An Old-Fashioned Summer

Summer is the stuff of which childhood dreams are made. From the second the school bell rings at the end of the year to the sound of it once more come fall, feet hit the pavement to get out and have as much fun as they can...while they can. As a kid, summers were spent outside from dawn til dusk. We'd run the neighborhood, where we knew just about everyone on every block, and experience the freedom that only children in the summertime can truly know. Our trusty bikes carried us to whatever adventure we could dream up. We'd invent mysteries that needed solving, explore the nearby creek, and climb trees until the skies grew dark and street lights would emit that familiar glow telling us it was time to go home. I can remember spending long afternoons at the pool, staying until my fingers were shriveled raisins and the lifeguards had to chase us out at the end of the day. My friends lived just across the street, and family dinners were often shared on the screened in porch. These are the memories that I carry with me as an adult and the types of memories that I want to pass on to my children. I would love nothing more than for them to look back on their childhood and tell stories of the amazing adventures they once had.

True to my word on my last post, I set about to live in the present moment, put the future aside, and enjoy an old-fashioned summer weekend. Weekends are the only days we have as a family without the comings and goings of the busy schedule my little one has to keep. The weeks can get pretty stressful for all of us, and often when given the chance, he will choose to stay at home on the weekends to just play. We usually try to do something extra special on at least Saturday or Sunday (if he's up to it), and this weekend was no exception.

I have been trying to get my little man to camp out in the backyard for the past two summers. We have yet to accomplish this feat, and I am not going to push him to do that until he is ready. I asked if he'd like to try camping again this weekend, to which he replied, "No, thank you!" While it's on my summer bucket list, apparently, it's not high on his. Striking camping off our list (yet again), we did other things that childhood memories are made of: making homemade ice cream, splashing around at the neighborhood pool, sitting by the crackling campfire, roasting marshmallows for melty s’mores, catching twinkling lightning bugs, and cooling off in the sprinkler. Baby Sister had a fantastic time at the pool (it was her first time), and she loved the sprinkler too--apparently, she's a water baby! She had to miss out on the campfire festivities as she was way too exhausted from her afternoon outing.

My Little Man overcame a lot of fears and found that brave part that lives deep within--he ran through the sprinkler for the first time (which I've been trying to get him to do for a month) and conquered his fears at the pool. He was too young to remember going to the pool last summer, so it felt like the first time all over again. He was ready to leave within five minutes of arriving. Seeing the smile on his face and the pride at overcoming his anxieties showed me that when I can battle my deepest fears and live in the present moment, I am giving him permission and allowing him to do the same. That realization hit me hard and made me contemplate: how much more free from fear could he be if I first set that example for him?

When I asked him what his favorite part of the weekend was, he whispered, “The campfire!”, with a contented smile and an exhausted sigh. He had been waiting so hard to roast marshmallows over the fire like "Monkey George" (Curious George). I learned yet another important lesson as I journey through this unknown experience, one that I hope I will never forget. I know that I will carry the memories of this weekend with me forever, and I hope that they linger in him for just as long. Maybe backyard camping can be in our near future, if I keep leading the way with my brave part so that his little brave part can follow.

This wall hanging is just outside the Little
Man's room. I couldn't say it better myself!

(Feature photo courtesy of pixabay.com)