Summer Slackers

Summer has totally taken over my house.

Lazy mornings. Watching TV. Riding bikes. Eating fresh fruit for lunch. Swimming in the afternoon. Grilling as the sun starts getting low in the sky. Supper at 8 pm. Bedtime after 10.

Ignoring the blog. (oops! That wasn’t supposed to happen.)

In years past, the descent into summer has been slow thanks to summer camps and vacations keeping us on some sort of a schedule. This year, however, I have purposely delayed camps and vacations. I need some down time. Some time away from soccer practice, homework, dance schedules and carpools.

Time to veg. Regroup. Sleep. Read. Hangout.

The peeps need the break too. They need time to color. Play with legos. Amuse themselves in the backyard. Make up skits. Play board games. Invent with tools and wood scraps. Catch frogs.

Get bored.

I have a theory that boredom creates patience. If peeps are constantly stimulated and continually instantly gratified, how will they ever learn patience? Learn to wait? Learn to take time to think and reflect?

I learned patience when I was a little peep on car trips. When I was really little, my mama’s car didn’t have air conditioning. Delaweird and I would stand in the front seat, our backs stuck to the upholstery and sweat running down our legs. I would watch the telephone poles go by, the wire going up and down from pole to pole. I was prone to car-sickness, so it really wasn’t a good habit of mine, watching the poles go by, sometimes counting them like sheep. The best thing for me to do was sleep. But it was hot. And I was nauseous. Mama would give me sips from her glass bottle of Coke to help soothe my stomach.

Eventually I would sleep, which made the trip go by much more quickly. When we finally arrived at our destination, my face would be soaked from a combination of sweat from laying my head on the seat and drool from my slumber. I remember those waking moments when the car finally pulled into the driveway of the family member we were visiting, or the crackle of the tires onto the gravel road at the farm, and feeling relieved that we had arrived, and feeling strangely cool, probably because my clothes were soaked with sweat and any breeze made my wet skin and clothes feel refreshing.

My peeps don’t have any memories like these. They have memories of the action-packed dvd they were watching in the air-conditioned car making them motion sick on one of the VERY few road trips we have taken.

My peeps like to fly, and they will tell you so. They will tell you which airline is better than another. They recall flight attendants who gave them extra peanuts or refilled their gingerale for the third time. They will tell you stories about getting upgraded to first class once and how if you fly that way, it’s really hard to go back to coach.

No sweat and drool for them.

They complain about long lines at security and slow baggage handlers. They will remember cancelled flights and the resort the airline sent us to until the next day’s flight could be arranged. I will remember them complaining that this resort was much better than the one we where we stayed during the actual vacation and recommending that if we ever came back we should book this resort. “The breakfast buffet has WAY better cereal.”

Mental note: Call the Westin and request Cocoa Puffs.

My peeps will be traveling old school style this summer. They will be getting a wakeup call.

A lesson in boredom.

And hopefully patience.

I am planning the road trip to end all road trips……less the sweat. I mean, I am driving, and we don't really need to be that authentic.