Summertime

I love summer and all that it means. I love the hot, the snow-shacks, the long nights...all of it. Even though I have to work and be the mom these days, summer is just the greatest. I've got babysitters whenever I want them and visitors all the time. The most relaxing time of the year for sure.



When I was a kid - the best part of summer was swimming at my grandma's house - every single day and sometimes, most nights. It's beyond me how lucky us grandkids were (and still are) to have our own private pool in my grandma's back yard. Growing up it was like having the best kept secret in the entire world. Just for us kids - our oasis in the backyard. My grandma would do "open-plunge" when I was little. Once a week she'd let the neighborhood kids come and swim. I spent the entire time, every week in the house - usually sitting on top of the washing machine, waiting for my grandma to blow her whitstle and all the kids to go home - you see - to say that us grandkids were spoiled is an understatment. We always wanted the pool to ourselves and you never knew what would be left in the pool once the neighborhood was done swimming. Usually just clumps of hair - but one time - yup! That was the end of open plunge, when someone pooped in the pool.

Some of my best memories are having the pool all to myself. No one else wanted to swim and it'd just be me and my grandma - she sitting on the deck and me floating around by myself.

There isn't much these days that brings me greater joy than taking my water lovin' monkey to the pool - I love that he likes the water and that my grandma is around to watch him swim and splash. And, a day at the pool wouldn't be complete without some tears - from Elliott because my mom (his grandma) threw him into the pool. She's done it to every kid that has ever swam at grandma's and today, she did it to Elliott. He wasn't pleased, but he survived.

The best part of swimming at grandma's was and always is....ice cream!

As soon as your out of the water - you head to the freezer for a delicious treat. If it's a big group of kids, you get the creamies - if it's just you and grandma? We break out the dove bars!

Elliott has embraced the ice cream tradition - ready and willing to scarf something down as quickly as possible. He also loves playing at his great-gramda's house. I do, too. What could be better.