Take a little trip with me, to my old street. Don’t pay attention to the two moms by the trampoline talking– they might be there awhile.

OK, now listen: Giggles, laughter, running. More running. A gleeful shriek. A parent’s voice having to transform to a loud speaker calling their child in. “Coming” replies the trained child.  Both the call and the reply carry well up and down the street.  If the parent is calling multiple times, the same name, and/or the parent’s voice is traveling up and down the street because they are searching for where their unresponsive child is, who has apparently wandered to faraway lands that prevent hearing parental calls, then that would be our oldest’s name echoing across Lookout Mountain.  Always, she is found.  Serenity is restored.

There are no fences, only yards to run in and play in. Camps were brainstormed and executed during summer with the older coralling the younger: games, crafts, snacks– all of it. Fall had leaf piles to play in and jackets were accepted if it meant playing outside longer– as much as the shorter days allowed. Winter hibernation was broken up with the happenstance warmer weather day (above the 20s or 30s) or the snow day brought out both the sleds and also brought enough shrieks to make up for the quieter winter. Spring was welcomed because it meant the outdoors were ready to host again. Soccer, capture the flag, cops and robbers, swinging on swings, playhouses, trampoline, trampoline games, bicycle riding, creek exploring, lightning bug catching, climbing trees, and so much more. Our street was transformed daily into a World of Play and Pretend and the kids were its foremost explorers. And like any worthy expedition, there were trials along the way and challenges to overcome. But they learned, I learned, we learned.

(OK, extra cheese alert: I’m so glad they learned how to sail on the S.S. “Friend-Ship.” Pun intended, thus the cheese.  Yes, I know, totally corny, but I was imagining them as explorers, with a compass, on the healm of the ship, one of them at the wheel, the big painted cardboard seas had a bobbing sign that read “childhood” with an arrow straight ahead– see, like I was really imagining (because where else do signs randomly float in the water?) so the cheesy name fit. Sooo that isn’t as bad- right?)

But really, they were in an ideal environment to embrace childhood and also to learn about friendship. I am so incredibly thankful my children had that opportunity, even if only two years, it was a full two years.  The kind of two years that I hope they one day reminisce about when we have future reunions, weddings, etc.

Here are a few glimpses…

And two of my favorites.

August 2012:

August 2014:

(Yes, he really was jumping over them.)