Have a Water Balloon Fight

My summer just got a cherry on top of it in the form of an experience that was thrilling and unforgettable.  I think you should stop what you’re doing as soon as possible and go do this too.  

What I’m trying to say is— if you want to have the best experience of the summer: go find some kids you love and have a water balloon fight.  

We’d bought a set of these water balloons that you can hook to a hose and fill all in one fell swoop (which is a genius invention— whoever thought of it deserves a life of bliss and fortune, as far as I’m concerned).  In but a minute you can fill dozens of water balloons (and they seal themselves, so it’s seriously magic).  One minute, a hose, and you are ready to go.

My kids and nieces who were visiting were ready— decked out in their bathing suits and ready to go.  I planned on watching from the sidelines, as I was fully dressed, but thirty seconds in, I couldn’t help myself.  I had to get in there.  

I bent down to grab a balloon, and before I could stand fully up, a balloon shot into my hair and hit the corner of my eye.  The balloon erupted onto my face, my eye stinging from the water that had just exploded into it.  But I couldn’t just stop.  I had to throw my own balloon at its target, my seven year-old.  

I missed my mark, but kept going.  Being the only adult fully participating in this battle, I garnered a lot of attention, and balloons were hitting me left and right.  I was drenched, but undeterred.

We raced each other around the fountain in the front of our yard, shrieking and laughing.  We’d each miss our mark, but then on the next try land our balloon spectacularly on our target, cheering our victory as water dripped off our mark.  

When the last balloon sailed, we were all soaked.  My hair hung in wet clumps around on my head.  Tiny shards of popped balloons lay all over the gravel outside our house.  There were a few in my hair too.  

Hours later, after our guests had already departed for the airport, I found a small red slice of a popped balloon clinging to the side of the toilet in our house, and I let out a guffaw.  

When I look out onto our front entry, I can still hear the laughter.  Those might have been the best ten minutes of my summer.

So, do yourself a favor and before the summer ends, please have yourself a water balloon fight.