First rides and trick shots

Summer has a remarkably different feel than the school year. My oldest likes to sleep in, but the younger two are early risers. And, everyone wants to stay up late and play outside until the sun sets and the lightning bugs come out. All three girls are do-ers and want to swim, to bake, to bike, to make a craft, to go here or there. There is noise and activity from sunup to sundown.

Last week they all three simultaneously attempted to bake muffins while I was organizing some things in the garage. When I came back into the kitchen the three bakers were in a heated argument. One was upset that her muffin mix had liquified. Another was upset that her muffins came out of the oven as flat as pancakes. Meanwhile, all I could think about was how I needed a garden hose and a shop-vac to clean up the kitchen. Truly, I’m not equipped to oversee group baking.

I know it’s a short season, and there are things I love about the buzz and beauty of summer. But, the introvert in me has to occasionally reset. This week the Kindergartener is at an art camp, so the pace at home is slightly slower. Even still, there’s not quite as much margin for thinking or writing from June till mid-August. So, I have three unrelated thoughts I’ll share today:

1. The girls are prematurely curious about when and how the Spouse and I learned to drive a car. This curiosity has brought up a few conversations about the types of cars we drove. The Spouse learned to drive on an automatic, but his first real car in high school was a green 1969 VW bug. Driving this car was a rite of passage for everyone in his family. He remembers stuffing his football cleats and pads in the empty passenger seat on his un-airconditioned rides home from practice. The car is chockfull of memories for his sisters and his parents, too. They recently had it refurbished, and it looks great!
   My first ride wasn’t quite as classic. I learned to drive on the family minivan, but my first official car was a teal Mercury Trio Tracer. The girls have gotten such a kick out of seeing a picture of this timeless beauty:

   
   It served me well in high school, but I feel good about our decision not to hang onto that one as a family heirloom. Some cars age better than others.

2. Last week at church the kindergarten class continued a series they’re doing on the life and ministry of Jesus. One week they talked about what Jesus was like when he was 12. This past Sunday the lesson was on what Jesus was doing when he was 30. So, they asked the kids to draw a picture of what they think they’ll be doing when they are 30 years old. Here we have the Kindergartener’s page:
   The teacher said they asked her to explain this one and she said she’d probably be having twins named Larey and Marey. So, here we have her in the hospital bed, sitting under what appears to be an IV, preparing to welcome Larey and Marey while her proud husband looks on. The Kindergartener said some of the other kids laughed at the names of her twins, but she’s sticking with those because she likes them. I like her resolve. And, I can appreciate the twist on the traditional spellings.She seems to be picking up on not only the lessons at church but also some of the practices. She did a puppet show at home for us a few weeks ago and then passed a plastic cup around while instructing us that we could all put money in it. I told her it’s not really customary to take up an offering at a puppet show. Clearly, she’s already more entrepreneurial than I’ll ever be.
3. With Father’s Day coming up next weekend I’ve been thinking a lot about my dad. It’s strange how my most acute memories of him center around summer places and activities. I suppose those months are when we spent the most collective time with him. He had a dry wit but was typically a pretty quiet, serious man. Never, though, was he more relaxed or fun-loving than when he was traveling, or at the beach, or enjoying a few days off from work. I don’t think anyone who knows me well would describe me as relaxed or fun-loving. But, I want to pass something of Dad’s “summer vacation” spirit onto my girls.I remembered the other day that one of Dad’s favorite games to play was the basketball game “Horse.” He had a knack for making ridiculous trick shots—a hook shot, a backwards granny shot, a one-handed half court shot—that assured him a victory. So, I’ve been teaching the girls how to play the game. And now, the 3rd Grader is obsessed with it.
   She’ll take a shot and say, “Is that how he would do it?” It’s fun to see her enjoy something that would bring him so much joy. It’s kind of like he’s there in the driveway with us for a minute. I don’t know what he would have been like as a grandfather, but I know he would have loved these kids. And, I’m one hundred percent sure he would have been rooting the girls onto any and every victory over their competitive mother.

   One of her behind her back shots finally went in last night and she beat me. She was so proud.

   So, that one was for you, Dad. I’m just trying to teach her how it’s done.