I love that the mornings start late and I can still listen to the birds singing while the teenagers sleep the daytime slumber of vampires. I love the suspension of time as we live without the suffocating schedule of school, homework and bedtimes. I love listening to all of the children playing (and bickering) together as they and their friends wander in and out of the house. I love the way it stays light far past dinner hour so that the entire family can run amok in the safety of our cove. I love the giggling cooperation of dusk inspired firefly hunts. I love the late night movies with our horde of children piled into beds together. I love summer vacation. We may not travel or visit the beaches, but summer is our family time. As the teenagers develop more of their own lives, I try to hold tightly to the sounds and sights of our times together. If I’m really lucky, someday my grandchildren will read my old blog posts out loud to temporarily spark the flame of my failing memories.

Next week I’ll be posting why I hate summer vacation. It has something to do with Sarah and Amy attending camps the same week on opposite sides of town while I try to get all the children’s checkups and dental cleanings done before school starts again.