My senses are about to blow up tonight. It's a typical summer night. I’m wearing shorts and a t-shirt, my hair tied in a tight side braid, still damp from our early evening swim. The dampness touches the nape of my neck just so, providing simple relief during a still-hot 9:00 night. The sky is on fire with red clouds overlapping the still-blue sky as the moon tries to overshadow the sun. Thick locusts in the tree above me compete with the faraway motorcycles cruising Greenhill Road. Cruz’s blue swing blows softly in the perfectly calm breeze, and my barefoot husband waters the tomato plants that are almost taller than him. Cruz is snuggled up in bed, I just spotted my very first lightning bug, and I’m tempted to run through the sprinkler that’s watering our front lawn. I’m completely soaked in summertime, and secretly hoping this night lasts forever…
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Today I turned my calendar to July and smiled as I closed the door to this glorious June. It was one of the best in my memory, filled with slow days at home, happy celebrations, and a romantic getaway for two. I hope I always remember these days, the days of this simple rhythm of our family and these happy memories with Cruz. And even though I've learned that each stage of raising a little one brings new learning and new happiness, I have a feeling that years from now, as our summers are filled with baseball tournaments and swimming lessons, summer camp and likely home renovation projects, I will smile when I think back to those days when Cruz was little...
-those barefoot walks around the neighborhood during a perfect summertime rain shower. A damp sidewalk on bare toes, a Summer Shandy in hand, and a little boy with a pirate umbrella tottering behind us...
-Friday nights at home, eating Beau's famous sausage and pepper sandwich, and curling up on a bed of blankets in the middle of the living room floor. Falling asleep to Toy Story 3 and chocolate while the thunder comes alive outside...
-afternoons when Beau sneaks home early from work to spend a few hours at the pool with us. Floating the lazy river and watching how cute our tan baby looks in his floaty, followed by tacos and waterberry salsa at Pablo's, sno-cones from Tropical Sno, and chasing Cruz to the slide at Seerley Park...
-tan babies and post-pool naps in mom and dad's bed...
-the smell of grilled beer-butt chicken, paired perfectly with lemon tomato orzo salad from the garden. Another no-high-chair night for Cruz, who would rather eat his supper sitting on the deck anyway...
-a fresh fruit zoku pop and one very sticky baby, followed by a haircut on the deck from daddy (nice combination, right?), and finally, a warm, sudsy bath and a fresh pair of pjs before bedtime...
-a Sunday morning at home, just Cruz and me, while daddy makes his way home from a Twins game with the Henrichs' boys. Cruz is in nothing but his pajama top and diaper, holding the garden hose to fill up his pool and getting more water on him than in the pool...
-exploring the park and pointing out the choo-choo trains on Main Street, and reading Ten Little Caterpillars at the garden...
-spending a day at Jordan Creek with mom. We packed up Cruz for a day away, chased the geese around the pond by the mall, and shopped 'til we dropped, stopping every now and then to chase Cruz around Pottery Barn or read a book in Baby Gap. We had fun as always, and Cruz proved to an excellent shopper as we managed the day without any melt-downs and only one stroller escape!
-Lazy Sunday afternoons in our backyard, the three of us crammed in a 36-inch pool, sharing ice cream cones, and using the garden hose to wash off Cruz's stick
It was a happy June, and this week, I'm looking forward to fireworks, barbecues, and some roasted marshmallows by the fire. Hoping for more slow time and summertime magic this July.
What's on your list for July?
Napping in mommy and daddy's bed = a tan babe that melts my heart! So sweet you take amazing pictures! Can't wait to see what you 4th celebration was like! :)
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