Long Live the Neighborhood

Warm summer nights, the sounds of kids laughing outside, pick up baseball games, playing in the sprinklers, running down the street asking friends to come over. These are all such sweet reminders of my own childhood, and I am so grateful that our boys are also getting to experience the magic of the ‘neighborhood.’

The Beginnings

When we first moved into our home, we didn’t have kids yet, and there were few families. Shortly after our oldest was born we started to see a lot of transition in the area, which luckily brought in several families with young children. It didn’t take long for these kiddos to become friends, and the park play dates were a daily occurrence.

We would meet for picnic lunches, or walks, or we’d house swap and let the kids tear apart the toy bins. Some of us stayed home, some worked, but somehow we’d almost all end up at the park in the late afternoons. There were lots of battles over toys, and who could swing first. But, there was never any shortage of fun, and these were the early days of some wonderful memories.

More Kids, More Fun

Since the creation of our neighborhood gang we’ve seen another round of babies, and much has changed. But, the park play dates still happen frequently, and the friendships have continued to blossom. The older siblings are showing the little ones the ropes, and we’ve got quite a crew when we all get together. This summer brought lots of trampoline jumping, toy borrowing, bike riding, and sprinkler fun. The snack cabinet gets raided, the laundry pile grows exponentially with the wet towels and clothes, and the house is a mess; but those giggles from out back are the most precious sounds.

I should mention that the grown ups benefit from the neighborhood tribe too. We meet for dinners, have park happy hours, and often trade off with babysitting. We have an ongoing text thread where you can find anything from requests for a cup of sugar, to invitations to host a play date, to pictures of a found shoe/toy, etc.

Long Live the Neighborhood

In this age of social media and device addiction, spending time with your neighbors or seeing kids playing outside may feel a bit like a scene from Leave it to Beaver. It can be easy for us to retreat, and keep to ourselves, rather than engage with those around us. But, you can bet that the scooter gang in our ‘hood will keep the spirit alive. I know our boys will be running down the street looking for playmates for years to come. The names and faces may change, but these moments will stay with us forever.

I will always cherish these days, and I hope that our home continues to be a gathering place as our boys grow. I want them to feel safe, welcome, and loved, and I want their friends to feel this too. We will always have a snack cabinet ready to be torn apart, and we’ll keep the garage fridge stocked for the grown ups.

Thank you to our neighborhood crew. Thank you for the endless play dates, the borrowed cooking ingredients, and for sharing in the sweet simplicity of this lifestyle. Cheers to the memories, and long live the neighborhood.