Summer MVP List

Written on 13 July 2024.

Outside the June sun blazes, but inside the house the kids and I clang dishes and glasses making juice and lemonade. It’s not summer until we set up the quintessential Lemonade Stand. 

The kids’ eyes light up while we peel the lemon skins and wait for them to boil. “Are they ready yet?” Charlotte asks. The sweetness fills the kitchen. I take turns reading the directions with her. Meanwhile Isaac puts the juicer on the counter and lays the fruit he wants to include in his special juice. He shows me where to put the fruit and I can’t remember whether we peel the oranges or not? One by one we run blueberries, apples, and oranges (skins and all) in the juicer. The kids make a sign and set up the table and chairs. I send off a few texts to friends. We sample the lemonade and juice (a bit bitter, as I realize, yes, we should have peeled the oranges before placing them in the juicer!) 

But I think the real MVPs are the friends and family who come over, dropping quarters and dollars in the jar, drinking with a smile, too bitter juice, and ultimately believing in your kids. 

In this spirit of summer MVPs, I share a few more things that are bringing us joy this summer. 

Pool

Most afternoons the kids ask, “Can we go to the pool today?” And my answer is always, “Yes!” I’ve seen their confidence grow as they swim on their own, practice their underwater flips, and swim across the deep end. On our first day, while chatting with a friend, I look up and see Isaac running off the diving board. All last year he refused to go near the diving board, and then, this year I didn’t even get a warning. He jumped and swam on his own to the side. The pool feels like a great equalizer among the kids as they play Marco Polo and dive for underwater rings. We’re all friends here. 

Library 

Every summer we anticipate signing up for our town library’s Summer Reading Program. There’s something about filling out the little slips, piling books into a bag, and getting a small prize for reading. There’s also the teachers and friends we see at the library and the joy of sharing our favorite reads so far. We find new authors and stories to love. There’s also the computers whose screen time I don’t begrudge thanks to their learning games. We have weekly story time at the park, events at the library, and an ongoing bear hunt where we search for wooden bears hiding in our community. So far this summer the kids have thrown axes, visited an art gallery, and made lasagna for neighbors in need. In a sense - the library has brought us into community not only through books and stories but by serving and caring for others. And it’s all free, waiting for the next kid to find the story that will transport them to a world of unlimited possibilities. 

Front porch

Starting my day on the front porch in the company of hummingbirds and flowers, I take deep breaths and sip hot coffee. Our dog keeps watch from the lawn. I see the same neighbors pass and wave every morning. My soul settles and I can listen for that still small voice inside me. I can breathe deeper. 

Read-alouds

I had hopes of engaging the kids in more learning and workbooks over the summer to avoid the summer slide in their schooling. Yet, here we are in July and I can count the number of pages they’ve worked on with one hand. But, we have been reading a lot. After I have my own quiet time on the porch, the kids join me and we sit together with an I Survived book. With the soundtrack of bird song and windchimes, we read of the true events from such places as Pompeii, the Revolutionary War, and Glacier National Park. We’re transported to different places and time. We are learning and reading and we’re together. I have a feeling that come September, these porch morning read-alouds will be my favorite memories. 

Impromptu get-togethers

There is a time for planning over the summer, but mostly with longer daylight hours, summer lends itself to the last-minute texts: Up for an impromptu get together tonight? Want to walk around the neighborhood? Meet me at the park in an hour. Here’s to the friends who are willing to join for honest conversation on the porch with a glass of sparkling water and the friends who don’t mind walks while the kids ride their bikes ahead. Here’s to pockets of time investing in community.

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