Back in the Summer of 2010

Give yourself a sticker for surviving Summer 2010 because it is gone. I don't care what the calendar says, it's over. I know this for certain because on my daily drives to and from work I don't have to dodge fourteen boats piled high with tubes, kids, and coolers as they head for the lake. I am not seeing as many people roaming around Wal Mart in their swimming suits with armfuls of potato chips and sunscreen. Our little town has slowed down again for the winter. It is nice, and to top it off we have even had rain for three straight days.

To further cement the end of summer football has returned to our lives. The Razorbacks won their first game and have climbed to #14 and #15 in the polls. This Saturday Arica and I are heading off to our first football game of the year. We will see friends, have fun, and call the Hogs on their way to another blowout victory against a former directional Louisiana school that is now simply ULM.

Even with the joy of football season beginning we will mourn the passing of another summer. There are good and bad things about every summer in Arkansas and this year was no different. Really the only bad thing was the oppressive heat. The temperature was over 100 degrees for nearly the entire month of August. That leads to huge patches of dead grass, nearly zero outdoor activities, and high energy bills. But even the heat can't keep us from having fun.

Now it is time to recap the good things about Summer 2010 aka Braden's second summer.

This year was the first family vacation which included Braden's first Cardinals game and a trip to the zoo. We also took Braden on his first of hundreds of lake trips. We went to water parks with and without the little man. Arica and I snuck in one trip that ended with a free Billy Currington concert. God is great. Beer is good. And people are crazy indeed.

There were plenty of other little things that were equally as awesome as vacations, water parks, and free concerts. For example:

We introduced Braden to snow cones.

Braden learned to help feed the dogs, and now he loves to do it every day. He has even developed somewhat of a friendship with the old hounds.

And finally there is one good thing that all this heat brings, besides all the water activities. It gives you a great excuse to run around the house in your underwear.

So that is it Summer 2010. It seems we hardly knew you. Until next Memorial Day when I fire up the grill and pop in the Saving Private Ryan DVD, I hope you enjoy your trip to the Southern Hemisphere.

Summertime is Awesome

Arica likes to tease me about my use of the word awesome. It's not so much the word but the vigor with which I espouse it. It's not awesome, but AWE-some! No matter how it sounds summertime truly is AWE-some!

When I was a kid I lived for the summer. Every day of school was just one more obstacle standing in my way. The countdown started on the first day of class. I always dreamed of the day that final bell would ring, and we could all dance out the doors singing "School's out for summer!" Of course as a child I didn't know any Alice Cooper songs, but I was probably singing something.

In the Summer I spent a lot of my time at the country club pool and playing baseball. Of course you couldn't do both in the same day. Swimming was not allowed on game days. It might tire you out, and everyone knows that baseball games are more important than practicing your cannonballs.

Once I finished school summer lost some of its pizazz. I still like the lake, and the warm weather, but I have to work every day. I think we should adopt the August is vacation for everyone plan like several European countries. I can tell you from personal experience that it is futile to try to get any work done during August in Italy.

This summer should be different for our family. It is our first time enjoying summer with a child. Just this week Braden took his first trip to the pool. We don't have a pool unless you count that blue plastic thing the dogs wallow in to escape the summer heat. None of our relatives have a pool either, but we are resourceful. We know someone with a pool, and who is going to tell this guy he can't swim in their pool.



Braden loved the pool. At first he sat on the steps in the water. He splashed the water repeatedly with his hands. When he got some water on his face he gasped and and made a hilarious grimace. It didn't stop him though. Without even waiting for Mom to wipe him off he started splashing again.

Then he transferred to the inflatable crab. It's a floaty he can sit in with his legs in the water. There is a tray in front that fills with water so he can splash. Of course there is also the ever important canopy to protect the little man from the evil sun. Truthfully the sun had no chance. Between the canopy, his big green hat, and the SPF 75 sunblock he stayed nice and white.

Summertime at our house also means going to the lake. Arica and I love to take my little fishing boat out on the weekends. We anchor on some island all alone. Actually we aren't all alone because our wild dogs are running everywhere. This is their favorite pastime as well. Otter fetches sticks until he nearly drowns. Abbey sits in the water but prefers not to swim. Arica and I enjoy a little relaxation, swimming, and usually a picnic lunch.

We aren't comfortable bringing Braden to the lake in my tiny boat. Maybe sometime this summer we will get together with friends and take him out on a party barge. Either way he has a long future of lake visits ahead of him. Living in a town with a lake makes the whole experience more relaxing. You don't have to hurry. You don't have to go on the busiest days. You don't have to find a hotel. All you do is have fun.

This is what I want to teach Braden. I want to teach him how to live a life of summertime fun. I never pictured myself as a local in a tourist town. Now that this is a reality I feel the need to pass on the lifestyle to my son. I have the Jimmy Buffet CD in the stereo. I have my assorted flip flops lined up for action. The swimming trunks and various shades of khaki shorts are washed and ready. All we need now is the care free attitude.

Braden, It's time to enjoy the summer, and you can bring your green hat.