A blog named BETTY

Shnookies 1 and 2, as usual, were gone visiting their Cali dad all of July. I hate, hate, hate, hate it. AND I dislike it very much. It is like a few days of heaven when they get home--we're all just giddy! This year, they got home on August 2nd, and it was extra nice cuz they came home in the middle of the day (instead of at night like usual), so we had the rest of the day to party. Shnookie 1 had his friend, Andrew, over (I'll say his name, since I don't care if anyone stalks him. If you need his address, just email me. HEE!) within an hour. I had to run somewhere, and while I was gone, it started POURING rain. I came home to find Shnook 1 and Andrew playing basketball in the rain, soaking wet! I cannot tell you how happy that made me!

Pretty soon, Shnooks 2 and 4 were also out there, splashing in the big puddle we get in the driveway. Then they were joined by a neighbor friend, and it was a splashing free-for-all. I got my camera and started snapping away. (Used the 'underwater mode' for the first time, btw. Probably shouldn't have, but I just had to jump at the chance. Goodness knows this is the closest I'll ever get to being actually 'under water' with my camera! Come to think of it, why does a non-waterproof camera have a underwater mode? Hmmmm)

So all the kids are running free in the downpour, and I'm just giggling and happy as a clam about it. Why? First of all, my oldest and youngest are reunited with each other and their friends, so I feel whole again. Second, I have this distinct fond childhood memory of playing in the warm rain as a youngster and just feeling free as the wind. Now, many of my so-called childhood memories have turned out to not be true, since my older siblings are involved in them and have absolutely no recollection of the fantastical situations I envision (like a snake chasing me up a log and Laurie saving me from certain death). I'm a vivid dreamer, so I'm never quite sure what tricks my over-active mind is playing on me when it comes to memories. So, I was never quite sure if this was 'one of those' memories. Afterall, when it happened I lived in Eastern Oregon and couldn't have been older than 4. Then we moved to Western Oregon, where I became VERY familiar with rain, and never once did I ever have the urge to don my swimming suit and play in it, cuz it was always FREEZING. As a result, I had serious doubts regarding the validity of that particular recollection. Flash forward to 2007, giddy mom with her underwater camera in Northern Utah... IT'S TRUE!! IT MUST BE TRUE!! There ARE places in the world where rain is not cold and wet and miserable all year long!! And my beautiful kidlets are getting to make that beautiful memory of their own. I am complete. Sigh. (good sigh this time.)

Oh, and while we're sharing all these happy vibes, this experience also reminded me that there is a silver lining in everything--evin in having a driveway that has never drained properly, despite being re-poured twice and having every drain know to man attached to it.