Here comes SUMMER!

I love summertime. I love ice cream and lazy days and listening to the bugs humming in the trees. I love running barefoot everywhere, leaping over sprinklers and sipping homemade lemonade. Although the heat in Texas can be miserable at times, I still prefer the hot days of summer over bone-chilling winters that make my joints ache and my nose run.

Last week, I headed over to Target to pick up a few summer essentials--a fun sprinkler, a slip-n-slide, sand toys and sunscreen. Aiden was so excited about these purchases and couldn't wait to get outside and try them out, so when we had a few hours of sunshine on Friday afternoon, Aiden was itching to drag out the slip-n-slide for a test drive. He had a make-up tee ball game scheduled that day, but he was so excited and had been cooped up from the recent weeks of rainfall, we decided to play hooky and just enjoy an afternoon outdoors.

Brad set up the slip-n-slide out in the front yard while I threw together a bucket of homemade ginger peach ice cream and set it to freezing. Then we all threw on bathing suits and started sliding away. Yes, you read that correctly--the entire family got in on the slip-n-slide fun. I was sore the next morning from plopping down on my belly, but it was great fun. I had picked out a 3-lane slide that allowed us all to race, so Aiden enjoyed watching Brad and I try to beat him to the finish.

We looked a little WT, with our slip-n-slide in the front yard, but I have a theory when it comes to summer fun: fill the yard with fun toys, invite all the neighborhood kids to join in, stock the freezer with Popsicles and snacks that you wouldn't ordinarily let your kids eat, and let your kid grow up used to being the "fun" house that everyone hangs out at. Hopefully it will carry though to their teen years and you won't have to guess what your kid is up to all the time--their friends will always want to hang out at your house. (Insert evil genius laugh here). Of course, my luck, it will backfire in my face, but hey, it's worth a shot! (And no, I won't be the parent that pours alcohol for all their teen's friends--I have boundaries--but a little harmless bribing with cool toys/video games/snacks isn't going to hurt anyone!)

Here are a few pics of our front yard fun: