Sweet Summer

So it turns out I am enjoying these prompts.   I am trying to catch up because I started late.  This time I am working on June 23rd's topic.    Tell us a favorite summer memory.

When I lived up north, Summer is, by far, my favorite season.    After months of cold and gray weather, we enjoy warmth and sunshine and baseball.  The days are long, the pool is open, and school is out.   (Not that I didn't enjoy school.   I did.  But I also loved summer.)

Growing up with a pool in the backyard certainly spoiled us.  Al and I spent hours and hours swimming, splashing, making up games, diving for rings, and remaining generally water logged for the better part of 3 months.   Eric, our next door neighbor and de-facto sibling, was over almost every day.  We made him talk under water and have us guess what he said.   It was a ridiculous game and we loved it.  Every 4th of July we watched fireworks with Eric and his parents, and often had them over for hot dogs and sparklers before it got dark enough for the fireworks to start.   I have so many photos of us goofing around during the 4th holiday, but they are not scanned!   The below photo was no doubt taken with Eric near by.

A few summers, Mom went to grad school and spent a lot of time with Nene.   We covered a tri-county area fitting in zoo trips, SeaWorld, Cedar Point, visits to the park, and of course, more swimming.  Often during these carefree days, I ate dinner while wearing my swimsuit, and often ate ice cream in the pool.  (Dad sanctioned and still performed)

We caught fireflies, looked at stars, and stayed up "late" watching movies we rented for free at Drug Mart.  You see, my parents were avid weekend movie watchers, and always new releases.  After 10 new release rentals, they earned a free 'old' movie.  My parents never cashed in on this, so Al and I spent many evenings watching and re-watching our favorite movies at no charge to our parents.   We also ate our weight in Combos.  Evenings also included baseball games.   Either on TV or just on the radio, nearly every evening from my junior high career on, I had Indians on the brain.  I even dragged my little boom box out to the pool deck so I could listen to the Tribe while in my favorite place in the world.

In our house, Dad and I were the 'biggest' water babies.  We were up earliest and in the pool first.   This also meant that Dad cleaned and I helped, but it was a small price to pay for being able to enjoy the pool every moment of the day.   

When we were kids we had a small above ground pool that was large enough for floating around and playing.   One of our favorite things to do was to 'double dunk' Dad, in which we would both fill water bottles [from Rax kids meals!] and pour water all over him.   As we got older, this game shifted to mean we tag teamed him and flipped him off the float into the pool.  A double dunk indeed.

As you can see, I have many sweet summer memories.   But I leave you with one that always makes me laugh.  As we got older, a typical weekend included Juj and Dad breakfast outside, pool cleaning, and swimming laps.  Dad was on the East side of the pool, I was on the West side.   We alternated free style, and breast stroke.   Dad backstroked, and I kickboarded.  (Jules + backstroke = disaster) Kicking in the pool was loud and did not allow for conversation but we were united in our swim.

We often ended up on floats as the morning turned to afternoon.   One day in the late 90s (I think I was in high school, so I am guessing on the year), Mom and Al were inside and Dad and I were relaxing.  I was not asleep, but Dad might have been.   My eyes were closed, but it was sunny and I was chilling out.  Our relaxation was short lived.  All of a sudden, Dad and I were covered in ice and freezing.

You see, Mom had come up with a scheme that she and Al would fill pitchers with ice and sneak out the front door (not the back door by the pool) so we would not hear anything.  They then walked through the side yard to sneak up on us, and doused us with ice.   Dad and I both screamed, fell off our floats, and burst into laughter.  

Something you have to know about my mom is she is not the type to play these types of tricks.  She has a sense of humor and is fun and wacky, but this is atypical.   We never would have thought her as the mastermind.   I think that's what makes it so funny looking back.  It was MOM who was doing it!  Ganging up on her own kid, and encouraging the other one to help.