Time And Time Again

So, summer is still in full swing down in South Texas!  But thankfully the pool is clean, the water is free, the elotes (you like them corns?) are cheap (and they come right to your curb! imagine!), and there is a snow cone (excuse me, “raspa”) stand on almost every corner (raspas are vegan, just so you know…don’t quote me on that).  The kids get out of school at 3:00 and after the hustle and bustle of everyone crowding down our narrow sidewalks, not a sound is to be heard in our courtyard until around 5:00 or so.  That is when it starts.  If Josiah is not already outside, there comes gentle rapping on the front door or our floor-to-ceiling front windows from miniature hands.  They belong to one of the many children that our eldest son has began to adopt as his friends.  The knocking starts low, almost invisible, and if left unchecked, turns into an imaginary image of the authorities wanting to speak with our 6 (soon to be 7) year old.  I inevitably win the bet I place with myself, knowing that time and again, it is Miguel or Vicki; and in fact not the “Cops” (with their cool and catchy reggae “Whatcha gonna do?” theme song).  It’s cool that after only a couple of months our front stoop has become the hangout and the kids are already beginning to affectionately adorn us with the titles of “the mom” and “the dad.”  And sometimes a child or two will just sit out on the patio chairs in front of our place, waiting for Josiah to finish his dinner, or his homework.

Pretty much every afternoon pans out like this:  playing, screaming, running, imagining, jumping, falling, wrestling, epic laser sword and/or gun battles, someone cries for some reason, someone scrapes a knee, someone gets their feelings hurt, someone decides not to be friends (which is always forgotten when one of them has to go in), constantly running back and forth asking for permission from someone (be it moms, siblings, aunts, grandmas, or someone’s “cousin”), bike races up and down our pebbled sidewalk, etc, etc.

Well, the newest trend has become as follows.  After a few minutes of the aforementioned agenda, Josiah or a delegated member of the body juvenile comes once again knocking at our door.  This time it starts in a fury.  There is no time to mess around with raps that might fall short and onto the tile floors just out of reach of our ever-vigilant ears.  This is serious.  Even though they are visible from our large front windows, there is no taking chances.  They NEED to play in the sprinkler ball!

“Make sure it’s okay with your mom!” is always the safest bet to place on a tricky situation such as the one we currently have on our hands.

Phineas absolutely loves it as well, and when he has had his fill, he splashes around in a large plastic tub, filled up for just such an occasion!  Now, I’m not gonna lie to you, sometimes it is just Phineas and Josiah out there, and then the others begin to congregate.  But more times than not, one of the others propose the idea.  And this sets the whole thing into motion.

Today was one of those very same days.  Lots of things going on in the courtyard; someone pulled out a red metal wagon, from where I don’t even know!  Digging in the dirt, and sword fights with tree branches were the order of the day.  Even Phineas got in on the action walking after the “biggers” with two small (very blunt) sticks in his hands, ready to attack!  And his battle cry is the cutest most terrifying you’ve ever heard!  ”The baby’s gonna eat you!” Mama contributes to the fray, as all of the other kids scurry away in utter terror!

And then the inevitable happens.  ”Can we get wet?” a small voice calls out as a finger attached to the voice points in the direction of the  Little Tykes sprinkler ball.  And then it was on (after parental permissions were granted of course)!  Running, splashing, manguera water drinking, and the whole bit!  So then the question arises, “can we go to the pool?”  And of course the answer is the ever-present, “go ask your mom.”  Twice today!

Now, among the small group of kids in question, I have become a sort of unofficial life guard.  ”Hey Chris, are you going to be here for a while longer?” a neighbor will ask.  ”Could you please keep an eye on my son for a little while?”  Someone needs to go check on dinner, or get towels, or check on the game, and I’ll watch them for a short while.  It’s not like it’s every day!  And I just happen to be the best swimmer in the complex and an all-around nice guy, so naturally I am a good candidate!  And when I get out (along with Josiah and maybe Mama and little Phin) and start heading back to our place, they know that it is time to get out as well.  Now that I think about it, I kind of want to go back out for another dip…I love it!

So there you have it, this place is humming and I am so glad to finally be in a place (condo) where the kids have plenty of other kids to play with, plenty to do, and plenty of “safe” space in which to operate.

So until next time, see ya in the pool!

Millions of peaches, peaches for me,

 

 

Critino

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~ by 54nd5urf3r on September 14, 2011.