Summer Daze...

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Added: Thu. Jul 17, 2008 7:54pm
Posted in: Family

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 It is a lovely, sunny and warm Florida summer day. My youngest is complaining loudly that he is bored.  The constant whining of “Mom, there’s NOTHING to do!” echoes throughout the house.  I try to ignore his cries and delve further into my novel.  In the blink of an eye, I am falling backwards in time and land ever so gently on the hammock in my parents’ backyard, swaying slightly, listening to the sound of the waterfall in the coy pond my father had built, reading an Agatha Christie novel and loving each and every day.  The birds are singing, the leaves above me are whispering and there is the distant sound of children laughing and playing in the next yard. The biggest dilemma of my day – what to do next?

There was swimming, bike riding, walks to the playground, fishing and hanging out with friends.  There were books to read, board games to play, records to listen to, ping pong, jigsaw puzzles …the list seemed endless.  On this particular afternoon however, I chose to keep swaying and reading, delighting in the plot twists of the author.  I was on the train with Hercule Poirot and desperately trying to help him solve the great mystery afoot.  I read through the afternoon oblivious, yet somehow tuned in to my surroundings.  What a glorious way to spend a day.

“MOM! MOM!” my 11 year old is calling. “MOM!  Wake up!” I stir from my dreamy flashback, awakened by my sons’ whines.

“I am bored to death! There is nothing to do!” he says, in a voice that seems to raise two octaves above middle C.

I suggest that he go bike riding.  “Too hot.” I recommend that he go swimming.  “No fun to do it alone.” I urge reading a book.  The response was an upturned eyebrow and a resounding “No way!”   My brain is screaming: “Heavens child, you have so much more to do than I did at your age, what could possibly be the problem?  Find something to do!”

Instead, I muster up my repertoire, (we’ve been down this path before) and boldly launch into the following:  “Play with your DS, play with your Xbox 360, play with your Playstation2,  listen to your IPod, play with your brother, go out and find your friends, or play with the dog. Read a book (it never hurts to make this suggestion more than once), put a puzzle together.  All of these met with a look of total disgust and despise. 

What could I possibly propose that he do that would keep him engaged?  What hadn’t I mentioned yet?  What was he missing? 

I am way too old for this constant complaining.  After all, this is my summer vacation too, and there are still no lack of things on my to-do list.  There’s cooking, cleaning, giving the dog a bath, cleaning out the garage, laundry.  You know - the parental version of a summer vacation.

A thought then occurred to me.  “Hey, want to bake a batch of homemade muffins with me?”

An hour later when the kitchen is covered in flour, the sink is piled high with dirty mixing bowls and spatulas, and the muffins are cooling on the counter, he is smiling broadly at the finished product anxiously waiting to take the first warm, sweet bite.  I again recall that summer day long past, and with startling clarity am reminded that while the memories of those times are nice to reflect upon, the ones we make now with those we love are the most important ones of all.