Monday, July 18, 2011

Summers Past

I’m pretty sure that the “lazy days of summer” must have come from the viewpoint of a child. Don’t you think? Go back to your childhood and remember how we spent our summers………the beautiful anticipated summer after school days. Our summers looked a little different than summers for most kids these days. And I’m sure they seemed much longer for us back then!

Let’s go back a little bit…….Do you remember?

- Playing all day outside until your mama called you in for lunch and then supper?

- Riding your bike all over the neighborhood and nobody really worrying about it?



- Eating homemade popsicles made from those Tupperware popsicle makers from your mama’s kitchen (or from popsicle sticks and an ice tray if you didn’t have the Tupperware thingies)?




- Going barefoot outside while you played (we had tough feet but dirty feet at the end of the day)?



- Riding your friend on the handlebars of your bike?

- Backyard Bible clubs?

- Gathering up the kids in the neighborhood for a game of baseball, dodgeball, volleyball, or badminton?




- Making mud pies?


- Playing in the water puddles in your swimsuit right after a fresh rain?

- Catching “lightning bugs” in a jar at dusk?



- Drinking koolaid all day?



- Family reunions?



- Lying out in the sun with baby oil (and usually getting baked)?

- Camping in a tent? (Sorry…can’t say I miss that one).



- Washing your car as a teenager in your swimsuit?

- Playing in the sprinkler or spraying each other with the water hose?



- Watermelons after supper? (We spread out newspaper across the table)




- Tire swings over the lake?



- Floating on an intertube in the lake?



- Using our imagination as we played outside all day? ( I remember playing all sorts of things, but particularly we played Land of the Lost one entire summer).



- Drinking Nehi grape in a can. But first we had to shake it up so it would spew when we opened the can. (I guess we had to have wasted half our drinks, but it was worth it).



- Tube tops and shorts?

- Visiting cousins and cousins visiting us?


Can you identify with any of these? Did I leave out any?

What do you remember about summers past? 

17 comments:

Allison said...

I remember quite a few of those fun summertime things. I feel now all I do is run my kids places in the summer. I love having down days when we don't have any place to go but just hang out. Thanks for taking me down memory lane! :-)

Susannah said...

I remember all of those things ...what a blast from the past!!!!! I have to add in there - "spitting watermelon seeds... and all of us kids swinging in the hammock". This is a great post! I can't wait for my husband to come home and read it! Thank you for sharing fabulous memories.

Tanya said...

Wow wow wow...that took me back! Oh my yes I remember! Times "back then" were simplier for kids. We certainly didn't have the opportunities/technology/influences that are so available now. I wouldn't trade it for the world!
I really remember the sprinklers with my girlfriends! I was a lifeguard at our city pool for 10 years and those are really fond memories!
Thanks for making me smile today! AHHHHHHHH
Hugs,
Tanya

My Colonial Home said...

I remember all of these and I'm so much older than you Tammy - I think times changed quickly the last 10 years or so...but before that it was just like you said.
What a fun and nostalgic post. Thank you.

Karen

Hollie said...

I remember many of these! Boy, those were the days! It seems so different now!

Tanya said...

Tammy,
Love the new header!!!!!!! Cute cute!
Tanya

Katy said...

mmmm,yes...the fun days of growing up! I can relate...and am pleased to be able to say that my children enjoy a lot of these things themselves (except the Kool-aid all day! ha! We try for the ice-water!):) Loved this list Tammy!

LynnMarie said...

I remember them all plus playing marbles as well - all day. Summer was so fun back then. Thanks for the memories.

terrypi said...

I can remember taking a cardboard box apart and using it to slide down hills. Playing with jacks. Playing jumprope. Even in winter time, we would go outside sliding with our sleds and not come home until lunch time. Get a new pair of mittens and out again until suppertime. What great times!!!

Joy ~ Doodlebug ~ said...

Mom,

I love this post! I like that picture of the popsicles.

I love you! 8!

Love,
Joy :D

Never So Simple said...

This was my life also. You didn't want to be in the house. Land of the Lost loved that show. We had reunions and everyone on the block was your parent and you best listen when they speak. The good ol' days. I sure do miss them.

Donna

julie said...

Hi Tammy,
Great post. I remember using baby oil for tanning...but, we always added iodine to the oil! Memories!!

Carey's Farmhouse Kitchen said...

Yes, I remember those days, I wish my kids could enjoy it the same way!

Anonymous said...

Oh WoW!!

I remember ALL of these - - Even playing Land of the Lost. hahaha!
And yes, some of the other things like jacks and jumpropes. Some of us had Big Wheels and Crazy Cars. Anyone remember those? Who could forget the metal skates that fit to your tennis shoes (with a key). They sounded awful and would kind of tickle your feet while scraping along the pavement.

Oh, and absolutely, you had better listen to ALL of the neighborhood mamas, or you would be "in for it" from your own. Wonder how many kids today would know what a "switch" from a tree is? ;) My, how times have changed!

Thanks Tammy - - Great post!!

Mitzi

Farming On Faith said...

Oh what a fun post~ yes I remember my aunt and I doing many of these things.
We would go out the the hill in the front yard and sing songs like~ "Billie Don't Be A Hero" "Which Way America" "Paper Roses" " I'm A Little Bit Country/I'm A Little Bit Rock-N-Roll" "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" ~and on and on the list goes.
Loved the post!

Happy Summer~

Wendy/TheCozyYellowHouse said...

I love this post!! We used to sleep outside on those folding vinyl lounge chairs right under the stars,a whole bunch of neighborhood kids would get together and sleep out together and play hide and seek til all hours of the night!! Our family used to camp all summer long down at beach When we were older and we would go midnight swimming. We used to have so much fun!! Thanks for the memories!!:0)

Gettysburg Homestead said...

LOL great post it brought back a lot of memories.

Land of the Lost... what a great fake TV show looking back. LOLOLOL