Summer pains

Oh, the adjustments of a new season, the aches and pains that come with yet a little more growth and change.  Another summer. 

Oh, the tragic discoveries when summer items are unearthed:

Swimsuits too small, inflatable whatnots that did not survive the winter; a slip n slide with a hole; a missing flip-flop.

And oh, the joys of summer items long since forgotten:

The watering cans and garden shovels, the spray bottles and crusty old trucks; the sandbox toys; the goggles and beach towels; the demands of the children to recreate the summer memories again, right now, this minute.

Oh, the regrets of the mommy.  She kicks herself, again, for not going through the box before she let them see it!  So many little things for the dog to steal away and the mower to crush.

Hey kids, come here for a second...

Each rosy-cheeked child has grown taller, stronger limbs and stronger opinions.  The opinions clash and collide as school children try to remember how to coexist with preschoolers again.

Mama adjusts to new conflicts and new chores: the gritty sandy floors, the grass clippings in the bathtub; the muddy tracks from little feet (“Hey look! Markie prints!”); the extra laundry, the increased demand for cold drinks and popsicles.

A freshly painted picnic table; small plants in a new garden;  a new tree house; the world calls us to new adventures.  We welcome hot days and summer change. 


Besides, I do so enjoy spraying children with the hose.