Dear Kid,

There are lots of great things about the summer. Fresh fruit, long days at the pool, summer concerts, the opportunity to launch a full-blown attack on moles—the list goes on. Here are five of my favorite things about summer.

Flip flops

There is something about flip flops that just screams “summer happy!” Maybe it’s the bright colorfulness or maybe it’s the onomonopia-ness of the walking in them or maybe it’s just that my toes get to wiggle when I wear flip flops. The reason doesn’t really matter. What matters is that they say “summer” and make my feet happy.

No sleet

There are good things about winter, but sleet isn’t one of them. There is no such thing a gentle sleet, either. Sleet somehow is ragingly, unhappily aggressive, determined to get under your collar, into your eyes, and to turn the roads into skating rinks. It’s also ridiculously hard to scrape off the car. Next time the thermometer hits 97 degrees and the humidity is somewhere north of comfortable, remind yourself: no sleet today!

Hammocks

I don’t take advantage of the hammock in our backyard enough. I love relaxing in it, letting the trees shade me from the sun, hoping the mosquitos are still napping. Somehow, even looking at the hammock makes me relax a little and take on a little of that summer spirit.

Grilling

There are people who grill all year long, but none of them are in our family. During the winter, our grill is decommissioned and hidden away, not to reappear until mid-spring. While I am not the grill master, I love eating food cooked on the grill. Maybe because I’m not the grill master.

Long days

I love the long days of summer. I love waking up to sunshine (or almost sunshine) and ending my day with a little bit of light left. Somehow there seem to be more hours in a the day during the summer, and I manage to fill up each and every one of them.

What do you love about summer?

Love, Mom

Dear Kid,

We have a new project underway at house. Pi has decided (after much deliberation, calendar juggling, and mind changing) that she would like to have a Sweet Sixteen Party. The good news? She wants to have it at our house. The complication? She’s planning it.

Since (being a boy) you didn’t have a Sweet Sixteen (why is it that boys don’t have sweet sixteen parties? You were awfully sweet when you were 16 years old.) I thought it might be Important to Your Education to have some insight into how this happens.

Therefore, I have created a summary for you of the planning that has taken place over the last two days. I’m just that kind of a mom.

How to Plan a Sweet Sixteen Party in 16 Easy Steps

1. Create a guest list
2. Worry that there are too many people on the guest list
3. Design and order invitations
4. Plan enough food for 6 times the number of invited guests
5. Add 403 different types of candy to the party planning list. Remind your mother that candy is mandatory because it is a SWEET 16
6. Select complicated recipes for your mother to prepare because you only have the use of one arm
7. Announce that you don’t like cake
8. Decide that you need a 16 layer cake without cake in it
9. Figure out the first three layers. Leave the rest for your mother to figure out
10. Review the menu in stunning detail. Agree to remove one food item
11. Plan decorations that will take a year to install and require another mortgage to pay for. Assume the elves will take care of it
12. Worry that no one will attend because of other events that weekend
13. Review the menu again. After arm wrestling (using the arm in the sling) with your mother, agree to remove one more food item from the list. Retaliate by mentioning that you have three recipes for macaroni and cheese which need to be taste tested before the party.
14. Remind your mother you will need new shoes for the party. Appear shocked when your mother raises an eyebrow
15. Create a detailed plan for tracking RSVPs. Assure you mother people will probably RSVP. Maybe
16. Smile contentedly and begin texting

See how simple it is?

Stand by for changes and alterations.

Love, Mom

Dear Kid,

It has been quite an eventful and event-full weekend. Not only did we have graduation (SO proud of you), three soccer games, the football combine, and countless graduation parties that other people hosted, we had two graduation parties that we hosted/co-hosted.

Here’s what I have learned about graduation parties.

• They involve a significant number of graduates. Which reminded me that this may be one of the last times I get to see this particular group of your friends congregated in one place. (sniff)
• It is not possible to diet during graduation season. Graduation involves a LOT of food. And a lot of cake. Fortunately, the wonderful Debba has agreed to do an extra spin class on my behalf.
• Green frosting stains. I discovered this when someone else got frosting on their clothing. My Ohio University shirt remains pristine.
• Party-hopping is not only accepted, it is expected. Since everyone is having their graduation party during the same general time-frame, going from location to location is the only way to get to see everyone.  And to try all the different varieties of food. It’s like an advanced scavenger hunt.
• Graduation parties mean graduation party leftovers. Hope you liked what we served—we’re going to be enjoying it for a while.

You are friends with very nice people, kid. And you are a very good host.

Hope you had a good time too.

Love, Mom