An Old Friend

This is the first year in my memory where I can say that summer seems to have just kind of sneaked up on me. Usually, I start pining for it sometime after the new year and work myself into an excited frenzy about it by early April. I don't know if it is because we had a very mild winter, or if perhaps it is because the older I get, the faster life seems to just whiz by, but for whatever reason, I feel as though in the past few months, I've had a moment every few weeks where I think "I can't believe it's April already!" or "Memorial Day weekend is next week?!?!?" before I am drawn, inevitably, back down into the busy, chaotic buzz that is our daily lives, only to be caught offguard by the passing of time once again a few weeks later.

That was a pretty lengthy introduction to announce that summer seems to be here, in full swing, ready or not. The weather seems to have finally shed the rainy, cool act it was carrying around for much of the spring in favor of sunny, 80 degree days. The not quite ready for the beach bodies (mine included!)--untanned and still carrying a bit of that winter weight--have made their way back to the beach. Sunscreen and a swim diaper have repositioned themselves as permanent items in my purse. Sand is finding itself in all sorts of places it shouldn't be once again (I think it was close to November last year before I stopped finding bits of sand here and there in the house and car). The car is being ditched in favor of the bikes whenever possible. Popsicles, roasted marshmallows, and treats from the ice cream truck (which makes a very noisy loop through our neighborhood each night at just about the time I would normally consider corralling the kids inside to get ready for bed) have become daily staples of our diets once again. The lingering evening daylight has made me discard the normal bedtimes with abandon, and the girls can be found running around the neighborhood backyards well past what any sane parent would consider a 'reasonable hour.'

It is glorious, I tell you. I may not have been pining for summer this year, but having it back has made me realize that I should have been, all along! Here's to June, July, and August!