The Red, White, and Yoo Hoo

Ah, July 4th. The holiday that truly signifies the start of summer. Yeah, yeah, I know it has more significance than that. It was on this day in 1492 that we signed a treaty with Magellan or something. No, wait, it was that map guy. Oh, wait, was that Magellan? I forget. Kidding! Kidding! I know that this was the day in 1776 that some guy named Frank electrocuted himself in a thunder storm because he had a key in his pocket. Geez. How dumb do you think I am?

Anyway, as I was saying....if there's any holiday that screams summer it's Independence Day. Picnics and parties and of course the 4 F's: Family, friends, food and fireworks. If you're lucky, you get good hot summer weather too. There's nothing better than sucking down a Popsicle or an ice cream treat when it's a scorcher. Now that I have my own kids, I get to experience summer through them. That's almost as much fun as actually being a kid again. In fact, I can act like a total doofus with my kids and people accept it. They think you're just having fun with your kids. They don't know that this is my personality. It's a complete unknown that I'm a giant 14 year old who is thrilled to let her inner child out to play. To them, I'm "interacting" and "letting loose". Ha ha. Suckers.

So we have a family gathering for today with some family. Automatically I'm pumped because I offered to bring watermelon. There are only a few foods that can summarize the essence of summer in one bite. Watermelon is one of them. If you're wondering what the others are: Potato salad, burgers and/or hot dogs cooked on a grill, and grape Popsicles. I don't know why grape, because cherry is the best with orange being the second best. Grape is clearly the red headed step child of the box. And why can't we just buy the box of all cherry or all orange? Because what happens to the box of Popsicles? The good flavors get eaten first until there's 4 or 5 left and no one wants them. Unfortunately, your two choices are to suck it up and eat the pops because Mom won't buy a new box until the old one is gone, or go through an entire summer protesting your Popsicle rights. (Wow, when I digress I really get the job done!)

So we get to the party and it's HOT. My parents don't have AC so it's hot inside and it's hot outside. Now remember, I'm one of those weirdos who love heat so this isn't bothering me at all. My inner 14 year old is giddy with the prospect of watermelon, grilled food, AND a hot day all in one picnic. I've hit the party lottery. But baby boy sweats like a sumo wrestler in a sauna room. The poor kid is sticky and sweaty and starting to look a little wilted. So we leave and go swimming at the other grandparents' house. (I know, nice right? We let them feed us but when it gets hot we say, "Sorry, we're outtie. We're going to go find someone with a pool. Thanks for the grub!")

It's as my kids are playing and splashing in the pool that I feel that summertime happy high. I'm high on the smell of fresh cut grass, chlorine, and sticky kool-aid mustaches on my kid's faces. I'm high on barbecue chicken on the grill and impromptu games of tag on the lawn. (Barefoot of course. Everyone knows that shoes are illegal in the summer.) I'm high on childhood innocence and one day having them look back on their carefree summer days fondly.

And it's then that I realize: Holy crap! I'm turning into a Hallmark commercial! Quick someone tell a fart joke, stat!

So as this holiday wraps up, I'm thankful for the red (meat, charred to perfection), white (wine, preferably chilled), and Yoo Hoo. Seriously if they didn't make Yoo Hoo I would have no basis for comparison or know that I can make tastier chocolate milk with Hershey's syrup. So thanks Yoo Hoo, for being a chocolate milk impostor!

Happy Fourth of July everyone!