LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

Can you remember that last day of school before summer vacation?  I remember it vividly from my elementary school days.  Running down the big flights of stairs with all my class mates as we chanted, "No more pencils, no more books. No more teachers dirty looks", all the while looking around to make sure there were no teachers near by. Little did I realize the teachers were busy celebrating and singing their own version of the song.
And then the doors flew open and we were FREE . . .   running out the doors with visions of all the great things we were going to do this summer.  It was a magic moment that was so unique. No other moment in the year gave this sense of possibilities and dreams. IT WAS SUMMER !

That's how I feel today.  Summer is HERE!  If you live in Florida you know that summer is THE VERY BEST time of the year. Yeah, it's hot. But not half as hot as the rest of the US at this moment. 105 degrees in Maryland?  102 in New York? You have got to be kidding me!  Today is bright sun and only 89 degrees in the sun with only 75 % humidity!  I've got a pool in the back yard that is 92 degrees and life is good.

Smith and mom & dad came up yesterday and stayed over night.  We had a BLAST!  They got here early yesterday and we swam and swam and swam.  Smith wore his new Muscle Man life vest with attached swimmies and he was good to go.  No worry about falling in the pool with this thing on. I feel like a prune after all the swimming we did.  Then we had guests come for dinner and Smith had Caroline (3), Jackson (7) and Sydney(1) to entertain him.  They joined him in the pool (not Sydney because she is undergoing surgery to straighten out her deformed leg and can't swim with the brace on. She didn't seem to mind in the least.)  Smith and kids played around each other but had great fun. Dinner on the Bar-B-Q was fabulous, if I do say so myself and we all had a great evening. Smith didn't get to bed till almost 9 and the rest of the adults weren't far behind him.

Unfortunately Smith was up at 5:30 this morning so when grandma and grandpa got up at 8:30 we took the little man for a walk with Mookie the dog and then headed back into the pool so mom and dad could catch a few extra Z's.  When Kent and Kristen got up around 11 we made chocolate chip pancakes and bacon with strawberries and whip cream and had our selves a delicious Brunch. After which we burped our way back into the pool for another hour or so. Smith napped two and a half hours and we all just stayed in the pool drinking Mimosas and beer. What a life!

When Smith woke up we got dressed and headed over to our local "Down Town" by the mall and took Smith on the "train" ride and the carousel with a stop in between for ice cream and a few hundred rides up and down the escalator.

Now the Ft. Lauderdale Lawlors have headed home and grandpa and I are left with a house that looks like there have been tons of kids here for the weekend when actually it was only a couple of hours. But like the prospect of summer vacation we have ALL summer to pull it together until the gang arrives again.

Jackson, Caroline and Smith

Smith loading up his squirt gun

Off for a walk

Train Ride

Ice Cream

Best ride yet!

Riding a Turtle!

What have we got to look forward to this summer?  Quiet roads because all the tourists and snow birds have gone home.  Quiet restaurants,  less rushing around, less crowded beaches, calm water in the ocean and lazy days.  On a personal note we have Smith's family moving in 2 weeks, Smith's second birthday and party in three weeks and a Lawlor Family Reunion in just about a month. Kyle and Family will be here vacationing from England,  Keri and Family will come down from Maryland and Kent and Family will come up from Pompano.  And in between it all grand ma will just sit by the pool and dream of all the things to do while singing, "No more pencils, no more books, If I play my cards right I won't have to cook."     LIFE IS GOOD !