And before you run screaming at my breaking into song, let me assure you that when I break into song, it is generally into something from Veggie Tales...
I was thinking recently about my growing up experiences, and all the things I remember as "summer break rituals" and the very memorable things.
As you read, think back and if you feel like sharing your own memories, please do!
When I was little, we would have the same routines during every summer vacation. My oldest brother, and then the other 2 as they got to the appropriate age, would head off for a summer working at the Boy Scout Camp that was several hours from us. We would pack up the trunk with his clothes, toiletries, snacks, throw in a tent and sleeping bag, several containers of bug spray, and then we'd all load up our van, and drive up there to drop him off, enjoy the family picnic that was on that day. On the way, we'd stop about halfway at a great place called Vern's (for those of you familiar with Highway 34 to Redfeather, you know that of which I speak) and get these amazing homemade cinnamon rolls that were the size of my head, and the little cans of Apricot Nectar from Kern's. We'd then load back up, and eat and drink and arrive sticky, and a little sick from the sugar and winding canyon roads.
The rest of the summer was spent with the same weekly routine:
Sunday was Church in the morning, change into playclothes, lunch, and then spend time inside in the cool.
Monday was always laundry day. Period. Mom would do the putting into the washer and into the dryer until we were older, but we'd all have to sort our clothes and help carry the loads down to the basement, up to the family room to be folded, and then we were each responsible to help fold and put away our own clothes. No questions asked. I remember matching socks when I was still into Sesame Street...
Tuesday, Mom would iron all Dad's work clothes, and our Sunday things that needed ironing.
Wednesday was errand day. That usually meant a trip to the library to return and check out books, followed by a trip to the grocery and/or butcher. Occasionally, as we got bigger, and we had a mall, we would go to the mall or if we were really, really good, we'd get lunch at McDonald's.
Thursday was baking day. Mom would make some treat, brownies, cookies, something.
Friday was housework. We'd break out and break up the chores, and we'd each change our beds, take turns cleaning the bathroom or cleaning up the yard from the dogs, and working in the garden and mowing the grass.
Saturday was fun day, and we'd do something as a family.
Now, during that time, we were allowed to play with our friends, go swimming, run through the sprinklers, go to the park etc. We had chores each day, help with whatever household things needed doing, make our beds, weed the garden, pick the veggies, help mom can...Until lunchtime. After lunch, we always had our quiet time...during which, we were required to go to our rooms and lay down and read for awhile. After an hour of reading, we were allowed to go downstairs, but had to play inside until dinnertime. After helping with dinner, we could go back outside and play until dark, or bedtime, whichever was first.
I have discovered over the last weeks why exactly my mother insisted upon quiet time in our rooms. It was her one time during the day to have a quiet moment herself, as well as keeping us in during the hottest part of the day. We didn't have central air until I was in high school...maybe even college.
Captain Chaos is at the age now where everything is "outside" or "bike" or "slide" and when his slide is burning hot to the touch, I have to tell him "no"...SO...we've set up an area in the basement with his toys, and I'm buying a cart for the little tv/vcr combo I have, and will set it up, along with our cheap little DVD player we got some time ago, so he can watch his "DDs" downstairs while he plays. This will allow me time to myself with the baby, allow him to play on his own, but still be safe, and keep him out of the super hot sun...I thought I was pretty clever...especially knowing I have a friend whose little girl is 3 months older than Captain Chaos and is still not allowed to go up and down their stairs alone. The only reason she's allowed to climb them holding someone's hand rather than being carried is that their 2nd child is due at the end of June, and my friend is not able to carry her daughter any longer...
I remember running through the backyard, with my swimsuit on, a towel clothes-pinned around my neck being a superhero, games of freeze tag, Mother-May-I, and "Smear the Queer", as well as finally being old enough to go along on the bike rides to the 7Eleven for Slurpees, Laffy Taffy, Rolos, and Jolly Rancher Candy sticks. I also remember finally being allowed to go across the street to the City tennis court and play tennis against the wall (it was like half court tennis, so you didn't need a partner) all by myself! I also fondly remember being old enough to be allowed to go around the corner to the playground at my elementary school and meet my friends and play.
Most of all, I remember having to race to beat the dogs to the strawberries so we could get them and they wouldn't eat them. I remember sowing and reaping cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, squash, spinach, chard, zucchini, and picking the peaches from our trees. I very fondly remember the sweltering heat of the kitchen as Mom was putting up pickles, zucchini, tomato sauce, and the nights we would have enough tomatoes and cucumbers that Mom would cut them up and make a salad with oil and vinegar and seasonings...
I remember corn on the cob, and steak on the grill for Memorial Day one year, and I remember burgers on the grill - no pre-made patties at our house. Mom would pull out several pounds of beef, and after it was defrosted, she'd get out her Tupperware Burger Patty maker, Dad would season the meat, and they'd spend about 20 minutes making enough patties to feed the 7 of us. We'd slice tomatoes from our plants, make a salad with garden fresh carrots and cucumbers, and we'd have homemade pickles, relish, chips, and the best homemade potato salad in the world...
I remember our neighbors, who's children were all years older than I, and out of the house, and the night they invited us over to make and eat homemade peach ice cream in their manual crank ice cream maker...nothing has ever tasted so good as that ice cream...I remember watermelon juice up to my elbows, and Mom sighing and rolling her eyes at the idea of having to throw me into the tub. Not because she minded clean children, but because she knew she'd have to fight to get me out of the tub and into bed...
I remember the summer that Mom was working and I got to get a ticket to the discount movie thing our theater did. We got to see like 12 movies for $20. And of course, I remember those awesome Chilly Willy gigantic dill pickles that you could get, along with the king-sized Jolly Rancher candy sticks. I remember sneaking in outside treats and just buying the biggest darn Coke you could wrap your hands around...
I remember the outdoor pool, and how they thought a "beach" was a nice touch...too bad they used like gravel, rather than sand, and you have to run across it to get to the pool, scorching your feet every step of the way...said pool was redone several years ago, and they realized people wanted some shade, and grass...go figure...
I remember praying for the sound of the ice cream truck on days when we'd gotten our allowance, and hating it when I'd already spent my allowance on a new My Little Pony, or Barbie outfit (when you could still get one of those for $5) and had only pennies in my piggy bank. Hating it even more, when my more disciplined brothers would come back in the house with their Rocket Pops...
Best of all, I remember laying in bed in my nightgown (I was the only girl after all), my sheet pulled up, the windows wide open, the smell of the fresh air, and the hum of the attic ventilation fan dad had installed, and under that, the sound of the giant box fans that we had at the end of the hallway to circulate air...drifting off to sleep with the smell of sunshine in my nose from the sheets my mom had dried on the clothesline that very afternoon...and waking up only to do it all over again...
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