Truck Bed

Today marked the beginning of the 2012 Francypants family reunion. When I was a little girl I always wondered what people did at family reunions. My family never really had "reunions," we just got together. Often. Mostly on Sundays. We would eat, watch the classic musicals with my cousins (The “King and I” was my favorite), see who could climb up the swing-set the fastest and (inevitably) who could give Grandma the most grief about coming down. Then at the end of the evening we always snuggled up in quilts on Grandma's patio, reading books while we listened to the mosquitoes meet their zapper doom.

When I married the husband I learned that family reunions are a lot like Sunday get togethers—except that there is a schedule, and a gigantic slumber party. It’s extremely exciting. The Kelkat clan opens up literally every room in their house to anyone who wants to stay the night. Everyone who attends fulfills a food assignment to feed the 50ish people who come—and we’re talking crepes with all the trimmings and marinated teriyaki chicken. MMmmmm.

This year I borrowed my dad’s Super-Duty pick up truck to take the boys down to Gunisack for the big event. The truck is so large that it feels like you’re flying at low altitudes when you drive it. It has a hard top over the truck bed, so we occasionally toss a mattress in the back to make for easy camping. My plan was to have my first camp-out with the boys over the reunion weekend. My mother in law and Atrain had other things in mind. Milly suggested that she sleep in the truck bed while the boys and I took the room down the stairs. Though I vehemently opposed the idea (kicking my mother in law out of her bed), Atrain overheard her plans and thought it would be fantastic to camp out with Milly instead of me. So, when push came to shove, Atrain won.

I still feel guilty about steeling my mother-in-law’s bedroom, but I must admit that seeing Atrain snuggled up to Milly in a sleeping bag, and listening to her stories by the light of his bumble bee lantern was rather adorable. I love how much he loves his family. I love how thrilled he gets at the prospect of spending time with them. His eyes beam with anticipation every time we talk about it. He will be talking about his night with Milly in the truck bed for a long time to come.