Over the last few years we had some great boating days at our good friends the Scanlon's. Their house is opposite the lake and we turn up with picnics and chairs and watch our kids grow webbed feet as they swim and play in the water all day. This weekend the sun came out after a week of downpours. The phone rang and plans were made.
The best part for our kids is the Scanlon's old catamaran that they "launch" and tether to a tree so they can swim out to it and climb on/jump off a hundred times without it getting boring.
Another fun thing to do this year with the older girls was to try to catch photos of water droplets flying from their hair as they flung their heads back. We took plenty using a mobile phone and got enough funny photos to have them laughing.
Days like this make life seem simple. A group of friends ranging from 7-14. Boys and girls. Growing up together and with the diversity and easy friendship that you get amongst cousins. No electronic devices. No brand-names. Just water, sausages in a bread roll and cold drinks out of the Esky. Playing until the sun gets low in the sky.
This is the point in my life I want to press the pause button. This is the kind of day I want to be able to close my eyes and recall many years from now when I am old and wrinkled. (I know, hold back on the wicked humour!) I hope that all the kids when they are grown up too will look back on days like this as being the special times of their childhood.
We do...and they will. I think about days like that often and I never fail to smile when I do. I remember them well and happy to have those memories. :)