Summertime in a child's eyes....

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
You'll wish that summer could always be here-Nat King Cole

     A young baby faced boy sits on the bench swinging his feet back and forth. His cheeks are blushed pink from the sun’s warm rays and his eyes are as blue as the clear skies above. He sinks his teeth into the juiciest slice of watermelon with a smile. By his side is his loyal companion. A 4 year old bichon frise not quite 10 lbs. Her overgrown white coat is getting stained pink from the juice dripping down the boys arms. She licks the boys hands and face enjoying the sweet treat. Giggles echo in the summer breeze.

      Refreshed and cooled from his snack the boy gets up and looks around wide eyed at the family’s yard. In his eyes the modest sized yard is the size of a football field and filled with so many options for the day.

      Ahh summertime in a child’s eyes. It ignites all the senses including the innocent 6^th sense-imagination. The brightly colored summer fruit and snacks are just as delicious to see at as they are to taste: a bowl of deep red cherries or a deep purple popsicle. The smells that fill the air scream summertime: the salty ocean breeze, the bbq grills from the neighborhood cookouts, and my favorite- the smell of a freshly cut lawn. The sounds of summer that whisper in your ear: children laughing, waves crashing, crickets singing, music paying, wind chimes chiming and plastic tricycle wheels hitting the cement. You can feel the sand between your toes and the warm sun on your back.

      The little boy makes his way over to the side of the house and lifts the doormat up. He kneels down to take a closer look at his discovery. “Look mama, a bug a bug!” He watches the ants scatter and tries to pick one up. When unsuccessful he puts the mat back down and runs towards his pool and jumps in. Splash. “Arr Matey,” he says. His mama nods. “Today is a very good day to be a pirate, little one,” she says. “Now where to captain?”