Summertime Fun

My four grandkids, ages 2-8, and I have begun a sort of tradition this summer. I'm not sure how long it will last, but so far it's been interesting.

Each morning about 9:30, we've taken off for a walk to the neighborhood park, where there's a merry-go-round that's off kilter, two sets of swings, three sets of climbing bars, and a tall slide. It's a large park and includes a backstop for baseball or even soccer and a cement basketball court with two basketball goals. It also has very little shade. After all, this is Kansas, which isn't known for an abundance of trees. Not out here on the prairie.

Wednesday, after the kids had played for a while, I noticed the sky in the southwest had become cloudy and very dark. Obviously it was time to head home. We were a block from home when huge drops of rain started falling, along with some tiny hail. We walked faster, and the rain fell faster. We made it to my yard and hurried to the porch, just as the sky opened up and thunder boomed, scaring not-yet 3-year-old Jaxon. I thought that would probably be the end of the trips to the park. I was wrong.

Going to the park was the first thing out of Jaxon's mouth on Thursday, so we made a return trip, but this time it was sunny, windy and humid, with no clouds, white or dark, in the sky. We took juice and colorful Fish crackers, and Jaxon finally mastered the slide, something he's been afraid of doing.

The trip to the park seems to help us start the day off better. They get to play off some of their morning energy, while I get some needed exercise, and we do it before it gets really hot. It will be interesting to see if they are the first to lose interest or if I'll be the one to call a halt when the temps reach double digits. Either way, I hope when they're older they'll remember the trips to the park and the fun they had. Making memories isn't nearly as hard as it sounds. Have you made any memories as summer has begun?