their hearts were racing

Want to know one thing you can always count on to make the childrens' hearts race?

This.

Here's how it went down...
(Imagine this as a slow motion movie.)

LOTS of children running, yelling, chasing, sliding, swinging at the park. LOTS of moms, a few dads, sitting around the outside edges of the large playground.  Some talking to other parents, some supervising their child closely, some texting and taking a break from parenting.
 
The sound of the ice cream truck drawing near.
A few kids stopping in their tracks.
They listen.
Did we just hear what we think we just heard?
The ice cream truck is now in sight.
PANDEMONIUM!

I watched as children ran slow motion all around me.
"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!"
My own children-

one of them running toward the ice cream truck

~without money

one of them screaming my name

~asking for money

one of them oblivious to the truck

~could care less about money

A few moms with one child gave in.  

Thanks Moms.

As I looked around, I noticed mothers and fathers with more than one child were dealing with sad/mad/disappointed little faces.

"Why do THOSE kids get ice cream?" I was asked.

"Because their mom is nicer than your's," was my reply.

Not good enough.

"But, why do SOME kids get ice cream and others don't?" I was asked.

"Because I just have my keys, and my phone.  No money."

"Oh."

Thankfully, my children came to the truck when I called them later on.  Thankfully, my children were NOT the ones screaming in Subway during supper.

Thankfully, I finally remembered to bathe my children this week.  

It was a good evening.

And it very well could have ended up pretty grumpy.... all because of the ice cream truck.