Summer
I don't know if it is because winter is 6 months
long here or what....but it seems like every single person in Madison, Wisconsin
gets a bit manic in the summer. We all spend every possible moment outside.
Granted, my universe is a bit small and might not totally reflect the general population. (I think that in my entire group of friends here, there are only a few people who have not run a marathon in the last 3 years.) We get the kids in tow and meet at the park or the beach or the pool. All day. Every sunny day. Sometimes, we trade kids so we can go for long, peaceful runs by the lake. There is even a neighborhood "camp" that goes on a few afternoons a week (completely outside) with teenage counselors, so the moms (and dads) can have a break.
On the days I work, the kids are at a great summer program. How do I know it is great? They are spending most of their days outside. They read their books outside and often eat their lunch outside. They've had field trips to the zoo and to the Arboretum. When I pick them up, they are invariably outside on the playground.
The windows are open. The air can finally come in. I refuse to turn on the air conditioning until it is in the 90s outside. (So far, no air conditioning at all this year....heaven.)
The sun is bright until way past 9 pm. The kids don't ever want to go to bed in the summer. They beg to go back outside. We've been slowly inching bedtime up from the normal 7:30 to 8:00 and still, they want to go out and play.
Summer days in Wisconsin - perfect and sunny and in the 70s with a nice breeze - it seems like winter will never come.
Davis really wants to go see the movie "Cars," but we just haven't found time. Spending 3 hours inside seems, well, wrong.
Dana has already forgotten her sadness of school's ending. Tonight, as we walked back from the neighborhood pool (OK, it's a Country Club...and it's around the corner....but we don't belong! Really, we don't! On Tuesdays and Sundays, they let the whole neighborhood go...so in my mind it becomes a "neighborhood pool" - not a Country Club. We are not Country Club people. Really, we're not.) Anyway, tonight, as we were walking home, she turned to me and said, "Mama, I don't want this summer to end. It's so perfect and summery."
If only I could bottle today and take it out in February!
Granted, my universe is a bit small and might not totally reflect the general population. (I think that in my entire group of friends here, there are only a few people who have not run a marathon in the last 3 years.) We get the kids in tow and meet at the park or the beach or the pool. All day. Every sunny day. Sometimes, we trade kids so we can go for long, peaceful runs by the lake. There is even a neighborhood "camp" that goes on a few afternoons a week (completely outside) with teenage counselors, so the moms (and dads) can have a break.
On the days I work, the kids are at a great summer program. How do I know it is great? They are spending most of their days outside. They read their books outside and often eat their lunch outside. They've had field trips to the zoo and to the Arboretum. When I pick them up, they are invariably outside on the playground.
The windows are open. The air can finally come in. I refuse to turn on the air conditioning until it is in the 90s outside. (So far, no air conditioning at all this year....heaven.)
The sun is bright until way past 9 pm. The kids don't ever want to go to bed in the summer. They beg to go back outside. We've been slowly inching bedtime up from the normal 7:30 to 8:00 and still, they want to go out and play.
Summer days in Wisconsin - perfect and sunny and in the 70s with a nice breeze - it seems like winter will never come.
Davis really wants to go see the movie "Cars," but we just haven't found time. Spending 3 hours inside seems, well, wrong.
Dana has already forgotten her sadness of school's ending. Tonight, as we walked back from the neighborhood pool (OK, it's a Country Club...and it's around the corner....but we don't belong! Really, we don't! On Tuesdays and Sundays, they let the whole neighborhood go...so in my mind it becomes a "neighborhood pool" - not a Country Club. We are not Country Club people. Really, we're not.) Anyway, tonight, as we were walking home, she turned to me and said, "Mama, I don't want this summer to end. It's so perfect and summery."
If only I could bottle today and take it out in February!
Posted: Tue - June 27, 2006 at 09:51 PM
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Kristen's blog on family life in WI with her 3 D's. (Daddy D, Daughter D and Son D) What can we say? We liked the letter.
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Published On: Jun 27, 2006 09:58 PM
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Published On: Jun 27, 2006 09:58 PM