Jumping Jacks for Ice-Cream

When we lived at the old house the ice-cream truck would come by our neighborhood every once in a while and let me tell you it was always a major event with kids.  They loved it!  So since we've been in the new place, it had been about two years since we had seen it.

Well, that all changed about a month ago when the kids were playing outside and they heard the faint sound of ice-cream truck music being blasted out over the huge PA on top of the truck.  It must have been miles away from the sound of it, but the kids screeched and squealed and ran around like a bunch of sugar starved Mayberrys as they turned my house inside out looking for change.

Caitlyn's screams were particularly amusing because it was almost as if she were sounding an alarm.  She would squeal as loud as she could for about 5 seconds , run out of breath, the squeal would deflate, she would then inhale for about 3 seconds and start again.  It sounded as if Minnie Mouse herself were sounding a fire alarm.  I just sat back and watched the chaos. 

By the time they all got to the drive way with their money, they were out of breath.  I watched out the window as they waited, and waited, and waited.  A couple of times I tried to coax them in, but with no success.  After about 45 min. they all shuffled in the house like a bunch of deflated balloons.  The ice-cream truck had gone by without stopping.  I dug through the deep freeze and found 3 ice-cream sandwiches and passed them out.  They all took them almost reluctantly.  They ate them as if it were a chore and finally Caleb said, "Thanks for the ice-cream , Mom.  But it just doesn't taste as good as the ice-cream truck ones."

The next day the kids were playing outside and as if the ice-cream truck lady were playing some sick joke, the whole scenario played out again.  Caitlyn sounded the alarm and they were off.  This time they sat in the drive-way for what seemed like an hour or more.  Sadly, once again the ice-cream truck didn't turn down our street.  I finally made them come in and I explained to them that next time I would walk them all down to the end of the block so the the ice-cream truck would be sure to see them.

Sure enough, the very next day while the kids were playing in the yard, I heard Caitlyn sound the alarm.  This time I sprang into action as well.  Out the door I ran like a flash and we all huffed it down to the end of the block.  When we got there we could just barely see the top of the now infamous truck coming over the hill.  At that instant, something very strange took place.  All of the sudden Caleb's body began to move and it flailed and twisted and jumped.  The other kids and I just stared at him in awe as we watched his contorted movements intensify.  It was as if his little body had become possessed.  Possessed by the ice-cream spirit.  As the truck neared his dance became refined into what can best be described as a jumping-jack on steroids gone wrong.

When the truck got closer I tried to get Caleb to calm down, but he was a kid on a mission.  He jumped so high and with such  hysteria.  It was quite a sight!  He jumped those jacks from one side of the road to the other and then back again.  His face as solemn and serious as I have ever seen it.  The truck slowed to a stop a few yards from us and the music stopped.  Caleb's movements stopped as well.  His shoulders slumped and he let out a long dramatic sigh of relief.  All was silent.  Then Austin and Caitlyn rushed to Caleb like he had hit the winning run at a baseball game.  Austin picked him up and twirled him around as he squealed, "You did it!  You did it, little buddy!  You stopped the truck!"  Caitlyn hugged him and laughed hysterically.   Caleb nodded his head modestly in agreement.  He was The Man!  They all bought their ice-cream from the lady.  They savored every last lick.  They even shared licks with each other.  But all afternoon all the talk was of Caleb's amazing (bordering on heroic) jumping jack dance.

Two days later, the kids were in the yard when I heard Caitlyn's deafening alarm sound off.  I watched this time as all three kids ran to the driveway.  All three frantically began to do the possessed version of jumping jacks.  The ice-cream truck lady came all the way to our house this time.  She was laughing when she handed them their ice-cream.  Austin and Caitlyn patted Caleb on the back as they walked to the front steps.

The ice-cream truck (needless to say) has now found out where the mother load is.  She hits our house almost everyday.  I am expecting her truck to upgrade to an Escalade or Hummer any day now.

You know, when I think about the persistence that those kids had to have to get that ice-cream, it makes me smile.  They never gave up.  Instead when times got tough...they danced.  A weird, possessed, jumping jack dance, but still a dance.  I can't help but think of that song  "I Hope You Dance."

Amber