Taken in the spirit it was meant, we are lucky! My older kids were too they all grew up in small towns and relative safety, we knew eveyone and their playing all day and gone till dusk was the norm(funny I never minded summers home with them they were never home LOL)

Things change, Adrian has a cell phone for emergencies and also in case something happens on his bike. Which I do make him wear a helmet the street here are busy, now the playing all day is done in MY yard so that I know they aren't getting nailed with empty needles, drug dealers, or sexual predators. My yard resembles a boys home in the summers and that is fine with me, as they still get to watch fireflies in the evening after the Kool aid is gone, the watermelons eaten the 500th popsicle devoured, and stains made that will challenge even Maytag.

Thanks Mags for the trips down memory lane, and the horror of realizing school is out in 5 weeks LMAO