I vaguely remember my summer's as a youth as b-o-r-i-n-g. The summer always started great - typically we kicked off with a joint bday party for Laina & me. Barbie cakes were a big hit, as was any kind of fishing game, and Laina would always cry whenever anyone sang 'Happy Birthday'. I can't remember when Laina stopped crying at her bday song...I assume it was before she was in 3rd grade, but that's the thing with memories, they all kind of blend after a while. Anyway, after the grand start, nothing could really 'live-up' to the challenge of summer; (the exception being those years we got to visit the farm in MO, but that's another blog post!). We would play with the neighbor kids, emerging at dusk and staying out until the street-lights turned on. We'd swim in our little (and later bigger) above ground pool, and one summer at a neighbors pool. The community pool was done at some time (I remember the love/hate relationship I had with the high dive, but I'm not sure really when I/we attended it). One of my fav memories was re-enacting a scene from The Little Mermaid with Beanie in one of the dinky now $20 pools and Mom coming home and looking at us like we were NUTS before laying down for nap:-). Most of the time we stayed indoors (it was AZ, after all), walking around in our underwear with the house as dark as a tomb. The summer really only existed in the twilight and dark hours, when everyone came out to play as the sun finally set and released us all from its brutally bright, hot grip.
So, because of my history, it is hard for me to say 'no' to late night games when the neighbors all come out in similar fashion here in San Antonio. Despite my best intentions, we have (again) fallen into the pattern of 'just 15 more minutes' and next thing you know all the kiddos are over-tired at 10pm and later, and we have an exhausted 'cycle' throughout the summer months. Then I add to the cycle by encouraging nights like tomorrow, when Natalie, Ella & their cousin Kristen (who has generously agreed to take them to their first midnight premier!) are seeing the final Harry Potter movie. I'm sure the next 3 days aren't going to be any fun, what with resetting the body clocks of the teen & pre-teen, but I'm sure a 'forever' memory will be made :-). Some of our other memories in the making this summer are:
1) The birth and care (finally!) of a new nest of finches. There were 5 eggs, 4 of which have survived exactly one week, and who are just now opening their eyes! After batch after batch of heartache with the previous baby birds being thrown from the nest and dying, it is with cautious optimism that we meet this next bunch. It is truly amazing to see how much the birds have grown, and we all smile when they squawk for their feedings:-).
2) The care of Grace's ear piercings...she always knew that once she was eight she could make the decision to have them done, but didn't really want to until this last week. She was SO brave at the ear piercing, and she looks so grown up with them done! The really weird part is looking at our new grown-up Grace and not being able to remember her w/o earrings!
3) The imminent arrival of baby Noah, our good friend the McNabb's baby. Noah has been a much-prayed-for baby, (esp by David, as he desires another BOY to play with!), and we recently hosted a baby shower in his honor. If he does not arrive on his own, we expect to meet him the 25th of this month!
We have wrapped up a year of Harry Potter book club meetings, attended an Art Camp, participated in our neighborhood 4th parade, (sadly, no fireworks as our drought is too bad this year!), are preparing for Youth Orchestra, have enjoyed the pool, experienced 'free' movies at our local theater, attended countless cookouts and one special surprise party, and have thrown in a page or two of schooling just to keep life interesting. We have a few more Girl Scout events (Ella is now Am.Red Cross Certified in CPR and First Aid thanks to her course work at our local GS center!) another business/school trip for Dad and I'm sure a LOT more unexpected but somehow expected (as it IS summer) events, before our already packed fall. Which makes me wonder....is this how our 'boring' summers were perceived by our parents growing up? Busy, busy, busy and we just kind of went with the flow (as children are apt to do) without regard to the busy-ness?
Our summer is SO not b-o-r-i-n-g!
We'll keep ya'll posted...
Love Much,
The Meissler 7
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