Category Archives: Summer fun

Sunshine Thoughts

Once, sometimes twice, a summer my daughters convince me to take them to the local waterpark.  There is a nice big wave pool, a waterslide, a lazy river, and a kids area.  And the place is really clean.  A dream come true for three little girls.

Unfortunately, their mother does not enjoy water parks.  At all.  A couple years ago I put them off week after week until we ended up at the water park the last day it was open.  Last year we actually went twice.

Then there was this year.

It is nice because besides the wave pool, they can go in by themselves and I just have to watch.

Wednesday was our chosen day.  Sue packed the lunches and water willingly and quickly.  They each got their suits and towels and did a great job with their sunscreen.  I even remembered to put on sunscreen this year.

All was going well.  And yet…I was grumpy.  And this year, I totally failed at hiding my disdain for the water park.  The girls were exemplary and the crowds weren’t even overwhelming, but I was just fit to be tied. But the fun must go on.  Sue decided to sit out the water slide and read her new book.

Sue decided to sit out the water slide and read her new book.  Caitlyn, on the other hand, went down the slide several times.  Patrice even got in on the fun and this year was able to exit the slide without going under.

And we had to have some of their massive, decently priced, snow cones…

Patrice had one too and boy did I hear it when she discovered I didn’t take her picture too!!

The girls obeyed, didn’t beg for a thing, thanked me over and over for taking them and were really…perfect…but I, was not.

I managed to get badly burned even though I put on sunscreen twice and I just acted like a brat all day long.  Thing is, I had no reason to.  Believe me when I say the girls couldn’t have been on better behavior.

I got home and was just needing some time, so I went upstairs, laid down on my bed and began to pray.  And I quickly realized there was something I needed to say to the girls.

“Thank you for being so good today.  I know I had a bad attitude about the water park, and the thing is, it had nothing to do with you guys or taking you.  I enjoy taking you to fun things.  And you guys made it so easy today.  You listened, you obeyed, you did what you were supposed to, you didn’t whine or complain, you didn’t beg.  None of my unhappiness had to do with you guys.  I love seeing you having fun and playing.  And you were so sweet today.”

I can’t go back and undo my attitude, but hopefully, I can help them see, I was not at all unhappy with them and how we can handle things when we have a bad attitude.

Hopefully, that will be the memory of this years’ visit to the water park.

School Never Stops

We’ve been having fun this summer.  We visit with friends every week, we play with Frazier, we go to parks, we go for a run when it is cool enough, we play with our cousins, we go to play practice, we play games, we skateboard,

we practice our reading, and math.  Wait, the girls don’t find that last one fun?  I do!!

I love watching them tackle another math lesson or a math game.  It is fun to me to see them not losing the skills of what they learned during the school year.  I love seeing them add to what they learned from Labor Day to June.

I love seeing them compete against each other to read or do more reading activities for the library “Build a Better World” program.  Each of the girls has finished the first booklet of 50 items and has earned a free dinner, a free ice cream treat, and an entry into the big giveaway.

They are about half way through their second giveaway entry.  Sue is flying through the Dork Diaries Series.  Caitlyn is enjoying lots of different books, print and Audio.  Right now she is working on Three Cups of Tea:

The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban’s backyard

Anyone who despairs of the individual’s power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson’s quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit (description taken from Amazon).

Not all of our fun has been that educational.  We have spent time watching tv, playing computer games, cooking,

cleaning the house.

It’s a well rounded summer, right?