Making Memories

It's monsoon season up here in the mountains. Most afternoons the lightening starts cracking, the sky turns black, and you can barely see across the street through the curtain of water that cascades off our roof like a waterfall. The other day, probably because global warming is letting us know she's here and she's not going away, gumball-sized hail started peppering the ground. The rain kicked up even more, providing quite the show for Jack, Jacob, Chloe and me. When the hail stopped, I looked at the kids and asked, "Who wants to rip off their shoes right now and run to the bottom of the driveway and back?"

Within four seconds we were barefoot and streaking through the rain, laughing and getting as soaked as if we had been standing under a shower head. It was a great early afternoon rush, and the perfect way to alleviate the sticky sweaty residue of a morning packing up the home in the summer heat

When we sloshed our way inside, I decided we needed a break from this moving madness and I loaded everyone up and we spent the afternoon shopping. We went out to eat, then to Target, the mall, and finally the bookstore. We bought new DVD players for the car, clothes for the wedding we'll be attending in Minnesota, and some crack books for our summer reading list. My debit card was smoking by the time we wrapped things up. It was delightful.

That evening I walked by Chloe sitting at the kitchen counter. She was writing a letter to her sister, who is away at overnight camp until August 1. "Be sure to tell her about your week, honey. You could mention the cooking class you took, or how Mr. Pickles is doing, or the new things we got today for the trip next month." I peered over her shoulder.

Dear Maddie,
Today was the best day. Mom and me and Jacob played outside in a rainstorm without any shoes on and got totally wet. We were screaming real loud and you couldn't hear it because the rain was coming down so hard.

After all this living I've done, I still need a wake up call to remind me that the things kids remember aren't things. Today? Go roll in the grass with your kids, or watch mud squish through your toes, or decide to eat your lunch without any silverware.