Our summer has been so much fun. When I sit down to recap the last few week, I just lean my head back, sigh softly, and smile. Being a full time mom, the weather has a major impact on our days. I’ve been soaking in the warm weather, the hours spent hanging out in the yard, and the ease and fun that playing in the yard brings.
Here are some thoughts about our last weeks:
- Andrew got a tricycle a few weeks ago (a $4 garage sale find!). He LOVES it. He named it Oriole (because it sings (squeaks) like a bird). I think I jumped the gun by getting him a bike with training wheels. He wasn’t interested in riding it (“I’ll ride it tomorrow,” he would say). When he did ride it, he was very nervous and didn’t want to go far. And that defeated the whole idea of having a bike to play on in the summer. With his tricycle, he’s been zipping up and down the driveway every day, and he is much happier and more comfortable. Now I need to get Sylvia a trike because she really wants to ride Andrew’s, and it’s just too big for a little girl!
- The lightening bugs have come out. I love lightening bugs. Magic in my yard. I have four clematis vines growing on our front porch. The summer blooming ones are doing alright, and the fall blooming one is magnificent. I look forward to seeing its blooms in a couple months!
- We’ve enjoyed lots of picnics this summer. We’ve met friends at parks and beaches, picnicked in our own back yard, and in general gotten lots of use of my beloved picnic basket. It was a lot of fun to see Sarah and baby Charlie at the beach last week! Can you believe he is going to be one next month? Wow.
- Andrew’s obsession with Godzilla has lessened slightly. He had five monster DVDs that he was completely obsessed with, and those have gone on vacation. He doesn’t seem to mind that they’re gone. I don’t think I have conveyed the depth to which Andrew’s consciousness was focused on all things Godzilla. There were a few weeks there where I don’t think two minutes went by without some Godzilla (or Mothra, Rodan, King Gidora, Mechagodzilla, Manilla, Titanasarus, Angus, etc.) reference. Now that it’s toned down, I feel relief. I think our family tends toward the obsessive, so Andrew comes by it naturally. We’re reading more books and playing more games these days. I think it’s a better fit. One thing that has been fun is that Andrew got figurines of Godzilla and three other monsters for his birthday. He loves playing with them and actually plays with them independently for good chunks of time. The monsters play with the other animals he has, and they all seem to get along well. For monsters that is.
- Our vegetable garden is growing well, and we’ve enjoyed lots of home-grown salads. Our spinach, lettuce, raddish, and peas have been yummy. Sylvia runs to the garden shouting “EEEESSSS!!” The tomatoes are just starting, so I’ll look forward to tasting their yummy goodness in August!
All-in-all, we’ve had a lovely last month. It’s been a very cool summer (with a major exception the week of Andrew’s birthday when it was in the 90s all week!). I wish I could bottle these summer days. I think I’m trying to do that by making jam. We’re up to three kinds (strawberry, blueberry, and now apricot). Sweet summer.