One afternoon, Aaron suggested we find skipping rocks in the yard and then go across to the river to throw them in.
An excellent idea!
We're doing tons of awesome things this Summer. Taking trips to the beach, going into Boston, swimming in Walden Pond, picking fruit, swimming in pools, going to the Newport Folk Festival!, going to the movies, visiting friends... Especially when I was working, I wanted to make sure we packed in as much as possible on the weekends. When it came down to it, though, the biggest thing I really wanted to give my boys was the opportunity to be bored. To stare it down and push past it. To see what they could come up with on their own.
You remember it, don't you? Waking up as a kid, with no agenda, and working to figure out what you wanted to do with your day. For me, my favorite activities were picking berries, building forts, and swimming. The first week of this vacation, Aaron asked me every night what we were going to do the following day. He's a kid who is used to having a schedule. I do try to have one thing planned for the day, even if it's just a visit to the playground, but we've otherwise been pretty open. I've watched him adjust to this, tentatively at first, asking me "Mom but what can we do?". I always have answers, and sometimes I'll offer some suggestions. Often he comes up with something by himself anyway. He's been doing a lot of drawing, reading, watching baseball (baseball camps have been at the fields in our backyard), playing with his next-door neighbor friend, building lego creations, and making up tons of unique "games" with his little brother. It's been really fun to see him get comfortable with these wide-open days. They've been flexing their creative muscles and thinking about the way the world works. You would not believe the questions I've gotten in the past few days alone.
In a few weeks, we will leap back into the school routine, but I'm so thankful that we've been able to give them this gift of time.
