Summer

Crickets. Icy popsicles sliding down the back of one's throat. Heat. Running around in bare feet on the sweet, green grass after dark. Sunshine. Brightly-colored swimsuits hanging over the deck rail to dry. Juicy hot dogs in soft buns drizzled with ketchup and mustard (how burnt the dogs are depends on who's cooking, over here). All of these things say summer. Below are some fun things we enjoy during summer......


1) TP Dad's study
We did this one day while he and Mom were out grocery shopping. I hung loops from the ceiling, while the others strung it all over his radios and bookshelves. As a finishing touch Britt hung a sign that said "Beware" right in front of the door. It was marvelous, and turned out beautifully. :-)

2) Have water fights with hoses
Lately as a relief from the heat, we've taken to going outside after lunch and having water battles. Everyone puts on swimsuits, (and if we're really into it we'll put on goggles) and form sides. Usually it's Britt and John against Suzy, Chrissy, and I. Each team gets a hose that is attached to a spigot and two or three buckets. The larger team gets the handicap of the short hose with bad water pressure, while the smaller team gets the long hose with the super-strong spray nozzle. The hoses are on opposite sides of the driveway, with the trucks forming nice "cover". Then the battle is on!! Everyone has loads of fun squirting hoses and dumping water buckets over heads. The water from the hoses is nice, cold well-water, so you really cool down. Sometimes we'll be really sneaky and sabotage the other team's water supply.

3) Read
Every afternoon we have naptime, or siesta hour, or quiet time, or whatever you like to call it. Everyone picks out books of their choice, lies down on their beds, and reads for an hour or two. Sometimes they'll even fall asleep! Favorite reads this summer: The Happy Hollisters (Suzers), Tom Swift (John), Hank the Cowdog (Britt), Little Women (Chrissy), and MurderIntheClosetWithaKnife (me).

4) Form a broomstick band in the living room
If we're really wild, we'll put in our favorite CD and turn up the volume. Broomsticks and our small stools are used for stand microphones and guitars, while the side tables are pushed together for a drum set. Then we'll have our lead singer, chorus line, and the ever-popular silent, but dancing, drummer. Or we'll have competitions, to see who can rock it up the silliest. It usually lasts for about an hour, until all our energy is spent. Then we have to expend more energy to clean up!

5) Make a river
In past summmers we've dug rivers on the backyard hill. It consists of a small trough, about a foot wide that runs down the hill, ending in a large, shallow pool at the bottom. Then we place the hose at the top, and watch the water course down. Some rivers have been super elaborate, with tiny waterfalls, tunnels, turns, pebble pools, and obstructions. Then we race acorns down, or stage desperate survival attempts with same acorns. The ones that don't make it are thrown into the woods as being too puny. One year we were determined to dig a pool at the end deep enough to wade in, until Mom caught us digging by the propane tank and put a stop to it.

6) Cover as much of the house as possible with huge tents
We'll raid the linen closet for blankets and sheets, take all the available seating, and use all the available floor space to build tents. Our design has evolved through the years, starting with the unreliable use-heavy-blankets-to-make-it-as-dark-as-possible model held together with safety pins, to the present streamlined use-light-sheets-with-ceilings-high-enough-to-kneel-in model that involves strategic use of flat surfaces and weights. Every person has their own apartment and business building, completely furnished. The best ones have "electricity" which basically uses small lamps with long extension cords. They will stay up for as many as 3 days while we sleep in them, until Mom declares that she cannot live with her house like this any longer and will we please put it all away before she has a nervous breakdown.

Five children in a house with lots of odds and ends can usually come up with a lot to do. As long as we clean up afterwards, in the summertime we can pretty much do whatever. The school year, however, is a different story. :-)