This Summer
Even though my boys have been out of school for almost two weeks, my summer break officially started today! I am fortunate to have a job that allows me to be home and available for all of the excitement summer brings. This summer I am looking forward to having this time more than ever before.
As a child, my sisters and I spent most summer days at my Grandmother's house. Cousins would visit, we went fishing, ran through the sprinkler, ate Bologna sandwiches and waved down the ice cream man for Bomb Pops. We helped her with her garden and took naps in front of the floor fan. We attended very few organized activities other than swimming lessons or Girl Scout Camp. Most weekends were spent camping at one of the local lakes with family and friends. We swam, played board games, ate s'mores , listened to the Royals on the radio and visited around the campfire. Summer was a time to relax and get recharged for the next school year.
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| Summer 2003 |
Summer time now looks very different. Many kids attend lessons and camps or scheduled activities on a daily basis. I know it is important that kids stay physically active and engaged. I don't want my boys zoned out on the couch in front of the T.V. or X-box all day. So, we have tried to find a balance between the two. On weekends we don't camp or go to the lake, we play baseball. Just like camping, baseball takes place outside in a laid back atmosphere. This allows conversations to take place and relationships to be built both in the stands and in the dug out. It is both hectic and restful at the same time and we love it!
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| Summer 2014-That was a quick 11 years! |
As an adult, I too am guilty of over scheduling the summer. As I sit here on my first day off, my to do list is long. In a few short weeks our family will experience a lot of change. One son is off to college and the other is entering high school. There will be a lot to do between now and then. Knowing what lies ahead of us this fall, makes me appreciate the time we have now even more. I want to take full advantage once again of the blessing that have been placed in my life. I want to enjoy this summer like I did when I was a kid. Take in the small things, enjoy the people around me, slow down and recharge for what is coming next. I will be aware of my to do list and commitments, and what really needs done will get done. The rest can wait. I will always have things to do, places to go, people to see. I will never have This Summer again!
Your blog reminded me of our fun times. We rode our bike ever where and when Mom used that special whistle we came running. We knew which neighbors we could "call on" and which to stay away. You were so right with board games and card games and the adults talking while they played. Those were the days of learning without saying we were BORED. If we did then we really got a chore to get done, today!
ReplyDeleteYour wonderful summer will be a treasure, but as a grandma it comes back again with different treasures in the day...like cuddling before nap.
Thanks for your comments. It was a different time wasn't it. I know this transition is not the end, but the beginning of a new season in our lives. I look forward to what is coming next. Thanks for reading.
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