The Jump

Getting to the park behind our house meant clearing the drainage ditch — and if you didn’t jump far enough, you’d land right in the rainwater. Nothing like running around the park with one shoe soaked to the bone. 😅

Park

Another popular summer hangout was the neighborhood park. We were lucky to live right on its edge, so we could wander over and hang out anytime we wanted. 😎🏀

...and yes, Zack is about to walk right into the screen door...that's a fair representation of my childhood clumsiness! 😂

Movin'

I always loved that feeling after skating for hours — stepping out of those skates and back into regular shoes, but still feeling like I was gliding across the floor! 😁🛼

Time to Go

Leaving the skate rink was utter heartbreak — kids still zooming around the floor, neon lights still buzzing, music still thumping like the night wasn’t done… and you’re getting dragged out anyway. 🥺🛼

Jam

We can't talk about the skate rink without mentioning the music! 🎶

The DJ would drop that thumping bass and -BOOM- the whole place lit up. The wilder the beat, the faster we wanted to fly around that rink!

I can still hear that click‑clat rhythm the skates made as we picked up speed on the wooden floor! 😊🛼

Nine Down!

 I started drawing these childhood‑memory cartoons just for fun, never imagining I’d fill one sketchbook let alone nine! I’m so grateful for everyone who’s followed along over the years. Your encouragement has carried me farther than I ever expected

Now… on to sketchbook 10!

Couples Skate

'Couples Skate' always hit with that weird mix of nerves and hope — you wanted to be out there with the right person, not just anyone. So when a girl asked if I wanted to skate with her, I was flattered, sure… but I definitely wasn’t ready to lock in a lifelong commitment during a slow song at the rink. 😅🛼

Anchored

 

The skate rink always had a couple of arcade games, and for me they were basically home base. I’d drift over there between laps, half‑mesmerized by the blinking screens and half just trying not to roll away! 😅🛼

Snacks on Wheels

After a couple hours on the rink, we’d hit the snack bar! The real challenge wasn’t buying the snack — it was wobbling across the floor without dumping it. Somehow, luck always got me to the table with everything still upright. 😅🥤🍕

Skates...No Brakes!

When it came to skating, I never did nail the whole stopping thing. I’d just rocket around the rink and slam straight into the wall like that was the plan. Exactly why I always went home banged up and bruised after a day of skating! 😅🛼

Fallen...Again

I wasn’t much of a skilled roller‑skater — more like a beginner doing my best to stay upright. My sister, though, glided around that rink, twirling and dancing like she’d been born on wheels. Meanwhile, I was out there hitting the plank flooring so often my knees would be bruised and sore for days! 😅🛼

Skates

Another favorite spot for my sister and me: the skate rink! The year our parents got us season passes, we were so excited, we wanted them to take us there every day! 😁🛼

Drip

Climbing into the car after the pool always felt like one of those tiny summer moments you don’t realize you’ll miss — dripping suits, warm towels, and all of us trying our best not to leave little puddles behind. 😊

Cloudy

Partly cloudy days at the pool were interesting. While the sun was out, the pool was comfortably cool, but once the clouds hid the sun, that water turned ice cold! 🥶🧊 

Pass

My sister and I were over the moon when our parents bought us pool passes. Being able to show up at the pool every single day made us feel like we’d finally joined the cool‑kid crowd — sunburned, chlorine‑soaked, and absolutely convinced we were living the dream. 😎

Lightning

A lightning storm was the fastest way to clear the pool in summer — one rumble and the staff kicked every kid not just out of the water, but off the whole property. We’d grab our towels and sprint for shelter! 😲⛈️

Burn

I always hated climbing out of the pool in those heavy, soggy clothes. I’d stretch out in a chair, hoping the sun would dry me off a little. It was way too easy to close my eyes and drift off. Before long, I’d be half‑asleep, roasting away until my skin was as red as a lobster. 🥵☀️

Accident

I was never brave enough to try the water slide at the nearby water park, but my sister once shot down that thing so fast she chipped a tooth — and the park pulled out this massive incident notebook to log it. We were astonished at how many accidents they must have had! 😳

High Dive

The high dive always felt less like “fun” and more like “my watery doom.” The swim instructors were all smiles below, encouraging me on. I was up top thinking, "yep, this is how I go". Their confidence soared… mine was dog‑paddling for its life.😅

Snack Bar

My sister and I would get dropped off at the pool with a few bucks for the snack bar, and nothing felt more exciting than picking out our own snack… until we remembered the dreaded one‑hour wait before we could get back in the water. That wait felt like a lifetime. 😮‍💨🕑

Underwater

I was never much of a swimmer. Whenever I went underwater, I’d pinch my nose tight and squeeze my eyes shut — partly because the chlorine burned, but mostly because underwater felt big and mysterious, and closing my eyes made it feel a little safer. 😊

Cannonball!

The public pool was a fun summer hangout for my sister and me—except for adult swim. Every hour we got kicked out for 15 painfully long minutes. The second that whistle blew, we launched back in—cannonball first—while the adults were still trying to climb out. If you didn’t move fast, you got splashed. 😂💦

At Ease

Once the school year was over, Sundays just felt different. I didn’t have that familiar stress hanging over me, wondering what the week was going to throw my way… I could just sink into the simple joy of knowing I could sleep in, with nothing big waiting for me on Monday. It was this quiet little freedom that only summer ever seemed to bring. 😊

Game Night

It's Game Night! That was our parents’ plan to unplug us from the TV into some “family quality time.”

My sister loved it, mainly because she won pretty much every game. 😅

Hangman was a favorite of ours...simple and perfect for kids who lacked a lot of patience. 😂

Peas

Peas could be taste good…when they were the frozen kind. Mom, trying to stretch the grocery budget, always brought home the canned ones — those pale, mushy peas that looked like they’d already given up.

No wonder my sister hated peas! 🤢😅

Breeze

Another thought that got me through the school day was knowing I’d get to ride my bike through the neighborhood afterward, pedaling just fast enough for the wind to whip through my hair!💨😁🚲