july 4th eve

'twas the night before independence day
and at the Hulse house
not one child was sleeping,
not one child in the house.

the children were playing with ponies and such
with visions of swimming, friends and more, yes much






the flag was hung on the flagpole with care
in hopes that the fireworks soon would be there.











and amy in the kitchen
and ryan at the grill
we'd just set out the dinner
for a nice quiet meal.


when out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
i sprang from my lawn chair to see what was the matter.


the water puddled in the grass nearby
made new, squishy mud that would really fly!
when what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but afton and ella in a tent...(my biggest fear)






with instructions so easy, so simple, so quick
i knew in a moment it must be a trick.
ryan must have had extra time at work
to think up a plan he knew i couldn't shirk.

the girls so excited, their eyes so bright
to refuse to sleep out, just wouldn't be right.
i'll do it for the children, i thought to myself,
but i knew in my heart, i'd be lying to myself.

"now pillows, now blankets, now socks for our feet!
more pillows, more babies, more flashlights, more treats!
to the inside of the tent! to the inside we go!
now set it all up, it'll be such a show!"

and then, in a twinkling, i saw with my eyes
the excitement, the plans, the happy surprise.
i knew there'd be no stopping them now,
i knew i should tell them their mom is a bore, but how?

they were dressed all in jammies from their heads to their feet,
and their hands were full, with a book and a treat.
a bundle of blankets slung over their backs
and they looked like they do when their suitcase they pack.

my eyes, how they rolled,
my feet how they stumbled.
my excuses and reasons
they came out all jumbled.

i was silly and sad, a crazy old mom,
and they laughed when they heard me, "that silly mom!"
a stack of books i carried to them in bed,
soon helped them to know they had nothing to dread.

i climbed in the tent, read them stories, sang a song,
then climbed right back out, i'd done them no wrong.
then i heard them exclaim, as i ran in the house,
we'll see you in the morning, you scared little mouse!

hope you enjoyed my attempt at rhyming! have a great 4th of July!