I've been writing and thinking about playing more with my kids. That's really a hard thing for me because my husband is SO much more funner to play with. (just ask them..this is what you'll hear.. "Who's that? (pointing to my hubby)... That's my dad....What does he do?....He plays! Who's that? (pointing to me) That's my mom. What does she do?...She...folds clothes?") To get into the play mood with my kids, I took them to this really fantastic place right in the middle of town. (These pictures won't do it justice by any means..but you'll get the idea, right? :D)
You walk in, take your shoes off, and you have hours of fun right before you. There's tunnels, slides, climbing things, rope swings, foamy steps, ball pits, bridges..the list goes on and on! It seriously reminds me of one of those hamster cage toys..only for people. :D We've gone here 3 times this week, and have one more trip on Friday. But..here's what I loved the most.
There was another family there having a good time. A couple daughters and a few older sons. The boys were the kind of boys that really needed to be active..always running, climbing and jumping. So they're at the top of this play castle, and they yell down to their dad (who was sitting at the tables watching them play)..'You can't catch us dad!" And before they could blink..the dad was off his chair and running up the foamy climbing things to chase his sons. Pretty soon he was out of sight..but I know he caught them, because you could hear this laughter. This unbelievable laughter coming from inside one of the tunnels. He caught them, and they loved it.
That's what I'm talking about. Playing. Getting right in the middle of your kids life. Have you ever stopped to think about their life? I haven't. Not really. I mean, yes..but no. But since I've been thinking about this lately..it's become more clear to me. Their life IS about playing, and having fun. It IS about laughing and being carefree. And that's what makes them so beautiful. They shouldn't have to worry about bills, or gas prices. Just about learning those basic lessons that they learn from us...through our example. And maybe, just maybe, when I am chasing my kids around this grown up hamster cage toy land..I'll be teaching them one of the greatest lessons of all..
That they mean the world to me, so much that I'd spend my afternoon bouncing in a ball pit and crawling through a tunnel just to hear them laugh.
Pretty amazing what a little play time can do...
Until next time..
