces, though, was so very worth the bruises I found on my left foot the next day!

Aaahhh....satisfaction. Miss Mouse loves her popsicles. She doesn't often get the sugary kind like this. Her crazy mommy makes them from pure pureed fruit, sometimes adding yogurt, but it's always fun to have a treat....especially when it ends up being a once-a-year prize from the ice cream truck!

The anticipation was so exciting for Sunny Mouse!

She isn't sure whether she's more excited about her picture being taken or the popsicle in her hands.




The first bite......

....was really, really cold....and sort of sour....and disappointing.

But this is one determined Mouse. She decided maybe it would taste better cut apart.

But it was still cold. And still sour. And her expression really says to me, "What did I get myself into? What am I doing? What am I going to do about this? This is not what I expected."

Yet she'll keep on tryin'. This little Mouse didn't yield any of her popsicle mess to me. She tried and tried to enjoy it at the level of her big sister, and although she failed in the enjoyment category, she definitely mushed it beyond my being able to take any of it (aside from the one or two bites I snuck as I cut the thing apart!).