Summer Sunday Night

Tonight was a perfect summer night. The little girl across the street is just a few months older than K and we really enjoy her parents' company. This evening, as the heat of the day was wearing off a bit she and her mom came over so the girls could play in the front yard. They played at the water table (which my husband graciously filled with water) while we sat in camping chairs nearby, chatting.

When the girls were thoroughly soaked (they both thought it was hysterical to "take a bath" by pouring cups of water over themselves, each other, and us) and we were all hungry, we decided to meet at an Irish pub about a mile from our houses for dinner. The restaurant was practically empty and thanks to Ohio's smoking ban we had a wonderful meal and didn't worry about the atmosphere at all! After a great dinner we decided to head over to a local ice cream shop to top off our meal with the best soft-serve around! We had an impromptu ice cream tailgate. We opened the back of one vehicle, spread towels out for the girls to sit on, and the adults stood in a semi-circle around the tailgate eating, chatting, and watching the girls enjoy their ice cream. It was the perfect night.

We are blessed to live in a great neighborhood, have wonderful neighbors who have become true friends, and have great places to eat minutes away. I can only hope that these memories are just the beginning of many great childhood memories K will look back on fondly. These times are already integral parts of the wonderful patchwork quilt that is my collection of memories. Here's to many more to come...