I can feel summer approaching with the sun sitting higher in the sky, the days growing longer, and the color green creeping in everywhere. Quick stolen glances out the window make my heart race like that of a child. Summer is here! It reminds me of a Steve Martin movie when he yells out, "The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here!"

I simply can't wait for the penetrating heat to soak all the way through me, bringing with it the impulse to do crazy and refreshing summer activities. The boat seems so appealing, the water beckons, even the hose entices on a warm summer day. Summer brings out the kid in me. My children define a hot day as one when "even mom jumps in the lake." No amount of gel or spray can keep hair looking good in the heat of summer, or the wind of a boat ride, so I figure I might as well abandon the hairdo for a refreshing dip. I'm never sorry when I do.

While I love to read, chat with my friends, and go to the movies, it is play time that makes me forget about all of my worries. It sounds silly to have "play time" as an adult, but it's important to remember why kids have play time; they want to have fun! Adults need to have fun too. We need to forget about our responsibilities if we want to relax. When I play I laugh more, smile more and feel free. Play is probably one of the biggest reasons we all wanted lake homes; we wanted to play and create good times.

I am extremely fortunate to have four children that remind me to play. We were on a family vacation this spring and I was nervous about trying to keep everyone happy, trying to keep everyone quiet in the hotel, trying to keep everyone fed and dressed, and I can get stressed just thinking about it all. As I piled the stress on myself I realized this was not going to be a fun vacation for me. So I focused on it being a fun vacation for my kids. Interestingly, their fun became my fun.

Upon seeing the amazing blue ocean, my two younger children simply wanted to jump the waves. Holding their hands, we jumped until we were truly breathless. Needing a break, they asked to build a sandcastle. My idea of a good day at the beach is to sit motionless on a chair, sipping a cool drink and reading a book, so this was big stuff for me, two activities in a row. It was their vacation after all, time to play and have fun. Being the dutiful mom I was trying to be, I plopped down and began to build. Of course the perfectionist in me began to rear its ugly head when my son decided to smash the castle I'd been working on so diligently. I had to remind myself, it's his vacation and it's just a sand castle for Pete's sake. So I jumped up and we smashed the castle to smithereens. The sand in my toes felt great, but the laughter I shared with my son felt absolutely exuberant. The cool drinks we sipped together after our expedition were the best tasting I've ever had because of the fun we were having together. I was playing and I was feeling like a kid.

The next day brought another challenge. I couldn't very well spend a day doing that which the four-year-old children wanted to do, and leave my two older children high and dry. I was faced with a choice. I could let them scuba dive with their dad, the same dad that they ask to do everything with them because he always says "yes," or I could step up to the plate and go myself. Either way, the kids were going to have fun, but what message was I sending them? I didn't want to send a signal that he was the only fun one in the family. Back into my "Good Parenting 101" role, I decided to take the plunge, literally, and go scuba diving. Though we wound up 35 feet under the ocean, I was on top of the world. We even bought the overpriced video tape as a memento of our dive.

I am proud to tell you that our children stopped their exclusive invitations to play with their father and opened up the invites to me as well. Their vacation became my vacation. Their playtime became my playtime. Their memorable days became my memorable days.

I am looking forward to more playful times this summer. I hope you will join in the fun as well. Summer in Minnesota is the time to take a plunge, bait a hook, throw a water balloon, or test a rope swing into the lake. We have a wonderful, natural playground just out our backdoor; let's make the most of it.

Now summer is here; let's go play!

By Nancy Henke