Monday, July 28, 2008

The Dog Days of Summer

I forgot how long summer could be... okay, not really... it’s one of the few things that seems waaaaaay longer now than it did to me as a kid... but that’s only because I’m on full time mommy duty and I like to complain.

My kids however have found all sorts of interesting ways to amuse themselves. The funny thing is, I remember coming up with games when I was a kid. We made up our own all the time – ours were pretty much just pummeling the hell out of each other, though. My kids are far more inventive.

Take for instance, the new game sweeping the nation:

Dodgeball Old Lady Mock 6000

There are rules to this game.

If the ball hits you in the face, it’s a bloody nose and you’re sent to the principal’s office (apparently this means you lose a turn and sit out)

If the ball hits you in the leg, it’s a broken leg – you must hop on one foot until you’ve gotten the thrower out...

If the ball hits you in the arm, an old lady attacks you – you are forced to sit in a chair while the old lady mocks you (thus the inventive title)

Oldest does the announcer voice throughout the game... she’s rather good at it. There are sound effects and everything.

My backyard is a water war zone

We don’t have a pool. We talked about it, a few times, but so far it’s not in the cards. First of all, youngest doesn’t swim very well yet – he’s still in the beginner level at swim lessons. If he can make it up to the next level by the end of the summer, I’ve promised them that we can get a pass to the public pool next year... This, of course, is not good enough. Next summer is forever away!

So, like every mother of beasties, er, umn, I mean beautiful, well behaved children type peoples... I let them play in the sprinkler with squirt guns a few afternoons a week...

But, you know, after the first few afternoons of running around in their swimsuits through a sprinkler, it wasn’t nearly as much fun anymore... Now they’ve taken to new ways of turning a nice normal yard into six flags theme park... The super soakers all get filled up... as do water balloons.... don’t ask me what they’re doing with the tennis rackets because I’m not quite sure what that bit’s all about... oh, and they’ve turned the backyard slide into a water slide by disconnecting the hose from the sprinkler and spraying the heck out of the person at the top of the slide....

The kid down the block saw the ruckus from his own backyard and told his mom about it... I don’t think he’s allowed to come here to play anymore...

So, how about you? What have you been doing to fill up your summer months?

6 comments:

Trooper Thorn said...

Best Slip and Slide ever. Three blue tarps from Walmart (must be new), tent pegs to keep them in place and regular dish soap.

Set it up with the sprinkler on it and the kids will be sliding the rest of the summer for under 15 bucks.

And you can always use more tarps for fall and winter garden stuff.

Merry Monteleone said...

Hi Trooper Thorn,

Do I have to use the tent pegs? Come on, you're making it more work.... lol

Thanks for the great idea, and the visit. When the grass in my yard is completely yellow, I shall blame you.

Erica Orloff said...

I must got get tarps. :-)

My kids are sleeping in, staying up too late, and generally making all attempts to stick to a writing schedule impossible. Four of them. One of me. I'm exhausted!

:-)
E

Mary Witzl said...

Lucky you -- that your kids are out and playing! Take my advice and give them some PET bottles to fill with water. My nephews and my husband had more fun racing around shooting each other with plastic bottles that they squeezed to expell water; I swear, the best toys aren't toys at all.

Mine are adolescents, so they've been sleeping. From time to time, they bestir themselves to go off to their (paid) part-time jobs. The one thing they haven't done is housework. That is for unpaid dopes like me.

Chris Eldin said...

LOL at your kids invention of dodgeball!!! You should put that in one of your stories!! It's very funny!

Hope your summer is going well. I hope to get back to visiting my blog friends more when kids are in school.
:-)

silken said...

very inventive! sounds like fun (for them!!) and keeps them occupied...

as for us, I stay busy running my kids around to all their activities!