Tut Tut, It Looks Like Rain

I was reading my friend's blog about her playing in the rain with her little boys and I several rain related memories started playing in my mind. Thank you, Kimberly, for getting my brain rolling!

Growing up in Utah, long rainstorms are far and few between. I remember playing in the rain as a little kid. Mom would let us take the umbrellas to play with. I loved standing under the rain gutter that came off of the roof. It would make a loud pounding noise on the umbrella and water would spray everywhere.

Occasionally during a rainstorm, the power would go out. Mom would get the kerosene lamp out and we would sit around the table eating graham crackers and milk.

My first year of college (Rick's 1994) my roommates gave me a pair of goulashes. Theses goulashes were the most awesome things! They were my first pair ever of goulashes. I never had a need for them before. They were red and had Winnie the Pooh on the sides. I love Pooh Bear, so I instantly fell in love with them! (I think that my roommies found them at the thrift store!)

I remember several rainstorms that year that were a lot of fun to play in. I would come home soaked from splashing in the puddles. I loved that Teresa would play in the rain with me even though she didn't have Pooh Bear goulashes. Thanks, Tree!

When we moved to Georgia, I experienced real rainstorms. The thunder would shake the walls of our house, making me wonder if I was safe. I loved listening to the low rumble of the thunder. It was amazing.

A rainstorm in Utah normally lasts 5 minutes or so. Georgia rainstorms last for hours. I loved it! My favorite rainstorm occurred in January. It was cold and it rained all night. Then the temperature dipped below freezing and froze the rain. I woke up to see everything covered in icicles. The trees had icicles all over. The fences, mailboxes, cars, street signs, everything. It was beautiful. It was terrible to drive in and damaged a lot of trees because of the weight. But the frozen landscape was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

When we were living in West Jordan, right after moving back to Utah, we had a good rainstorm. I remember that I was getting the boys ready for bed and I looked outside to watch the rain. The gutters along the street were so full that they had filled into the street.

I told the boys to come outside. We played around in the water in front of our house. The water was warm and rather dirty because it had been a long time since the streets had been cleaned by a rainstorm. We wondered where all of the water went, so we got some boats from the bath toys and set them sailing down the water. The water system in that neighborhood was long. We went down three streets until the water poured into the big drain.

My pants were soaked and my hair was dripping wet. I was having a blast exploring with my three little boys. We were outside playing in the water for an hour. I know that I looked a bit foolish out there splashing in puddles and playing around, but do you know what I was thinking? I was thinking that I was a great mom.

I guess that it is important to have moments like that to look back on. Sometimes I get down on myself for not being the mom I want to be. But when I have moments where I am that awesome mom, it gives me hope that I can be her again!