The Dog Days of Summer

 

I just looked out the window and a swarm of boys ran through my yard and down the street like bees to a honeycomb. 

Boyhood in the summer is grimy and feral, and the pack of boys that traverse the neighborhood in the heat of the day is constantly flushed faced and sticky. 

 

When they descend upon my house, I start surrendering the food (and my serenity) for the cause of fellowship and summer memories. 

They're hardly any sacred spaces. I close my bedroom door and that's about it. Even my office has been turned into a messy den of unfinished art projects. 

But if I'm truly honest,  I want them in my home. 

I know this season is fleeting, and I will look back in the years to come  and relish those stray nerf bullets and boyhood battle cries. 

Evelyn, on the other hand, is busy babysitting, pet sitting and plant sitting in the neighborhood. 

Her business, Bumble Bee Sitting, has proven to be a great success this summer. She and her friend Katelyn have gleaned a lot of jobs this summer. Evelyn especially enjoys babysitting for a family down the street. She designs lesson plans and thrives on making sure the kids are having a great time. 

During her cat sitting job, she left a detailed, hand written account of all the cat activity that went on during the week. 

All of their customers have been very pleased. I am so proud of her ambition. One of the great things about our neighborhood during the summer  is "Wine Wednesdays."

Our kids anticipate them even more than we do. They usually leave at 5:58 (it officially starts at 6) and arrive at the destination before we do. The other day I got several alerts on my phone from the business QR code she developed and passes out at Wine Wednesdays. She does all her marketing for Bumble Bee Sitting at these events. Once a person scans the QR code, their information is collected and she can reach out to follow up with them.  

Wine Wednesday brings people out together, even in 90 degree heat!

Between Evelyn's jobs around the neighborhood and the herd of boys roaming around, it has been very difficult keeping track of everyone and rounding them up when we have somewhere we need to go or eat a meal together. 

Many of the parents have gotten their kids Gizmo watches, a tracking/communication device tailored especially for kids on the go. Basically they are electric leashes that give peace of mind and a way to bring them home.

I don't know how I feel about them yet; with all technology there are always the good and the bad. 

The first day they had them Caleb sent 58 out going calls. 😑

One afternoon I had to drive the kids to the doctors to get their shots. They needed a Dtap booster and a finger prick. Evelyn needed a meningitis vaccination as well. There was suddenly a mass panic as the nurse brought in the needles. The exception was Evelyn, who bravely rolled up her sleeve and got the two shots. However, immediately afterward she started to pass out. The nurses rushed about; and Levi just about passed out when he saw her pass out because he knew his time was next. 

The doctor laid her on the table and gave her water in a "Urine Specimen" cup.  James collapsed in an emotional tailspin on my lap, sobbing that he "couldn't do it." 

Then there was Caleb who valiantly stepped forward proclaimed that he would in fact take the first shot for the boys. When it was all said and done, he skipped out and announced that it wasn't that bad; however, he mentioned in passing on his way out to Levi "the needle looked big." Upon hearing that, Levi immediately jumped up and dashed out of the room. The nurse was patient and kind, and with a little (a lot) of coaxing, everyone was done and our noisy circus paraded out of the office and down the hall, sucking happily on lollipops. 

Some sore arms and tears don't stop these kids for very long. One hot Saturday we needed to get out of the house into water. I researched a waterfall about an hour away from our house, Dougan Falls, and we spent the afternoon playing in paradise. It is truly a little slice of heaven, and one of my very favorite things about where we live is that we have access to so many waterfalls. 

An afternoon in the waterfalls

Fishing in the river behind our house has been a daily afternoon activity. Specifically Caleb and James just can't get enough of it. We tried baiting the hooks with hot dogs, but the only outcome from it was that Lucy snatched it out of the bag when no one was looking. 

Someone suggested we pick the salmon berries that line the bushes near the river. 

But most people swear by good old fashioned worms. 

I bought the boys salmon eggs at the store and we had a bit of luck with them. 

Caleb cast his pole into the river the other day. Crying, we took off his shoes, readying himself to jump in to save it. Luckily, Dad saved the day by devising a contraption built from a pole and a bent metal hanger and he was able to fish it out. 

The Dog Days of Summer