Days of Summer:

What do you remember most about summers spent as a youth? I can tell you that what is not top on my top list of memories are the ones of spending time with my parents, other than the times that we traveled together.

I remember slip and slides, ice cream cones, brown suede clogs, jean shorts, producing and orchestrating plays in our backyard and biking to McDonalds, which was across the border in Enfield, CT. As I got older the memories become more dreamy, more like hazy, of rope swings into polluted rivers, of killing our Jeep Wagoneer by driving it over huge whoopdeedoos with pints of Blackberry Brandy clinking together under the car seat. I remember chasing boys who were hanging out at illegal bonfire parties in the woods and being chased by police after being busted from those parties. And, I kind of remember pool hopping at night and beach trips with friends. Summer was about freedom and exploring the boundaries of our youth.

It’s different now, kids are supervised and when you live in a valley where friends are so spread out and kids have to be driven or bussed to get anywhere, parents become an essential part of the equation. Which I’m thinking is a good thing. Thankfully mine are not yet teenagers!

If I weren’t so busy working from home, I would never in a million years be the witness of my boys becoming so self sufficient. Pre-blog, I was always doing everything for them as their social coordinator and their guide. Now, they make due, quite well I may add, without me.

Take the other morning for example, they wanted to do a lemonade stand right then and there but mornings are my time to write and so they figured it all out on there own, digging out the red wagon that was once used to take my little Princes out on walks in the dead of winter. Bundled up in blankets, their heads carefully placed on Down pillows, I would walk for miles and miles teaching them about the wonders of the world.

The boys rounded up all of their money and rode their BMX bikes into town to buy ice and lemonade mix (had I guided them it would have been a whole lot more expensive and time consuming to buy lemons and make the juice ourselves).

They made signs and headed to town to make some money, using their little brother and his friends as the cute selling agents. The next day they did it all over again and ended up making the beginnings of their college money, only, they will no doubt spend it all on candy since mommy has finally caught on that it is truly insane to continue to support their candy addiction. If they want to feast on the poison let them find ways to support their bad habit.

When asked how the day went they told me about how my friends would come over to talk with them and take them away from their business resulting in the loss of customers. Parents, they can be so clueless!

As for writing…I’m finding it difficult to get anything done for even though they are showing me how well they can manage without my help, they still want my input, and I still want to be by their sides, before girls become more important to them than their dear ole mum…..even if they won’t remember me as being part of the picture.