Sunshine, Seventy-Five

...and a six pack of squirt guns for a buck.  Can't beat that fun with a stick!

After soaking each other (and me) from head to toe out in our back yard, the boys very quickly learned to pull the plugs and drink from the water guns.  Not that I am the least bit surprised, since I can still remember what that combination of plastic-water tasted like, from twenty-some years ago.  That, and the taste of ice cold garden hose water -- and the taste of dirt.  I assume you have tasted varieties play-doh, school glue and the eraser side of a yellow number two pencil as well?

My first instinct, when my children carry worms around (Jack, specifically,) mix up mud concoctions or try to place little black ants on me, is to be grossed out and point them back towards the clean wiffle ball and plastic bat.  It's crazy how our curiosity and sense of fun (gross as it may be) is changed or lost by the time we reach adulthood, with all of our "serious" issues.  I've put forth a concerted effort over these last months and years to just let them be kids and do what kids do (within obvious limits, duh).  Even though it's sometimes kind of yucky.

Comments

[crookedeyebrow]

AH the garden hose water and squirt guns. What memories.

and I agree, let them be kids as long as they are safe.

I hope you are feeling better!

[debi]

Wonderful picture. You have such a great way of seeing things. Yes, let them be kids and enjoy those special things that only kids know about. Spring has finally arrived! The dog poop is calling to me.

[Hilary]

Fun! I'm glad you are finally getting some pretty weather. Yay for letting kids be kids.

[Michelle Z]

mmmmmmm.... wet plastic. YUM!

[milk&honey]

Yeah, I can remember the taste of garden hose like it was yesterday. Some things, you never forget.

[Stacey]

Ah, thanks for such a nice childhood flashback! I'm also trying to hold back the "ick" response in front of the kiddos - although I did have to INSIST today that the newly found worms must live in their little can of dirt OUTSIDE the house. Not in, as was requested.

[John Wilkes and Liberty!]

First off, I hope that you are feeling better. It sounds like doctors didn't help this all that much. Well, as the old joke goes, what do they call the person who finishes last in their class at med school? They call them doctor.

Ahh, hose water. One of the tastes of summer. I remember making Kool-Aid with hose water. There is something about a kiss of the vinyl to add that je ne sais quoi to a beverage.

It is funny you mention "just letting them be kids." I recently re-read Jean-Jacques Rousseau's writings about education. He agreed with the notion that children were naturally curious about the world around them and should be unfettered by formal education in their younger years.

As part of your education for teaching, I'm sure you ran across this, but I always had the notion that perhaps he was on to something.

Have fun.

[bubblewench]

Oh the fun memories of summer! Running through the sprinklers, slip & slide... and of course those water guns..

Nice post. Kids... how fun!

[Jen L.]

Mmmmmmm, garden hose water! It's so refreshing to see that the simple things that made our generation happy as kids are carrying over to OUR kids!

[erica]

Ahhh sweet summer memories! Ben is totally into the "ick" factor. He loves anything that lives in the dirt and his current favorite thing is digging for worms. He can't wait for the frogs to come out. Great pictures. Sounds like you might be feeling a little better. Sunshine and warm temps. will do that;0) Have fun.

[Rachel]

I can definitely remember the taste of water from the hose. Kids today and their fancy schmancy bottled water!

[SJ]

Oh those were the best days of summer. I STILL know what hose water tastes like to this day....