Summertime, and the living is easy

Summer.
Bare feet and few plans.

foozball!

We have a couple of camps planned for July, but right now?  We wake up relaxed, with nowhere to rush to.  After breakfast we go down and open up the garage.  Usually one of the other three families in our shared driveway already has their garage open.

They scooter right on over with their bare feet.  And all the kids start playing.  The neighborhood kids.   I have been organizing the garage, trying especially to get my art supplies in order.   So while I do that, sorting boxes and such, the kids spend time making "stuff" at the table with string, glue, cardboard. Cutting and hole punching cards and signs for their store.  A big tv out of a box with remote.   They scoot into the box with their dirty feet sticking out, while one changes the "channels", the other intermittently sings and tells the weather.
After a while they go off and bike or scooter around.  Throw balls for the dogs.

Paper, scissors, glue and string

 Back and forth, a mix of ages, playing in the carefree way that summer should be.  I am so happy.

tricycles and popsicles 

And then the other evening was the first fireworks of the season, shot off from the baseball stadium that we can see from our house.  Some neighbors came over, and while we sat on the balcony, sipping our beverages, waiting for the last inning the kids started a band and marched around the house, up and down the stairs.  I dubbed them the Humbert Honeydrops.  And my parents and siblings came over, and the fireworks were superb.  Other neighbors were out, in front of their houses.  The teenagers were filming everything on their cellphones.  A couple of cars were parked down by the tracks, vintage cars, looking like they were about to start a drag race.
Lest I forget, we also spent our first Monday hanging out at a creek.  We picked up a couple of friends and there we went, from kinder to eight grade and a few in between.   Pants rolled up.  Looking for tadpoles.  We took sketchbooks and magnifying glasses.
So there you have it, summer so far.   All good.
(and we're going to Yosemite next week for the first time!)