Up on the Rooftop

Mom, I have a confession to make. It follows thusly:

When I was younger, and we were living in our house in Yukon, I figured something out; I could sneak out of my bedroom window. Bet you never knew that. I can't recall how often I did it, but often enough. If you're properly shocked, I'll move on.

Remember how the chimney was right outside of the big window? That was as far as I sneaked. I climbed over the sill, onto the roof, and I'd snuggle into that corner. Then I'd spend awhile just thinking. Sometimes I crawled over a bit to be out of view from Kelly and Mary; and, yes, I crawled, because I was scared of falling to my death from off that two-foot section of roof.

Mom, I have a bigger confession.

April and Marcy came to stay the night with us girls one weekend in the summer. I don't know if it was premeditated or if we did it spur of the moment, but April, Marcy, Kelly, Mary, Beth and I ended up having a party that night. Remember how once you cleared that two-foot section of roof, it then swooped down into that rather large area just above the garage? Yeah. That was were our party was located. Around midnight. Mom. We had Dr. Pepper. And a radio. And a camera.

Some of us girls still have photos of the first time we Roof Partied...actually, maybe it was the second or third time...so if you want proof that we were drinking Dr. Pepper and not something more adult, we've got it. Of course that changed once we got a little older. Okay, I'm totally joking! We never had age-inappropriate beverages on the roof in Yukon. We did, however, have the constant nagging fear that we were going to be discovered by you or Dad. That fear was usually what ended up chasing us back into the bedroom. Well, that and the fear of falling through the roof and into the garage.

So, Mother--and Dad--if ever you were awakened to the sound of strange noises from above or the playing of far-off music; you weren't going crazy, the house wasn't possessed, and no one was attempting to break-in. It was simply your daughters and nieces making memories. And we loved every minute of it.