Fun in the Summertime

The excitement is really starting to build over the Vermont Symphony Orchestra event here on the mountain for July 6th. Just the thought of an outdoor concert perched at the base of the mountain on a hot summer night brings back some great memories of childhood.

Summer seemed to last forever. You never even knew it was just 2 short months. Life was simpler back then. Your idea to sell lemonade that morning pretty much became the neighborhood project for the rest of the day. When the group finally decides on lemonade (versus koolaid), the next step took hours - tracking from house to house collecting all the supplies necessary to pull this thing off. Then came product testing - because boy, after all that trecking around you get pretty thirsty. Setting up the card table was the next big project - followed by signage (perfectionists beware!) and picking a price. Before you knew it, you were ready to sell. Cups stacked nicely, napkins available for the next spill, found a ladel to scoop, a cooler for ice, a strainer to get that yucky pulp out for the finicky customer. You did it. Time for the money to start rollin' in. And just moments later you get the call... it's time for dinner. Did you really ever really sell anything? Probably not, but it didn't matter - it was the process. Good ol' summertime fun.

Fast forward to modern day summer. Oh my god, the kids don't have school. Now what do I do? Get up at 6. Throw in some laundry and pickup the mess you left last night. Drop the kids at daycare - or wait for the high schooler you hired to show up and hope they are as responsible as you think. Work from 8 to 6 (if you still pull off 9-5 good for you!). Pray the kids are safe. Call home a million times to check on them..."turn off the tv!!!" Are they really having a good summer? Get out of work, head to baseball. Run out during the 4th inning (just after he's up) to make it to dance. Back to the field, catch his last ups. Back to dance. Ugh 5 minutes late. 7:30 pm headin' home with kids that might die from hunger, literally. Throw in chicken nuggets, a little tv and voila the day is done. This is what I call fun.

I think my family needs a vacation at Okemo. Think they'll have lemonade at the concert?