"What was that one called?" I yell toward the wave of water spattering my feet.

A frog-like head pops up out of the center of a splash.

"Huh? What was what?" my 10-year old asks.

She seems oblivious to my inquiry and begins a breaststroke back to the dock, where I am lounging the day away. Climbing up the ladder, she removes her sky blue goggles.

I ask again, lowering my sunglasses, "Which jump was that? What was it called?"

"Oh ... that was just a regular cannon-ball." With a shrug of her shoulders, she replaces her eyewear and jumps back into the lake.

Last summer, on a hot and lazy day at Smith Mountain Lake, my family and I enjoyed a splendid nothing-sort-of-day. It was summer, after all. Unplanned free time can be more important than the planned activities. As a busy mom with three kids, I make a point of taking advantage of all the free time I can.

I remember temperatures reached 100 degrees that week and the blue-green lake called to my kids. With nothing but time and a cool lake to spend it on, creativity took over.

With two rafts, two noodles and a plastic tube to use for swimming and jumping, imagination took center stage. All three kids got into the act, making up different jumps and silly names to accompany them. Their smooth showmanship surprised me as my son announced each jump and my daughters took turns showing them off. With my feet dangling in the water, I was thrilled to play along as lifeguard and honored audience member.

At the end of the "show," I had an entire list of different jumps. Feel free to use them with your little ones as the temperature rises, or make up your own.

• Sandwich: jumping with two rafts under each arm.
• Broken wing: jumping with two rafts waving in the air under each arm.
• Donut: jumping into the center of the round plastic tube.
• Pencil jump: jumping straight down, arms to the side, feet first.
• Butt buster: jumping with a raft flat under the bottom.
• Horsy: jumping with a raft vertical between the legs -- ouch!
• Pony: jumping with a noodle between the legs.

At the end of the day, wet, tired and laughing, we make our way to the kitchen table for dinner. Looking around the white Formica top, I watched my kids dive into their chicken nuggets and applesauce. This perfect summer memory crops up as I watch the temperature rise and the traffic increase around the lake. I can feel the excitement rise each day for my children as they count down the short number of days until summer begins.

This Memorial Day, don't forget to make time for your own lazy days and to make a big splash with your family.