AS AMERICAN AS ...

No, we didn’t have apple pie, but we did sit on the curb and watch a parade.  Granted it was a very short parade, maybe 10 floats and no bands; but it was enthusiastic and it was competitive. 

Most of the floats were celebrating the 100^th anniversary of Arizona’s statehood, and a good majority of them included squirting water.  No, not squirting.  That implies the cute little spray of water from an old-fashioned water pistol.  This was more spraying water, even gushing water.  Especially when it came from the fire trucks.  It was amusing to watch the adults step back from the curb while all the kids ran into the street begging to be soaked. 

But this wasn’t the slice of Americana that most touched me.  It was what happened after the parade when the entire town – along with the more intrepid tourists – threw a party.  And what a party it was! 

A double tent had been raised in the field behind the reviewing stand and the sounds of a rockin’ band blasted from it the minute the parade ended.  We wandered around the field trying to choose our lunch from an array of stands selling Navajo tacos, hot dogs, and, of course, that Southwestern staple, barbeque.

In the meantime, the kids knocked down cans with balls, threw beanbags into the holes in a handmade target, and each won a heat of the sack race.  I knew the woman running the race was a mom when she turned to me during the third run and said, “The other two have trophies already, right?”  Each time I look at the three cheap thumbs-up trophies now residing in my front seat cup holders, I send her a little thought of gratitude for her sensitivity in understanding how sibling rivalry that can intensify when you’re living in a minivan for two months. 

Probably the best part, though – aside from the delectable authentic barbeque – was the equally authentic auction where everyone knew everyone else and we heard exchanges like:

Auctioneer:  Forty, forty, do I hear fifty?  Fifty, fifty, I have fifty.  Karen is bidding against you, Darla, but her husband doesn’t look so happy about it.

Darla’s husband:  Keep bidding, Karen.

Auctioneer:  You heard him, Karen.

Once the auction and all its friendly outbidding ended, the band kicked it up and we rocked out while everyone shared the dripping slices left over from the watermelon eating contest.

It wasn’t the picture perfect Norman Rockwell's New England bunting-draped parade and fireworks we're used to on the Fourth of July.  In fact, the fire danger in this part of the country is extreme so fireworks are banned all over the southwest.

Instead it was the open heart of America celebrating itself and taking in the strangers in its midst in much the same way it has for generations.  And I’m so glad my children got to experience it.


For Gene's very different view of the same journey, check out his blog at www.ConnorsArmy.blogspot.com
To learn more about Connor's Army go to www.ConnorsArmy.org
To see exactly why we're doing this go to www.SunriseDayCamp.org
To make a tax deductible donation go to https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=1809&id=1056

CHANGING HORSES IN MIDSTREAM

So I was spending the day before the day before we leave (got that?  It's Wednesday and we leave Friday) barbequing in the rain for 800 middle school students; and I got a really great suggestion that completely changed the way I plan to pack.

"Wait a minute," you say.  "Go back to the beginning.  Why were you barbequing for 800 middle school students?  And why were you doing it in the rain?"

Good questions!

It all started last year when Sarah was in 6th grade.  My favorite food is ice cream and when I saw that the PTSA throws an ice cream party for the entire school on the last day of classes, I volunteered to help.  One thing led to another, and I ended up chairing the ice cream event.  It wasn't very difficult and everyone had a great time, so when they asked if I'd do it again this year, I immediately responded in the affirmative even though I knew it'd be only two days before we were leaving.  But when the notices were sent out to the entire PTSA, it turned out I had volunteered to chair not just the ice cream portion, but the entire barbeque!

Of course, true to my insane desire to never miss out on anything, I figured I could still handle it - on top of planning Carla and Rita's wedding, Sarah's benefit, and a fundraising cabaret.  And all of this was taking place within two and a half weeks of our leaving!

On the day of the barbeque it was raining, so we had to make alternative plans on the fly.  The kids were moved inside, but the barbeques themselves had to remain outrside.  And we couldn't even move them underneath the breezeway because the smoke set off the fire alarms last time they tried that.

So there I am, soaking wet in the middle of four and a half hours cooking in the rain; and one of the other moms tells me about a friend of hers who always packs for family vacations in plastic bins instead of in suitcases.  I swear that if you looked closely enough at me, you would have been able to see the giant light bulb going on above my head.

I went straight to Home Depot to buy a bunch of shoebox sized bins, and now Sarah is busy clearing toys out of the big plastic bins in the playroom.  Hey, on top of learning to do things at the last minute, I'm also learning to be flexible.