SUMMER

What can I say about this summer. So far it has been wonderful. It is hard to think that in a few short weeks it will be over and school will start again.

Brian is already counting the weeks and days until he will start 5th grade. Not because he is excited (which he is), but to know how much time he has to squeeze in all the fun things that he still wants to do.

Robert on the other hand is about ready to start college. He says that summer has been fun, but he is ready to start the next phase. I can understand that...he is in a limbo phase for now.

As for Gio and I this summer has been a special one with his brother being here and our small vacations. We have a few more fun things planned before the season changes. Thanks to JetBlue we are going to take the kids to San Diego in August for a few days to go to Sea World and the beach.

I have thought often in these past few weeks of summers as a child and the things that we did as a family, and individuals. I remember going to girls camp as a teenager and loving every minute of it, which is odd, because now I'm not much of a camper. I remember riding bikes and skateboards with friends, playing barbies, going swimming at the local pool, summer dances in the outdoors. I also remember family trips to Texas to visit aunts, uncles, and grandparents, having cousins from Europe come and taking them to Disneyland, Carlsbad Cavers, Monterey Bay, etc. Going to Europe with my parents, visiting Hawaii many times, cruises, Mexico, staying with my grandmother in El Paso for the summer. That is what summer was all about. Carefree days, and making memeories.

On of my fondest memories is the summer that I spent 5-6 weeks in Greeece, with Alex. I wouldn't really call her my nanny, but she did help watch my brother Dave and I while she lived with us and went to school. She moved in with us when I was 3 yrs old and stayed until I was about 7 or so. We had a lot of fun with her. She was like the older sister that I never had, even thought she was about 12-15 yrs older than me. When I was 9 she took me to Greece with her. What an experience. I can still remember so many things from that trip. The Mediterranian Sea, the Acropolis, staying in the small village of Glykovrisi and not having an indoor bathroom or shower and bathing in a small tub out in the yard...the warm goats milk every morning (thank goodness my mother was wise enough to send chocolate powder with me so that I could make chocolate milk in the mornings!) I remeber the goat being slaughtered and hanging to dry so that we could cook it for our departure party. I wanted to bring home one of the horns, but I couldn't...customs you know! I also remember playing with YaYa and PaPo and going to the farm to pick tomatoes and peaches...wow....those are great memories.

Thanks for taking a walk with me and letting me remember a few of my childhood summers. I know that Robert and Brian won't have the same experiences and memories that I had as a child, but I do hope that they remember their summers as being fun....going to Disneyland, road trips to San Antonio and the River Walk (remember Robert- "would you like a drink to take the edge off?) trips to Italy, Florida, camping at Lagoon and just being together watching a movie and going to Seven Peaks.

I hope that as parents we have been able to make the summer of our children's youth something that they will look back on and smile.