One Thing I Won't Miss About Summer...

Well, September has arrived.

The sun is still shining; we're still wearing shorts & t-shirts, but there is definitely a change in the air.

A new school year has begun.

Yep, that's it.

Over are my our lazy mornings, staying in our pjs until noon or later...going where the wind takes us, when it takes us.

No more afternoons guzzling sipping a Strongbow in my favourite garden chair, feeling such pride as I gaze at what for sure would be my prize-winning green onions, at the same time feeling melancholy about the lack of growth in my carrots, planning next year's strategy.

Evenings at the beach playing 'til the sun sets will now be replaced with coaxing my new Grade One student to do some night-time reading and getting my wide-awake 3-1/2 year old to shut his eyes and Go The F*ck To Sleep so as not to mess with an already chaotic morning by not waking up in time to have breakfast before we rush out the door.

No road trips, no last-minute bar-b-ques, no bike rides, no runs through the sprinkler...

I'll miss those things.

But there's one thing I WILL NOT miss.

The seemingly nice Ice Cream Man in his seemingly innocent Ice Cream Truck, playing that seemingly fun, but more often than not out-of-tune music.

Nope, won't miss this one bit.

I've grown to despise him actually...to avoid him with all my might.

But he finds us.  Every time.

Sure, they seem fun and friendly, with all their cool, icy treats, but really, they taunt us, children and parents alike...drawing us to their trucks with their trancelike powers...those sorcerers.

They are just too much...the way they drive slowly past a park or a playground, stalking us, tempting the kiddies, making them scream those all-to-familiar words "IIIICE CREEEEEAM TRUUUUUUCK" and run uncontrollably in its direction.  We parents do not stand a chance against this type of seduction, this accepted form of cruelty.  At least I rarely do.

I know, I'm going on and on.

I have three reasons I dislike these trucks and the ice-cream pusher who resides inside.

Reason no. 3:  It messes with my already fragile willpower.

Reason no. 2:  Since it's summer and I've often let the wind take us to the beach/park completely unplanned and spontaneous, I rarely have enough cash in my wallet so the whole scenario usually ends in disappointment.

But the No. 1 reason I dislike the Ice Cream Truck:

UGH!  These are disgusting!

Check out the ingredients of the Dora bar:

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Ingredients:
Ice: water, sugar, maltodextrin, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, natural and artificial flavors, guar gum, modified cellulose, locust bean gum, mono & diglycerides, cellulose gum, polysorbate 65 & 80, carrageenan, citric acid, malice acid, pectin, yellow 5&6, red 40, blue 1, and annatto.
Gumball: sugar, dextrose, corn syrup, gum base, corn starch, artificial flavors, resionous glaze, glycerin, tapioca dextrin, carnauba wax, yellow 6, red 40, blue 1 BHT (to maintain freshness)

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Now, I am by no means a fanatic when it comes to healthy food.  My kids get treats...too many treats.

I draw the line with these.

Of course the kids love them, they are like crack to them, with their tempting colours and likeness to their favourite cartoon characters.

But I've put my foot down.  I've been strong and not succumbed to the begging of my children.

So to the Ice Cream Man and his wicket confection, I say "NO!" and we will continue to enjoy other treats, like a regular 'ol popsicle, a regular 'ol ice cream sandwich, a regular 'ol fruit bar.  The treats of my childhood.  Still not the most ideal ingredients, but a little more acceptable in my mind.

Nope, will not miss the ice cream truck...not at all.