Summer Sunday

I slipped out to Fido for a latte after we got the boys in bed tonight.  Cold Play - "Yellow" - is playing.  A lifetime ago, Coldplay was a "new" band and "Yellow" was on their debut album, Parachutes, in 2000.  Jude and I were dating and I recall a weekend trip we took to the mountains in North Carolina (Cashiers or Blowing Rock, I think) and I played that album a lot, particularly "Yellow."  I was 33 or 34 years old, so it was a lifetime ago.

One of the great things about the summer and, truthfully, one of the difficult things, is there is no routine.  Every weekday, it seems, J.P. is off to a different camp (Zoo Camp this week) and Joe is off to camp at Children's House.  It's nice on weekends, thought, when things are a little more laid back, everything isn't as planned and the boys get to roll with it a little more.

Last night, J.P.'s buddy, Cooper, spent the night.  J.P., Joe, Cooper and I went to Bongo Java this morning for breakfast ((the boys still in the pajamas), hung out and had some "film study."  That is, we watched Youtube videos of various sports figures - Mike Trout, Kobe Bryant, Odell Beckham, Jr., Steve Nash, etc., mixed in with a little "Dude Perfect" (the boys' favorite right now).  After we got home, Joe beat all 3 of us in a spirited game of "Thomas Pop Up" (aka "Trouble").  

After naps, Cooper's dad, Russ, texted me and invited us to come over to the elementary school near their house where they were playing soccer.  Joe heard the word "playground" and he was in, so off we went in the 100 degree heat.  While Jude played with Joe, the dads (Russ, Will and I) played soccer agains the "dads" (Cooper, Benton and J.P.).  Joe joined us later and held his own, which was pretty cool to see.  

We walked up to Will's house afterwards and hung out for awhile.  The boys played some more and the grownups sat and talked.  It was comfortable.  It was summer.  

In a way, it reminded me of my neighborhood in the mid-1970's, when I was J.P.'s age and every summer day ended, or so it seemed, with Warren Lee, Kim Danchertsen and me (along with the younger kids) playing "Kick the Can" or something while the grownups cooked out, ate dinner and sat on one of our back porches, watching us.  Those summer days and evenings are among the most treasured memories of my youth.  I desperately want J.P. and Joe to have some of those type of memories of their own.

Jude, J.P. and I picked up dinner from BurgerUp on the way home and J.P. went to Mellow Mushroom with the rest of the crew.  We watched the Red Sox-Yankees on ESPN and laughed while Joe commented on every pitch.  As usual, he was so into it he almost started crying when the Yankees took a 3-1 lead.  He insisted that I "DVR" the game so he can watch it over breakfast in the morning.  

We put Joe to bed, then J.P. arrived home shortly thereafter.  I smiled as Cooper, Benton and Ella hopped out to say goodbye.  J.P. came inside, took a quick shower, brushed his teeth, then was off to bed.  

The spontaneity and simplicity of summer days like today are what makes them special, I think.  Watching J.P. interact and hang out with his friends is magical.  That's what I want for J.P. and Joe - friendships, innocence, happiness, fun and all that comes with it.  That's what they (and we) had today, a Sunday I wish would have never come to an end.