I remember as a young child we would find ways to entertain our wild imaginations. Our TV time was generally at dark when the news was on, or if we sat down to watch a show as a family. Sure we had to take the early hours of the morning to get dressed and ready for school, grab breakfast at home or at school, ride with our parents or the bus to school, attend school 8 AM - 2:50 PM then make the end of school day trip back home. Our crew (me, 2 of my sisters, and my cousin) would always get home around 3:30 PM...then what to do until dinner, after dinner until bedtime and don't forget the weekend.
We were fortunate enough to have a mamaw (grandmother) with a great imagination. She could recommend any activity to keep us out of the house and get us to explore the world around us. I guess you could say she helped feed our inner MacGyver. We could take a walk in the woods, play in the small creek beside her house and even pick blueberries from her garden. There was always something to keep us active.
I was invited to my cousin's baby shower a few years ago. My six year old son, "Sassy", is attached to me and wants to go everywhere with me, so he tagged along for the baby shower. The baby shower was filled with snacks and gifts for my cousin. No games were planned. Regardless of the events planned, Sassy would not have been invested enough to participate in these games. We were in the adult realm.
No matter where we went Sassy had Matchbox cars tucked in his pockets. That particular day happened to be gloomy and wet from the drizzling rain. The adult ladies enjoyed the smorgasbord of snacks and made our oohs and aahs as those adorable little baby outfits, shoes, and blankets were carefully unwrapped. Sassy found his own little play spot. A small mud puddle at the edge of the sidewalk outside of the fellowship hall where the shower was taking place.
Did he get scolded for being wet and dirty from head to toe? Heck no! Unbeknownst to him, my aunt was snapping pictures of his new found playground. He was content playing in the water, mud and rain. Oh to have the creativity and innocent mind of a child renewed in our life. I treasure the simple moments like this. Yes, he is 6 now, but soon he will be 7 then 8 then all grown up. Our oldest son is 23. Our daughter is 21 with our 1st grand-baby. And our Sassy is 6.
One day we had a downpour (no thunder or lightening - just rain). Sassy asked, "Mommy can I go play in the rain, because I've never done it before." He got dressed with whatever clothes he ran to first, and his rain boots. He had a full container of cars and trucks to play with. I stood watching from a window as he created his racetrack in the rain. He had the most fun. He was only outside for about 30 minutes then came back inside on his own. He then shared with me the fun he had while he was outside.
All of this to say take time to enjoy the mud puddles and make smiles. We get so bogged down with our nose to the grindstone and the routine of existing that we forget to enjoy the little important things that make life have meaning. Allowing him to play in the mud puddle at the baby shower was not a problem because that was the only place we planned to be for the day. Allowing him to go outside in the rain was not a problem because we were staying home all day anyway. If we were going somewhere that required him to be clean, I would have explained that to him, but in these two situations we didn't. What else do we keep a spare change of clothes in the car for? I plan to use mine for the adventures with my child. Whether it is playing in a mud puddle or working on a craft together, take time with your child and create the biggest smiles you could imagine.
