Taking Back Summer.

There was a time when things were simple. Where weekdays we woke up early and got dressed. We brushed our teeth and mom combed our hair so that it hung down past our waists. Down lamp lit neighborhood roads we'd drive and arrive at the same small, pink bricked house with the little mushroom-y tree out front. Three sleepy little girls emerged from the blue suburban and entered into the warm home of a second family.

Deranged family. But family nonetheless.

As mom drove away, off to work, the baby was taken to go finish her sleep while my sister and I would hurry off to one of the back bedrooms where our friends were. Obviously, we were playing Mario Kart64 in pitch darkness. It was a morning ritual I'll never forget. We'd sit on the futon and gaze into the tv and watch in wonder. There were only two controllers, so patience paid off here. But breakfast was always mandatory, and turning off the Nintendo was always hard. But we did it.
Another morning event I'll never forget: breakfast. Eggo waffles piled high, oatmeal packets left for mixing, toast and cereal. My favorites included snowy waffles, and brown sugar with apple cinnamon oatmeal on rainy days. It was always still dark out when we'd eat. Mrs. Alice made sure that we had a good breakfast and that we ate sometime after we'd get to her house. Lunch was a must as well.
The days were full of adventures and frizzy headed little girls, growing and learning, making small mistakes and paying for them how we should, many days at the pool, and hours spent outside. How summer was meant to be spent. I can still remember swimming, and eating, and exploring. Playing in the garage and the "forbidden" game of Worry. Extreme games of hide and seek, discovering a love for music, and the strange hole in the hallway wall [a joint effort of Sam and I]. Oh! And the bad weather days, where the weather got real bad...that was no good. Because I was a chicken [still am], and my friend Lauren freaked out easy as well. Storms did not scare me, but when the lights went out BAM! I was gone.

This is only a small part of what our summer break was like together.

It was a time of growing up. We were the best of friends. Memories that will never be forgotten. Still having those "Oh, guys remember when..." moments. It's stuff I'll have a hard time forgetting. Probably something I won't ever want to forget. It is, however, a time we will never be able to move back to. Days that will not happen again. Though, nothing ever ends really. Our summer days live on in that same back bedroom we played our Mario in. The little wonders of our vacation together will be, for now, remembered through a little collage on the wall - a small window to what we were like back then.