Its Summer Vacation!

You can say that again. I can hear the parents groan as they try and figure out ways to keep the kids busy and I can hear the kids groan as they are told to do stuff.

What a joyful time of year - the birds are out in full swing, the sun rises earlier, the days are longer and no homework. Wait, actually I should take that back - there is plenty of homework - how much is assigned by the teacher and how much by the parents is a different issue.

If you ask my preteen he will say summer is one long weekend. Play video games, watch tv and do nothing. There was a time when summer vacation meant going to see grandparents, jumping in the lake, climbing trees, going on a picnic, watching movies, staying up late and telling ghost stories. I think it still is - its just that you have to take the time to plan and make sure it happens.

So what else can you do to recreate the summer of your childhood? I have to include camping, watching movies outside, lying on a hammock and drinking a tall glass of iced tea, gardening, the fragrance of jasmine, running through the sprinklers, writing with chalk on the sidewalk, blowing bubbles, biking, eating watermelon and having a seed spitting contest to name a few. What triggers your memory?