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Editorial By Shaila Creekmore

As a kid, I thought summers lasted forever. I spent hours riding my bike, jumping on my trampoline and probably repeated to my mom a dozen times a day, “I’m bored.” By the time school finally rolled around, I couldn’t wait to get back and see my friends.

As I grew older, somehow summer grew shorter. Even now as my oldest son, Samuel, has just finished his last year of pre-k, I see the start of kindergarten just down the stretch and I feel this overwhelming need to fit in so much in these two and a half months before the start of school.

As this issue hits the stands, my husband and I are taking a trip to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary, so we likely won’t have the opportunity to take a family vacation this summer. Instead, I have begun putting together short trips that we can take with the boys to Memphis and Little Rock for a few days of site seeing.

We have already scheduled play dates with cousins in Memphis for visits to the Children’s Museum of Memphis and the Pink Palace Museum. CMOM is fun for all ages of children and they have story times and activities throughout the month on various days. While we haven’t been to the Pink Palace in several years, my husband, who grew up in West Memphis, remembers it as a childhood favorite and is excited to show our sons many of the fascinating science exhibits they have. And I’m certain a trip to the zoo will find its way in there as well.

Growing up in Little Rock, I made annual trips to the State Capitol, the Old State House Museum, the Territorial Restoration and other museums in the area on school field trips and Girl Scouting activities. This summer I’m excited to take my boys to downtown Little Rock to visit some of these great sites and maybe a picnic along the Arkansas River.

New to Little Rock since my move to Jonesboro is the Arkansas Discovery Museum in the River Market. It’s a great place to spend the day with the kids and with both permanent and traveling exhibits, the museum is new to us each time we go. I was excited when I recently discovered that with my purchase of a one-year membership to the Arkansas Museum of Discovery, we also get in free of charge to Mid-America Museum in Hot Springs, the Children’s Museum of Memphis and the Pink Palace. Four incredible museums within a short drive for the price of one family membership will give us many days of activities.

Some of our other summer activities include a summer camp art class at The Foundation of Arts, T-ball at the YMCA and we’ve already purchased our tickets to ASU’s Children’s Summer Theatre. Through our church, Highland Drive Baptist, the boys will attend Vacation Bible School and Kidz Dayz, a weekly activity during the month of July.

In our free time, we’ll spend many afternoons at our wonderful city parks. Our city is lucky to have such a great park system and the many play areas provided to us by Jonesboro Parks and Recreation and our local Rotary clubs. Samuel has been asking since March when we can go to the splash park and he couldn’t wait to climb the new fort at Craighead Forest Park. We also look forward to many visits to the Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center just a few miles from our house.

With so many activities and so little time, surely I won’t hear those same words that used to drive my mother crazy.