Summer!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
Okay, so that line from Jabberwocky doesn’t have anything to do with being excited about summer, but Amy has somehow inserted it into my vocabulary as an expression of joy. I suppose I’m chortling. In my joy.
We are having a wonderful summer so far. Amy Jo came for a visit to help me paint the kids’ new playroom last week, and we had an impromptu celebration of the first day of summer on the day she arrived. We took all six kids to the park and let them swim in the lake. When we got home, we let the kids bake Kyra’s birthday cake. They all worked together to follow the directions on the cake mix, and had help only in putting the cake in and taking it out of the oven. While they were busy making the cake, Amy and I went out in the backyard and built a firepit and cut and sharpened sticks. When it got close to dark, we surprised the kids with roasting hot dogs, marshmallows, and making s’mores. My friend, Claire, and her two kids came over and joined us. We also had root beers and cream sodas in glass bottles. That somehow made it a lot better. Amy and I had fun making the fire. We thought we were all that. After we ate, we sat around in the dark and told stories and sang songs. Also, there were lightening bugs and a warm summer breeze. It couldn’t have been much better.
I make a motion to begin each summer for the rest of our lives this way. Can I get a second?
Since then, my days have been filled with painting a playroom, cleaning out kids’ clothes and toys and numerous trips to drop stuff off at Goodwill, gardening, eating watermelon, popcicles, and peaches, going on an all day date with my husband, and kicking back with the kids.
Life is good.
Summer is great.
