Summertime

Memorial Day always seems to be the first weekend of summer, even though the Oldest Kidlet still has a couple weeks left of his school year.

And ours was packed. There was a graduation party for Brother-in-law’s girlfriend. TheBoy and I went to a Dodgers game. And yesterday, the boys went across the street and ran through the sprinklers with a neighbor.

While I was talking with my neighbor, we started to talk about how kids don’t play the way you used to. (Yes, I know, I was talking with someone. I’m proud of me, too) And it’s true. When I was a kid, it was totally normal to shove your kids outside so that they could run around the neighborhood as a pack. My sister and I weren’t all that old and we’d ride around in front of our house (we lived in a condo development where there was an oval sidewalk with a big grassy area- so we would just ride in an oval for hours). By the time we were in fourth and fifth grade, we were spending all our time in the alley playing with the other kids (including the bicycle rodeo where we tried to knock over a GIANT pylon). Even when I was in high school and was the oldest kid in our new neighborhood, we had giant water fights.

You don’t see it all that often these days, though. When the neighbor showed up at the door to ask if the Oldest Kidlet could come over and play, I did a double take. People make play dates now (how I loathe the term) instead of just asking if kids can come over. It’s all structured and boring. This were little kids running through a sprinkler and then shooting each other with a water gun.

And it was fantastic, watching the kids play the way that I used to- and both of the boys are excited at the prospect of a summer filled with days like that.

So here’s to the lazy days of summer!