Summer Lovin'

I was watering my flowers yesterday when I heard the sound of the ice cream truck coming down the road. I smiled to myself, remembering how much I loved running out to the ice cream man to get a Bomb Pop nearly every day in the summer during my childhood. With the watering can still in my hands, I watched the kids run over and place their orders. I decided that it had been entirely too long since I’d had a Bomb Pop so I grabbed a few dollars and headed for the truck. I sat on my porch enjoying the taste of the red, white and blue sugar as it dissolved on my tongue and thinking about all of the things I loved about summer when I was a kid…

1. Bomb Pops (duh)
2. Coppertone sunscreen
3. Tadpoles, Minnows, Guppies, Sharks, Barracudas – Swim Lesson Classifications
4. Losing my mind with excitement every time Plinko would come on The Price is Right
5. Jellies and flip-flops
6. Otter Pops after lunch
7. Playing softball at the empty lot on our block
8. Ponytail holders that clasped with the plastic balls
9. Friendship bracelets
10. Season passes to Elitch Gardens
11. Frozen Capri Suns
12. Strawberry LipSmackers
13. Love’s Baby Soft perfume
14. My pink and purple Schwinn bike with the white basket on the front
15. Getting friction burns on my knees and elbows from the Slip N’ Slide
16. Terry cloth tube tops
17. My purple and gray ‘Roos with the zipper on the side
18. My tennis socks with the pom-poms on the ankles
19. Camping trips in my uncle’s RV in which my cousins and I would fight over which 8 track to play.
20. Movies at the drive-in with my family.
21. Banana clips
22. Watching fireworks at Willis Case golf course
23. Girl Scout camp in Boulder
24. Annual trip to the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park
25. Bike races down the “big hill” in our neighborhood
26. Wet n’ Wild nail polish in bright pink for my toes
27. Playing horseshoes with my dad and grandpa at our cabin
28. Using Sour Patch kids as bait on fishing trips
29. Not catching any fish
30. Checking the board at the library once a week to see if I was still in the lead for most books read during the summer. (Yes, I was a geek. Still am.)
31. The sound of the oscillating fan in my room that I always turned on before going to bed
32. BBQ’s at Uncle Brad’s house and swimming at his pool with all of my cousins
33. Spitting watermelon seeds off of the back deck as my legs hung over the edge
34. French braids
35. BLT sandwiches for lunch – lots of crunchy bacon, crisp lettuce and thinly sliced, lightly salted heirloom tomatoes
36. Sleeping in my Care Bears sleeping bag on camping trips
37. Picking grapes off the vine in our backyard – which were always sour.
38. Getting a Mister Misty at Dairy Queen
39. Lemonade stands
40. Roller skating in the park
41. Tennis lessons and the coach I had a gigantic crush on – I think his name was Jake.
42. Putting on shows in the backyard and using my Lite Brite as a marquee.
43. Helping my mom hang laundry on the line on sunny days
44. Road trips to Sundance, Wyoming to see my grandparents
45. Climbing the huge elm tree in our backyard and reading Shel Silverstien's "Where the Sidewalk Ends"

And all of that reminiscing got me thinking about all of the things I love about summer now. That’ll be coming soon…