Jun 26, 2009

flashback friday: the greatest summers

I think every kid deserves magical summer times....time to run around the neighborhood without their shoes on. Ride their bike wherever their heart desires. Build a raft and float it down the canal. Sleep out back under the stars. Make flower dolls (preferably using snapdragons). Pile in the station wagon for a family road trip. Ride the wagon down our front driveway. Play baseball in the field with all of the neighbor kids. Run through the sprinklers. Eat as many otter pops as you can manage. Go fishing/camping/hiking with your family. Build jumps to ride your bike over. Make a lemonade stand. Wash the car with your Dad. Help your Mom plant and take care of the garden. Play BABA baseball with your friends. See how fast you can cruise down the slip-n-slide. Family reunions. Playing in the sandbox under our deck. Go for family bike rides, usually ending up at DQ. Play basketball out back. Jump on the neighbor's trampoline (we were never allowed to have one...). Go to the Burley Fair and rodeo, mainly to see the cute boys and show off new school clothes. Go boating on the wonderful Snake River. Go running or bike riding on the canal banks. Have barbecues at least once a week and always include delicious home-made ice cream. Lay out on the deck cozied up in a blanket during a thunderstorm. Pack a lunch and take it to the park. Have slumber parties every weekend and go TPing. Go swimming at the Burley Pool. Sleep in and watch cartoons in the morning. ETC...

Totally magical.

What did you do in the summertime as a kid?

8 comments:

Mom and Dad said...

Your flashback brought back wonderful memories of summers. I loved doing all those things as a child and as a mom and now as a grandma. You have an astounding memory of your childhood, and you are an interesting writer. Keep it up. One thing I loved in the summer was hearing the ice cream man's truck coming down the street and running to get my money.
love you, Mom
P.S. Let's sleep out under the stars with Gracie soon.

Mom and Dad said...

By the way, I loved that fishing picture. Notice the Tetons in the background. We were in Driggs.
mom

Elliot said...

So apparently you and I had the EXACT SAME summer (minus making flower dolls and going to the fair for cute boys). That's crazy how spot-on my experience was with yours. It makes sense, but at the same time it's almost spooky how you covered everything I ever did in the summer growing up (no doubt cause we did much of it together, but still...cool to read it!)

I loved summers too. Good times. (I don't know if you mentioned riding our bikes to the Burley Pool--seems like that happened a bit.)

Valerie and Garrett said...

Abby, your post put pictures in my head of my childhood summers! I did so many of the same things. You mentioned running through the sprinklers, we used to put the sprinkler under our trampoline. Growing up on a farm, I have lots of memories driving the 4-wheeler to check water (irrigation) for my dad. Also, smells are huge to me: freshly cut hay or smoke smell coming from my mom burning the weeds off of our ditch bank! ah...what wonderful, carefree times summers were! Thanks for the post! LOVE IT! :)

Laura said...

Those sound like the summers I had growing up. Isn't Idaho great?

SAYDA said...

I love that picture! That must be Elliot. Like your mom said, I loved waiting for the ice cream man. As soon as we heard the music coming down the street next to ours, we were all running around trying to get enough money to buy our ice cream.

By the way... our new address is
saydasjournal.blogspot.com

Since I use first names, I didn't want them connected to our last name.

Nancy said...

"Oh, what do you do in the summer time when all the world is green. Do you fish in the stream, or lazily dream on the banks as the clouds go by? Is that what you do? So do I!" Ha ha. Being a kid makes summers the best! Being a working adult in HOT Phx Az makes summer not so great ; )

Unknown said...

I'm pretty sure I did almost all of those summer activities with you. And loved every minute of it! Great memories.