Late August in Missouri is so soupy and swampy you might as well live in your swimsuit due to the insane humidity and heat. It was only when the ice blocks were busted out that summer really felt complete— and I still have the scars to prove it! It was a great story to tell boys on first dates and is a tradition I'll pass along to my own children someday. How about you? Share your own story of summer!
For many of us summer kicks off with a cook out or camping and comes to a close in much the same way. In between however there are all kinds of memories to be had as a child. Were you the kid who dug in the backyard looking for dinosaur bones? Did you climb trees and eat oranges until you were too sticky to get down?
Share your favorite past time below and let us know which ones you'll be carrying on the tradition of with your own children?
(Image: Flickr member backofthenapkin licensed for use by Creative Commons)

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Fireworks!! Something about fireworks in the summer is so special. New Years doesn't even compare.
The random mischief my brothers and I got up to in our little backyard was astounding to look back on. We had tons of plants and flowers in the yard and those were more entertaining to use in "potions" and things like that than any toy.
The big summer toy in our yard though was a Crocodile Mile (a way cooler 80's version of the slip and slide) Sadly, it doesn't exist anymore but slip and slides plus kids equals summer.
Fireflies, sparklers, bike rides, s'mores, backyard sprinkler, drive-in movies... etc.
What's this tradition with ice blocks? I've never heard of it.
Oh MAN, you just took me back @jmorri26! I remember Crocodile Mile, both the commercial and the toy itself...Hit the bump, take a riiiiide! Off to Youtube to find it right this very second.
you can sled on the ice blocks. like sit on them and wreck the lawn downhill but its a harder landing than just falling off a sled onto snow.
Spent my summer days playing in treehouses built by my older brother & his buddy, roaming the 90 acre farm on my go-cart, playing with farm bunnies, picking ticks off of my Grandaddy's beagle (why did we consider this fun?!) & jumping off of the dock into the creek. Summer's favorite dinner was picking crabs on a newspaper covered table. It was hilarious to watch Dad prepare them for steaming, ESPECIALLY when they "bit" him through his rubber gloves or when one got away & scurried back into the creek (we secretly cheered them on!)! I spent my summer nights catching fireflies. Dusk was for baseball games in our front field with neighboring kids. Good times.