The Music Truck

My son is very smart (every mother says this about her children so I might as well enjoy my entitlement). He is only 4 but he has always had a knack for asking good questions and is satisfied by only believable answers. We pride ourselves on honesty so that "believable answer" always contains the truth but not necessarily more truth then is absolutely required. Case in point: For a year we got away with calling a certain, frequent and noticeable neighborhood visitor, "the music truck". It's pretty incredible how long this worked... Until, late last season when our then three year old son said, "Hey mom, did you know the music truck sells ice cream?" The secret was out.

It is the start of the new season and this weekend we bought our kids their first ice cream from the ice cream man. We had wanted to get it on our son's birthday, but that was the one day the ice cream man didn't appear. The next day he came, but Daddy wasn't home and I thought Daddy and Mommy should both be present for such a momentous occasion. I told my son and he said, "Well, can we call him and have him come back later?" As I tried to explain that you can't call the ice cream man, he just comes when he wants to and you get it then... I realized how bizarre of a custom this is. How is it that parents have let them get away with this? This truck comes into our neighborhood playing really loud, annoyingly catchy tunes, and sells sugar to our kids at exorbitant prices ($2.00 for a fudge bar when I could buy a box for a little more than that)?! And it does this at the time of it's choosing. Nap time, no problem. During dinner, you bet. Last year the music truck could frequently be heard while we were getting the kids ready for bed (it was the timing thing that caused us to keep them in the dark for so long). It's really quite odd we let this go on at all. How would we react if the mail truck drove around with his stereo blaring?

While I do find it odd you definitaly won't see me leading any neighborhood movements. There is something about hearing the tune of "Pop Goes the Weasel" when your not expecting it, and the promise of a yummy cold treat, that just makes you giddy. The feeling of nostalgia you get when you head to the truck to pick out your treat sometimes makes it taste better than when it comes out of your freezer. It's fun to treat your kids and the smiles on their faces are worth the 2.00 price of admission...even if you don't get to pick when the show starts.