Summer rhythms

Pre-school is out and I am loving our summer non-schedule already. This week, with rainy weather hovering almost all day long every day, I’ve been sneaking out to the park with the boys for early morning exercise and play between storms. The playground is wet but the tennis courts are relatively dry, and yet abandoned thanks to the inclement weather, so we’ve been having our own version of tennis camp in which Will and I play no-net teamwork tennis on one side of the court (this is where we try to establish a slow-paced rally of two to four consecutive hits with many bounces between) while Owen runs around with a paddle ball, which he uses like a golf club to putt tennis balls to Will and I. “I love tennis!” says Will when I ask him if he’s tired yet.

Will has been finding more time for imaginary play, with Owen and alone.

Will and I have been enjoying cooking together during Owen’s afternoon naps. (I agree with food writer Nigella Lawson -- who talked on the subject on NPR yesterday morning -- that it makes sense to have kids join you in the kitchen, assuming they’re in the mood, rather than wishing them away. Lawson also offers some recipes for kid chefs.) At 4 Will can finally actually speed up a cooking project instead of slowing me down – especially if we’re baking oatmeal cookies or cornbread.

And Will and his mimic, Owen, have been making lots of time for art. Today Will asked me to move our kids table directly in front of the screen door that looks out on our carport so that he could sketch the tires on our car. Later he decided he wanted to paint a picture of something outside our front window, so we set up his easel on our tiny front porch stoop and he painted the house across the street. At one point mid-painting, the mail man came, delivered the mail directly to Will and offered a favorable critique of his painting.

After Owen’s nap, we used up the leftover paint inside.

What are your kids finding time to enjoy now that summer has arrived?