1976

On our street, time has stood still and it continues to be 1976!

Every now and then there is day around here that makes me realize how fortunate we truly are to be living in this time bubble... yesterday was that day..

It was a bright, sunny and crazy warm day outside. By 9:00am, my 7 year old was outside on the front yard playing-guess what, ON HIS OWN. I do not have to sit there and watch, making sure he does not run out onto a busy street, I know-I mean REALLY know every neighbor, every car-as does he. BY 9:20, I was hearing other voices out there-two neighbor children joined in the game. BY 9:30, a neighbor came down with a cup of tea and we sat out in the amazing sun and had breakfast together.. What fun feeding more than you expected!! I actually mean that..

We said hello to all the dogs out for their morning walks-those dogs that have much nicer owners than our poor Kailey!! 

By 10:30, most of us have left for Maple Madness-we mids' well drive together and make a day of it.... We hike in, take the wagon out.. We are home around 2:30 full of mud and a full belly...

I come inside to switch laundry. Mahone sleeps on the sofa-he just needs a quick cat nap to make it through supper!! Seamus is back outside of course, running through the neighbor's lawns with his soccer ball.. I think you know where this is going.. Of course, they all join in and of course, we all meet back outside-again with tea (there is a common theme here-tea during the day and wine at night....) 

By this time, Gramma is finished her work for the day and she has walked down for a visit. We all decide we MUST go to the park. We pick up "stray" children as we walk.. Oh what fun games of "grounder", "sewage"-don't ask about that one!!!, "hide and go seek".  As an aside: MAHONE HAS NO FEAR!!!!

Home again, I make brownies-trying out a new recipe. When done, I divide them out to be delivered to well...just about everyone..We eat supper. Hubby stays in after supper and does Mahone's nighttime routine. I head out with-you guessed it- neighbors. We take our older kids to the fabric store!!! You just never know what you will find when you rumage through the fabric store for an hour!!!! I have a project or two now to do for Seamus-including a set of hockey sheets...

We come home, have that last glass of wine and part our ways. Seamus runs ahead of me in the dark, with no fear, no hesitation, no questions... 

It is 1976 and we are raising FREE RANGE KIDS!!!