Today as we were picking raspberries, Audra was asking about what life was like when I was her age.
Flashback to a typical day in July in 1990.
I'd wake up in my room and fly downstairs. There would be a dog or two to greet me. I'd head outside to take care of my bunnies and perhaps pick a snack or two from the garden. I might pump my legs on the swings a few times before going in for breakfast. After breakfast, which was likely an English muffin with peanutbutter, my mom would send us to get our bathing suits on to get ready for swimming lessons at the beach (on the St. Lawrence River). If we got our suits on, we could watch Zoobilee Zoo until it was time to go. (I am 100% sure this was for my brother, who did not want to swim, but always wanted to watch a show!). We never were able to finish the whole Zoobilee Zoo show, as we had to get to lessons. We'd hop in the blue stationwagon, that was already starting to heat up from the day. We'd get to the beach and I'd sprint to my swim instructor, eager to get started. My brother would harrumph all the way, stand there shivering, declaring he's never going in. He'd eventually end up going in and we'd have a jolly time diving for tin foiled rocks after our lesson was finished. The moms would sit under the pavilion, snapping peas or beans, laughing away. Sometimes we'd stay at the beach and have picnics with friends. Then we'd take one slide down the metal slide that would practically burn our bottoms before we'd get the car and manually crank our windows down as quickly as humanly possible. Then we'd pray and pray it was a day we'd stop at Parkway to get a slushie. If it was a slushie day, I'd make that thing last until we got home and did afternoon books with the slushie. Then we'd pray it would not be a haying day, but instead a day that we could swing on the swings and forage in the garden until we were called for dinner.
Audra quipped, "Wow, that sounds a lot like our day! Do you do our days like your mom did your days because she was such a good mom."
You know, I hadn't thought of that. I guess so.
Audra claims that she will do everything I do because I'm such a good mom. And that comment right there pretty much made my summer.
In case you're wondering, here was our July day, which just happens to be quite typical to our everyday summer day.
The kids basically woke up and ran outside. They tended their animals and helped me pick raspberries. I pulled a few weeds and they went on some adventure with butterfly nets in each of their hands. A couple readings and then shooed off to get swimsuits on. We rode those ocean waves, got them a little french fry treat, came home just in time for their 4-H classes (Adrian is taking watercolor painting and Audra is taking Fiber Arts). Free time followed until dinner. Books to end the day.
There is much to celebrate in the ordinary.
Since the above is all I see when we are there, I made her take the below before we left.
