When I think of summer as a child, all I remember is sunshine, swimming, playing, and going to bed with dirty legs, and blackberry breath. In our house, we call those "Summer Legs." When I close my eyes and think back, I can almost smell the leftover chlorine on my skin, the sandy grit feel of my flip flops, heavy, with leftover beach sand, and an itchy back from where my sunscreen had worn thin. I stand now, thirty years later, in front of my calendar, and I shake my head. Almost everyday has something scrawled on it. How did this happen? When did I grow out of summer?
After a long Hmmmm...at the calendar, instead of freaking out over the scrawls, I pledge to do a whole lot of nothing on the days that bleed into those amazing summer evenings, and accept summer's invitation to drop it all and come play. Why not be seven with Gracie, this summer?? This has to be the summer that I do this, as I can feel her wings strengthening, only needing my nudge and not my hand anymore. I can almost hear her growing, and that panic and pride is welling up inside, as I am realizing that I am loosing a sense of parental control, the older, and wiser she gets.
Oh my dear. She just walked into the room and asked me to zipper up the back of her Snow White dress she just climbed into. Deep sigh. All is well. I suppose it counters the fact that she has been saving her money for a Tablet, and has found a way to connect to the Internet on her wii. Sneaky little thing. Gulp.
Last Wednesday, to her displeasure, school let out. I knew she liked school, but I was surprised by her reaction. She was very sad to be out for the whole summer. She "can't wait for fall!," she says. She wants back to school. Badly.
Oh, my.
This summer has to be it, before I blink my eyes, and going to the beach doesn't mean shovels and pails anymore, but bikini's and boys.
After a celebratory lunch out, we girls headed to the beach along with the hoards of tweeny boppers and sun seekers.
KVI was a hoppin' as I looked to find a sandy spot. Kids and adults of all ages bathed in the sunshine. Some game of "tag the person with the ball" was being played by a grouping of fourth graders. Little ones were splashing in the shallowness of a low tide. Someone was grilling up hot dogs in a beach fire pit for a large group of hungry children, and a group of scantily clad teens sauntered the shoreline like leggy gazelles. A groovy snapshot of summer, and we are ready to play, seven year old style, which means swimming in the sound!
I hesitate to look forward at the pages in my calendar as things really heat up, late summer. I think I'll run not walk, eat more ice cream, stay up past my bedtime, acquire crazy tan lines, and go to bed with those "Summer legs," evidence, of a day well spent.
Time to turn back the dials on the clock of ages to seven,
: )
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This weekend we went to celebrate Bina's first birthday! I remember writing her birth story just a hop, skip, and a jump ago. Remember "The Story of Sabina?" Welp, she's done all grown up, and turned one whole year already.
I love first year birthdays. They are my favorite.
I think it's because I love to watch that first bite of cake. The ultimate whole body satisfaction of "Mmmmmm!!!!"
Shouldn't we all eat birthday cake like this??? Yes, I think it should be mandatory. You eat that cake, girl.
Happy first birthday to little miss Bina. Let your story continue!! XOXO ~auntie M
I will be back for a quickie post on Thursday, in place of next Sunday's post.
Summer Legs are a callin'!
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