What it’s worth

Here’s my favorite thing about summer trips to Indiana.  My kids get to run around on a farm for a week, ride their bikes with abandon and spend hours upon hours at a great public pool.   Today’s pool time came in at 4 hours – yesterday’s was 3 hours.   Last night the kids spent about 30 minutes racing each other on their bikes, down one hill and up another slope to one of the barns.   Fastest time?  13 seconds.

In the mornings, Ben will get up and go outside to say hello to Bear, ride his bike and get on the swing that hangs from one of the branches of a large maple tree near my parent’s house, all before Maya and I are even up.   And all this despite his aversion to bugs.

It’s a great interlude from our city life.   We do get tired of constantly being in the car whenever we go anywhere, but the unsupervised outdoor fun makes up for it.    And of course they get to hang out with their grandparents, their aunt and uncle, various cousins and also see many of the places I spent time when I was a kid.

Every kid should get to hang out on a farm at some point.  We’d never want to leave the city permanently, but I also wouldn’t trade these trips for anything.   They give the kids a chance to do all the traditional farm things that hardly anyone gets to do anymore.   And some non-traditional things as well, like the massive water balloon slingshot my brother brought up for the kids to try this evening.  Super fun!      More on that tomorrow, as we plan to perfect the technique at our July 4th cook-out….

Priceless.

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