And SOON...

As I peeked out the door in my jammies this morning to let the cat out.. yes our cat Max.. not the dog.. we don't have one of those so Max works for both!.... sun shining , crisp and clear, marvelous! ..thoughts of coming activity waft through the air.. I remember... summer with the kids all around.. today March 31, two have birthdays!

Remember!....

Fire works tonight!  Four kids under eleven, two parents who have cognitive challenges, one mama parent needing stress leave and one granny grunt loosing her marbles, leaving the peaceful confines of great gramps in town - fenced-in yard and traipsing down the walkway onto the black top.. no sidewalks here....to the frenetic beach ..to be a little closer to the noise and excitement.

Our little parade was truly a site to behold! A straggling weaving line of children and adults led by the stressed out wind blown frouzy-haired mom-daughter pulling her broken legged son on a little red 100 year old wagon- his good leg dangling,... the other bound in filthy boy-rags around an open fronted cast, while she, -swinging silver tinted crutches glinting in the headlights of a line of traffic  fended off the eager fire work watcher vehicles. That was the front line..

Next came little only-granddaughter, long blond hair flowing behind her, trundling along precariously on a vintage green tricycle -the front wheel lovingly bound with string by great gramps, so to give the old wheel and spokes some form of cushion since there is no longer any rubber left to do the job. Beloved many-child tricycle!!

And here comes Grandma Nana with the lost marbles who incidentally, it was just discovered by 4 year old 5th grandson, is not actually Anna, but grandma! All these years of grandparenting and she is finally fully realized as a grandmother to each of her grandchildren. Oh the joys of full discovery by the two of them! No they did not just find each other - long lost relatives, rather 5th grandson just realized she was his beloved Grandma and not just one of his mom's silly friends with the name of Anna.....She clutches his pudgy little hand and keeps him out of the line of traffic as she simultaneously tries to steer his sister's tricycle from careening into the ditch and beyond.

The older ones taking up the rear, try to keep the GREAT AUNT FAY from worrying too much about how we are all going to get home in the dark, her teen age son lurking in the crowds with his lovely girlfriend definitely  away  from this motley crew.

After it is all over and we drag sleeping children safe and sound from the back seat of the car into the star studded night, up the front porch of Nana's house, and into their comfy warm beds,we have a 2nd glass of summer tonic with lime and soundly await the nudging of sun to a new day of firsts.

Back to real time.

House quiet, grandpa's off ice fishing to catch the last ice covered scale glinting delicacies of the north; house wafting with the scent of 60 year old Tupperware- recipe sugar cookies made with the old red Tupperware -plastic  birthday cake shaped cookie cutters. mmm....