Summer Time and the Living is Easy

I can't be bothered to catch up on end of school year madness.

Just to much fun and crazy time and pictures.

But events included 2nd grade basketball tournament club,

lots of circus club performances,

class parties and end of year assembly.

 

All good, but we're to summer and I'm in the easy frame of mind.

My days are crazy busy, but with more of this type of stuff.

It's Finally Warm

So Spring was a fleeting thought this year as, the assumed months, have jumped clear into the hot months of summer.  It's been filled with lots of great time in the sprinklers and friends' pools since our community pool didn't open until Memorial Day.

 

 

Summer Fun

It's not summer without the pool, a constant state of semi-undress and hours under the sun.  It helps when you have neighbor kids the same age and everyone gets along.  It's even better when you have the world's best dad teaching you his favorite games.  There is something magical about long summer days and warm summer nights that makes me very content.

 

...And the Living is Easy

Imagine the windows down, the radio turned up, driving through the dark, isolated country roads singing your heart out with the residual scent of chlorine on your skin.  But there is no loneliness because you are surrounded by the thick, encompassing heat and humidity of a summer night in Pennsylvania.  As you drive past a wooded area you smell all the smells of summer rushing out to meet you, the notorious and earthy scent of an ornamental pear tree, the sweet lingering smell of the wild honeysuckle, and the smell of good soil in some stage of drying out from earlier rain showers.  You hear the crickets whirring and the cicadas buzzing.  Breathe deep all that is living.

Remember all the great memories of years gone by, of running out of the school building on the last day of school, endless sleepovers, Dirty Dancing marathons, all day long bike rides and disappearing until sunset.  Remember working in the garden, swimming at the lake with friends and family, living in your bathing suit day and night and annual beach trips with all the rituals and routines of a well established tradition.  Sink into the seat of the car where your heated skin from the sun's exposure earlier in the day is bounding back to meet you.

And once you are in the depths of the music and rhythm, the sights and sounds, the smells and feelings, know that you have just reached one of the ways I feel heaven here on earth.  Isn't summer wonderful?

Re-Vu

At the end of each school year, teachers will tell you how important it is to keep practicing the skills your child has learned that year.  You hear about the regression that occurs during the summer.  And each summer I mentally commit to do a little school time each day with my kids.  Well this summer I spent maybe two days reviewing skills.  My kids probably can't spell, remember their times tables, or a slew of other things, but we had a fun filled family summer.  And that in itself is a different kind of education, equally important.  August looked a little like this:                                    

unhealthy food

 Sportsman's Club Picnics

 Carnivals and Fairs

 Travis temporarily had the record for fastest pitch

 Hershey Park Boardwalk with water rides

 Hershey Park Regular Rides:  Kody saw this ride and said no way - See Here

Bike Rides and Park Days

 and Travis and I getting tired long before the kids did.

And then the last weekend before school we always plan one big 48 hour family fest.  This year we went to a friends pool- they filled their broken in ground hot tub to make the world's greatest sand box, then headed to a Barnstormers baseball game, watched some fireworks, had a snuggle in bed with kids morning, played, went to McDonalds for dinner, bowled a little during Hurricane Irene, snuggled in with Redbox videos, attended a baptism, went to church, lingered longer, and snuggled down one more time before receiving Father's Blessings for the new school year.   Man it was a good weekend.  Now back to a schedule.

What a cute little bum and boy!  Yummo!

New Fun

The summer fun has been had.  But a new fun is about to begin.  School fun.  Yes my kids love school.  Yes all my kids.  And each is dying to start and I can't wait either.  But between then and now we have a whole lot of this planned.  

Don't want to start the school on the wrong foot - crying because of exhaustion.  So now fun Mary must be temporarily put on hold until the adjustment is made. 

Summer

My house is filthy, my kids are dirty, and each of my kids has some sort of physical ailment.  I have been telling myself I am not sick for two days now.  But we are having the best summer ever and we're not about to slow down just because our bodies' immune systems can't keep up.  It's almost 9:30pm and bedtime is no where in sight.  We are still packing in every little last activity before the school year starts.  Wish us luck.

Good Bye

So I'm officially a little sad. Labor Day has come and gone and already this morning Issac has asked about the pool. I tried to let him down easily by saying it's too cold for swimming but the reality that even if it was warm the pool is now closed.We made some good memories this year and I considered it one of the best investments we made.

Pretty much every sunny day at some point you could find us there. And a whole lot of not sunny days too as long as it was warm.

Already I can see our tans fading and that makes me sad because I look good tan, sans the copious amounts of freckles that fill my face.

But is also makes me sad because it means long summer days are coming to a close.

Already the constant kid chatter that exists outside is gone with the start of school. I love those happy noises.

And the world's best kid distractor is no longer an option.

But at least I have a whole album of pictures to help me remember.

And best of all I have next summer to reinvest in a pool pass, the best thing I've discovered for family fun so far.

Beach Bum

I'm a bit of a self proclaimed beach bum. Last year my favorite family activity was our beach trip. So I thought we'd do a repeat performance this year. But...until that trip in August comes I guess I'll have to settle for the pool. It's not so bad really it has been the best investment ever. The kids love it and I adore the sun, the water, and the smell of suntan lotion. After a long day it's nice to go home and take naps, but it's even nicer to see that my kids are all best friends.

Summer Love

Every season is just perfect in my book. It's the little things I love about each one. And there is nothing better than the first few days of each. And although it's not officially summer yet, for our family it is.

Because the start of summer is swimsuits, water, and squirt gun fights.

Lunches filled with nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables bought from local markets. Lunch today was carrots, strawberries, kiwi, and apples. I can't get enough of the colors and taste.

The blooming trees are filled with big green leaves and the kids live outside. It's these little things that make me happy.