There are diapers to change, binki’s or bo bo’s to be found, burps to be wiped up and musical toys to be wound up. Which btw… why are baby toys not on wifi? So I can run them from my phone on an endless loop? Probably because mom’s don’t make baby toys…. they are too busy changing diapers and wiping up burps.
Days of holding, rocking, making faces and making memories. Days of being with two children I gave birth to and did the same things with and for, so long ago. Days building relationship with my new “daughter” who I didn’t give birth to but who lets me do anything in her home that I want to – I mean it, last time she let me re-arrange her kitchen cabinets. (So weird.. she just hollered for me to tell her where I put the food chopper!) How lucky can a girl get? I mean really – I have said it before, I will say it again – I LOVE being with my children and now grandchild. The ONLY thing that would be better would be to have the other two and my DH here as well. But someone in our household needs to work… because it is not me!
These are the lazy days of summer. The days when you have no responsibilities. The days that run one into the other. When the list may not get accomplished. We all should have summers off. If I was in charge that is exactly what would happen!
Living most of my life at the beach, I understand summer on a whole different level. Once I was a pre-teen, I worked a summer job, just like everyone else – but the rest of my summer was spent on the beach, on a boat, or on a bike. Days were filled with baby oil, salt water, cut offs and bathing suit tops (yes I was once much, much, thinner!) and going to the local summer stock theatre. Beaches were free access, and we hated “day trippers” who parked on our street- so we all got smart and parked our own cars on the street Friday nights so there was no room for them on Saturday morning. We were so clever… took our parents years to figure that one out! Fish was often caught by my older brother and served for dinner. Piss clams showed up for “happy hour” on our sun deck, with its view of the Atlantic, on a regular basis. You never showered in the house if you had been to the beach – we had an outdoor shower for that – then you could come in the house. You hated the days when there was a “land breeze” because it was hot and there were flies. But, usually by late morning, the wind would shift and it would be cooler and fly free. Nights were spent reading too late and watching the ocean mist accumulate on the screens in your bedroom. Gosh I miss this kind of summer.
I traded it for Kansas summers, where it is a “dry” heat… well almost… and 4 kids out of school and too hot to be outside. Everyone on a baseball or softball team, friends coming over and never leaving, always being sure to have extra for supper (sometimes, my DH and I waiting until all the kids had gotten their plate and hoping there would be enough for everyone). Driving my kids and other people’s kids around, $1 movies, planning a summer vacation to some place hotter than Kansas – usually Texas- and wishing it would never end.
I hated the first day of school – I hated when it was over. I hated giving my kids back to the structure and routine of school days- I hated that I had to go back to the structure.When other parents were counting down the days until they could send their kids back to school, I was counting them with sadness. I miss this kind of summer too.
Two very different kinds of summer’s – both very wonderful, both too short. Too short from June to August and too short from 8 years old to 58 years old. When I was 8 did I have any idea what those summers would mean to me at 58? Nope – and when I was 38 I didn’t know what they would mean either. Summer still evokes the same desire of being laid back, wake up late, stay up late, sand between my toes or baseball fields with peanuts and big chew. But, those days are over and I need to find my summer place in a different way. In a different place. And I have…Each evening with my hubby on our patio, listening to the fountain in the pond, in our zero gravity recliners, and a glass of wine in my hand. Would be nice to be able to add the piss clams to the wine…just sayin….
These summer days spent with Miss Aria are priceless. Thank you to my hubby, my best friend, the person I share everything with. Thank you for encouraging me to make this trip. We will never pass this way again. We will never have these precious moments, these cuddles, these tears, these grins. This pre-bulimic behavior of sticking her fingers down her throat…As she lays on my lap, and coos and toots, I type my blog. We are pals today, she smiles for my phone. Sometimes, I think she believes the phone is a person in her life we take so many pictures of her. She will have no memory of our time together -but I will – at least until dementia sets in – what was I talking about?
Now, about the three grand dogs….. good lord….I have no words….
