HAPPY MAY DAY!

OK. FIRST OF ALL, WHO THOUGHT-UP MAY DAY? HELLO. I LOVE ALL THE KID STUFF. I GET INTO HALLOWEEN, MUCH TO MY KIDS' DISMAY. I'M THEIR ROOM-MOM AT SCHOOL AND DRESS-UP ACCORDINGLY (MICKEY MOUSE-QUINN WAS MINNIE; MARY AND HER LITTLE LAMB NAMED HARPER; EVEN LAURA BUSH ONE YEAR),BUT MAY DAY? CANDY? JUST ANOTHER THING FOR PARENTS TO DO.

OK. SO, MAYBE I'VE BEEN A BIT PREOCCUPIED THIS YEAR. OK. CLEARLY, I WAS A BIT PREOCCUPIED THIS YEAR. IT WASN'T UNTIL MILE 6, 7, OR WAS IT 5...ANYWAY, SOMEWHERE IN THE BEGINNIGN OF OUR RUN, I DISCOVERED IT WAS INDEED MAY 1. MAY DAY. CANDY DAY. WOW. WHAT HAPPENED TO APRIL? THAT MIGHT EXPLAIN MY PARTY-POOPER ATTITUDE: I FORGOT. I WAS UNPREPARED. I HAD NO CANDY. SHOOT. MY KIDS WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED. BAD MOMMY.

SOOOO, AFTER 21 MILES, I CALLED DREW ON MY WAY HOME AND ORDERED HIM TO GO BUY CANDY AND CUTE CUPS, FOR MAY DAY. LOTS. WE USUALLY DISTRIBUTE 60, OF THOSE SUCKERS, I MEAN BASKETS. WE HAVE TONS OF LITTLE TYKES IN OUR DEVELOPMENT. HE THREW THE KIDS IN THE CAR, AND DUTIFULLY OBLIGED.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: WE ASSEMBLED THOSE PUPPIES WHEN I GOT HOME AND SHOWERED, THREW THEM INTO OUR WAGON, AND FOUGHT THE WIND AND SPRITZ OF RAIN TO RING DOOR BELLS AND RUN FOR THE HILLS FROM THE SMOOCHES AND HUGS. WHO'S IDEA WAS THIS AGAIN?

I SHOULD MENTION THAT LITTLE HARPER, WHO IS JUST 2, DOESN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND MAY DAY, EITHER. WELL, EXCEPT THE "TANDY" PART. IT WAS TOUGH FOR HER TO HAND-IT-OVER, AFTER RINGING THE BELL. I HAD TO GUIDE HER TINY HAND TO GIVE UP THE GOODS, THEN SHE STOOD THERE PERPLEXED BY THE HUGS AND KISSES BESTOWED ON HER. "MY TURN," SHE YELLED AS WE WALKED AWAY FROM THE HOUSES. FOR HARPER, IT IS BETTER TO RECIEVE THAN TO GIVE. WHO GIVES "TANDY" AWAY...FOR A LOUSY HUG AND KISS.

HARPER THOUGHT MAY DAY WAS A RIP OFF...UNTIL SHE REALIZED ALL THE BASKETS LINING OUR FRONT PORCH. "OOOOHHHHHH MOMMMMMMEEEEE YOOK AT DAT. HA-PA'S HOUSE."

SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!