Hello Sun

I love summer... well, let me specify, I love summer when normal temperatures define the season (I was horrified when Holly told me it was 105 degrees in Phoenix this weekend. Horrified. And I just came from a place where it got insanely hot... just not that crazy hot. Sometimes it doesn't pay to be a sweaty mess above 85 degrees). I am unapologetic, though, about my nostalgia for my childhood summers and I steadfastly see them solely through rose colored glasses (even that one summer when I begged to go to sleep away camp... only to want to immediately come home). I remember them being defined by lots of bike riding, going out to the river, canoeing, building stuff out in the woods, and feeling very satisfied when my feet were callused enough to basically never need shoes until October. I feel like I lived in my bathing suit. I know I'm leaving out a thing or two in my revised narrative (endless garden weeding, for instance...) but I really have no desire to add back in any of the less exciting details. I loved that our summers felt free and rejuvenating and unscheduled and so, when we finally got our long-awaited summer weather this weekend, as cliched as it is, all of those good memories came out pouring of the woodwork of my brain. The permission to slow down, to enjoy late afternoons, to eat lunch anywhere but at a table, to experience each day with all our senses -- this is what hitting 75 degrees meant for me. We all breathed big old sighs of relief and we made the most of every moment even while it all felt less stressful. Days stretched out into the evenings, everyone went to bed happy or sandy or with a little pink in their cheeks (Jack did -- Molly insisted on putting on sunscreen the moment we stepped out the door) or sticky from sweets or more likely some combo of all of the above. We had a great visit from Auntie Holly, soaked in some rays at the Mariners game, had a fun post-game BBQ with all the folks, got out to the beach, lounged in the kiddie pool, and rinsed out all the sand, sunscreen, and sweat at the end of the day feeling pretty happy and satisfied. I'm pretty sure this weekend gets high marks in the nostalgia department. 

Don't worry, the slide made its way into the pool shortly. 

One very patient aunt, one Baby Buddha, and a whole gaggle of ladies. 

Line 'em up!

I'm pretty sure everything is better understood upside down. 

I can eat my way through the entire game, right?

Love, love, and more love. 

Here's how the beach trip went: arrive at beach, get asked to apply sunscreen before bag is out of my hands, ask small person to hang on (repeat x3), apply sunscreen, watch small person roll in sand for a somewhat uncomfortable looking additional coat of sun protection. 

The other sand monster.

Grilled cheese with a side of sandy protein.