Remember summertime as a kid? If you're lucky like me, you were spared summer camp and endless structure and allowed to wander free around the neighborhood, playing, riding bikes, dreaming. My Mom worked but we always had an energetic young babysitter happy to drive us to the lake to swim or collect salamanders. What I remember most is the relaxed and happy feeling of total fun.
Here are 5 ways to enjoy the lingering days of summer before they drift away:
1. Egg Toss - At the picnic yesterday we threw raw eggs back and forth and laughed riotously as they'd explode on our hands or at our feet. Normally, I'd roll my eyes sooner than roll some eggs around. But this year I'm willing to try new things.
2. Sit by the Lake - We spent some time yesterday sitting on the edge of this beautiful lake. A lake I've known about for two years but never made the time to visit. It is only 10 minutes from my house and it is miraculous. The kids all waded in and looked for bugs and creatures, while I sat and smiled, remembering how lovely it is to have free unstructured time.
3. Three Legged Race - Have you ever done one of these? They are magnificent and so much fun. I have the cardiovascular health of an 80 year old obese woman but for once I didn't let that stop me (or the fact that I failed to wear proper sports brassierage). It was glorious!
4. Swimming - I'm accustomed to swimming with my three young kids... all alert and shark-eyed to make sure no one drowns. If there were an adrenalin alarm I'm sure it would go off each time I poked my baby toe into the water. So not relaxing. But the other day, I asked my Mom to watch the girls and I took a nice swim through the water all by myself... nary a thought of weight loss or trim thighs crossed my mind. Lovely, simple, and free.
5. Playing Hooky - When I used to have hangovers I would play hooky from work all the time. Now that I'm hangover and office job free, playing hooky is much more fun. My favorite workless thing to do is close down the computer and turn off the tv and the cell phone and take the girls on an adventure to a local park or farmer's market or even the mall. Playing hooky can be wonderful.
Enjoy!
Other posts by this author:
10 Ways to Embrace Family Budgeting
Embarrassing Things Kids Yell in Public
