Summer Fun!

I know that this might sound strange, but when my kids were younger, I dreaded the end of summer. We had so much fun together that the arrival of August would make me long for the early days of June.

Summer meant time at the pool. There were times when I firmly believed that both of my children were fish. Hours were spent in the water with brief respites for food and drink. At the end of the day, they would come into the house with water-shriveled fingers and feet.

There were pool parties with cars parked all over the front lawn, and kids running all over the backyard. The volleyball net was set up across the pool and some fierce competition usually began. As the sun set, the pool light came on, tiki torches were lit, and we continued the party into the late night hours.

My son was always known for his cannonball jumps. Much of the pool water would splash out with each one of his jumps. Tiffany, my daughter, was more inclined to do her cartwheels off the deck of the pool. Each child laughed and we all smiled when they hit the water. While my husband grumbled about all the work required to keep that swimming pool in order, I always thought it was one of the best additions to the house that we ever made.

Both of my babies returned home this summer. Although it was only for a few days, my memories of summers past came flooding back. Of course, time in the pool was something they both wanted to put on the agenda for the visit.

This year, my granddaughter was introduced to the pool for the first time. She’s definitely got the swimming gene of her mother and uncle. She splashed and giggled and smiled from ear to ear as she was led around the pool in her floating tube.

My babies, however, have aged. There were no more cannonball jumps into the pool. My son preferred floating on a small raft while quietly sipping a cool beer. My daughter didn’t cartwheel, but rather shrieked at the cold temperature of the water! It was the same pool, but some things had changed.

There was still the splashing in the water, the soft light around the pool in the evening, and the good times spent together, but as I watched them having fun, I began to dread the end of this visit . The end of my “summer,” my time with my babies.

They’re all back at their own homes now. Summer vacation has ended for me. But the beautiful thing about summer is that it comes back every year. My granddaughter, Chloë is beginning swimming lessons and we’re getting ready for next summer’s visit.

This blogpost appeared as my June 2012 column, "The Empty Nest," in the Frederick News Post.