Watermelon love

Summer is officially here in WA and we are LOVING it! It makes the dreary and gloomy winters well worth it when you get these perfectly sunny and beautiful summers! It has been anywhere from 70-90 degrees the past few weeks and not a drop of rain. We are getting tons of yard work done, lots of playing outside with friends, and even a few sprinkler parties. All the things I love about summer are in full effect- late summer nights playing outside with neighbors, lazy summer mornings with no place to be, lots of bbq's, the smell of sun screen on my kids, that tired feeling after a long day of playing in the sun and water, new swim suits, sun dresses for Madison, tan lines, outdoor festivals, markets, and concerts, fresh fruits and veggies from the garden (that the neighbors bring us!), windows open all night long, and best of all, WATERMELON! I love a good watermelon! Always have, always will. I have been such a big fan of watermelon that my Aunt once packed a GIANT watermelon in a cooler and flew from Florida to Oregon with it. It was the best birthday present I ever received! I had watermelons on my keds and always opted for watermelon flavored Bubbalicious gum when allowed. When I married Ronnie and found out that he hates melons of any kind I got a little worried. I was confused as to why my otherwise perfect eternal companion would not share the same passion for such a delicious fruit? Could this work out? Will we need therapy? Does he have other flaws I need to be aware of? Then it hit me- Of course! We were meant to be together; he will give me all his watermelon chunks from his fruit salad and I will never have to share the perfect "bowl like" ends of the melon. Flawless, couldn't have worked out better; more for me... and none for him! I knew we were a great team from then on!

I always wondered if my kids would inherit their moms passion for watermelon. Madison enjoys a slice from time to time, but it isn't a big deal to her. She will eat it, but not request it. However, a few weeks ago we found out that Beckham is taking after his mommy in this department. We started small by giving him a few pieces which he gobbled up instantly. That wasn't good enough, that didn't satisfy his sophisticated palate. I totally sympathized, you can't eat just a few measly pieces- I hear ya buddy, mommy understands! I felt for the kid, that is, until his eyes fixated on my giant slice. He was determined and wasn't settling for anything less. After a slight test of my "unconditional love," I begrudgingly handed it over. There was no turning back, he dug right in. A spoon just wasn't cutting it either; he stuck his whole face in to get the biggest and best bites. What a proud momma I was! He didn't stop for much more than a breath of air and a little adjusting of the slice as to attain the perfect angle.

This summer I know there will be plenty of watermelon consumed on the back patio followed by a few seed spitting contests!