because it was the first monsoon of the year

We sat on the front porch and watched our two run around the yard; looking for worms, chasing birds, and feeling the rain on their soft, pale faces. Marnie, looking up with each raindrop, hoping to see who "spilled" it on her (her words).When the Ice Cream Truck came tinkling down our street, Britt's face lit up and he disappeared into the house to raid his stash of one dollar bills. We waited patiently for the kids at the far end of the street to get their sugar-fix, and then it was our turn. Britt chose a Ninja Turtle and MJ had to have a Powerpuff Girl. After Britt gave Daddy detailed descriptions of every frozen confection that was available and an explanation for why he had chosen the one he had chosen, we sat back to enjoy the momentary quiet that settled in as the kids enjoyed their treats. The rain trickling down...
Britt (conscious of the scattered nature of the Arizona monsoon) suggested that we drive the half mile down the street to see if it was raining at Grandma and Grandpa's house. It wasn't. He decided to make some rain of his own. Not surprisingly, this resulted in him soaking his sister. Grandma appeared with a fluffy towel and wrapped it around her. Marnie meandered over to Daddy's hammock chair and flashed her sweet grin, meaning, "If you pick me up right now, I'll hold still long enough for you to snuggle me." He did.