Summer cool

We're A little more than half way through the summer. Kids are starting to complain about being dragged to campus. They have a program in the morning which gives me 3 hours of freedom. It's the afternoons that can get tricky with keeping them occupied while I work. These last days have been way too hot for them to play outside for long. We come to campus for extra cool air conditioning. I realize on days like today how incredibly lucky and blessed I am. I have a boss who's trusts me, colleagues who inspire me, kids who behave well enough to wait through an hour long meeting, and every mobile device I can buy to keep me working from any location.

The next two days, I'm going to give the kids a break. I have a sitter coming to play with them in the afternoon so the won't have to be dragged to my long HR training sessions.

As I was trying to prepare some ideas for the babysitter, I got to thinking about stuff I used to do as a kid for summer fun. Of course, I don't remember how hot it was when I was 8. Nor do I remember any specific activity of magnitude. Pretty sure my mom pushed us out of the house so that she could get some peace. For the most part, I think I lived on my bike, played in the mud, or simply bugged my brothers for my summer excitement. And watched a lot of TV. All four channels. (r.I.p, Mr. Schwartz. My summers were wasted watching your shows.) I also did the public library reading program.

I remember Eichelmann Park. In the 1970s, there was a permanent dead fish smell along the Lake because of industrial pollution. We could walk along the sandy beach because of the fish bones and garbage. I'm happy to say it is pretty clean now. And the air is better. I'll bet of the beach was cleaner, I would have sent more time there. Or not. Pretty sure my mom couldn't extract herself from her work. Wish I had a large body of water nearer than Jersey Shore.

So what am I going to let the sitter know to engage the kids tomorrow? Probably not much. I'll give them a day to come up with something. I hope i come home to muddy knees and really dirty fingernails. And if they're bored-that's their own fault.

So what do you remember about just regular summer days when you were 8 years old?

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#26 of 90in90 for #LUBlogTribe