Summertime Traditions

I stayed with my grandparents a lot when I was growing up. They would watch my brother and I while my mom worked.

I remember raking leaves in the backyard. I remember running over to the park next door but most of all I remember playing in the sprinkler during the summer.

It was one of those sprinklers that start low on one side, sweep up in an arc, and then go down towards the other side, and back and forth. My brother and I would play for what seemed like hours jumping over the sprinkler or standing in the water’s path waiting to be sprayed with the water.

Sometimes we would wear our bathing suits but I think mostly we wore our clothes. Funny, I remember playing in the sprinkler, I remember Grandma and Grandpa sitting in their lawn chairs on the patio watching us, but I don’t remember what we wore while playing. I guess that wasn’t what was important. The important thing was we were having fun and making summertime memories although at that age we weren’t aware of the memories we were making.

When my eldest was younger, I would set up the sprinkler for him to play in. No go. He wanted no part of it. I would play in the sprinkler and show him what to do but he didn’t like it and wasn’t about to get in it. This happened every time I set it up so eventually I stopped.

When his younger brother was born and got a little older I tried it again. Nope. Little brother didn’t like water and eldest only wanted to play in Poppy and Grandma’s pool. I wasn’t going to take him to Poppy and Grandma’s so if he wanted to play in the water it would be this or nothing. He chose nothing every single time I set up the sprinkler. So much for passing down family traditions.

Now I have youngest and with it being summer I thought I would give it another shot. She loves it! She really loves it! I didn’t even have to show her what to do she just jumped right in and let the water spray over her. Even the boys are joining in on the fun.

I enjoy watching the kiddos playing in the sprinkler knowing that when I was their ages I had done the same thing. I even bought the same kind of sprinkler that I used to play in. I sit in my lawn chair just like my grandparents and watch my children play. I enjoy watching the smiles on their faces as they are racing the sprinkler or just standing there letting the water spray over them.

Summer is a time of fun and play so I want to know: what are some of your summertime family traditions?