Last week when I had the kids out back in the sprinkler I got to thinking about how children love the water – even freezing cold water – and how much fun I had as a child playing in the sprinkler, swimming and then I remembered the Slip and Slide. Although in my head I remember it as the Banana Slide and it had a banana attachment for the end of the hose but still that long yellow tarp.
I remember laughing, sliding all over it, randomly hurting ourselves if we slipped to hard or tried to be smart and slide standing up. I remember the little pieces of grass all over our bodies, especially if dad had recently cut the grass.
Then I was thinking about other summer fun. Roasting marshmallows by a warm fire. Playing hide and seek in the corn field between the stalks. Riding our bikes to our grandfather’s farm. The Drive-In movies. Before the days when we became too-cool to play or when we reached the age our summer was filled with a part time job, the relaxing days of summer were care free and full of childish fun.
But oh how I remember the laughing. It was so much fun. Now, as I watch my children enjoy the spoils of summer, I am satisfied knowing they are building their own memories. I hope they remember how the grass felt on their feet too.
What are some of your favourite summer memories that make you smile?
Loved this post! Made me recall those summer days when we used to run and play all over our neighbourhoods and would only come home when we heard our mother’s calling out to us that it was *time to come in* Those were long before the term *helicopter parenting* was ever coined and when kids used to drink from the outside taps and garden hoses!