At Play

As the weather warms up we find ourselves out and about more often, feeling the shift from the inhale of winter to the exhale of the warmer seasons. In and out, expansion and contraction and on and on as the cycle repeats itself on both larger and smaller scales. It's a good thing. And a glance the calendar tells me that we are scheduled to be all over creation this spring. So here's hoping that we have enough of that deep introverted winter time, saved up inside of us, to get us through. And conversely, here's hoping that we can soak up enough sunshine and days by the lake to get us through the following winter!

Last week we hit one of our favorite local playgrounds for our first visit of the year. We are in no way lacking in things to climb, swing on, jump from, ride on and generally have a good ole time with at home, but sometimes it's nice to get out and check out the fun stuff that is offered elsewhere. I think that one of the things that makes this time special is that we are all there together with one set purpose: to play. At home there are lots of things to draw the adult attention away. And while we do spent a good deal of time outside together and regularly make a point of stopping to jump on the trampoline or pushing a little one on the swing, the majority of the time we tend to each do our own thing.

The Goosey Boy had his first real taste of a big boy swing. He wasn't overly keen on it. I don't think it felt secure enough. But it's all good, he worked it out....

I find it really odd that this playground, which is at a school with a preschool program, doesn't have any swings with backs. It was, however, a good reminder to me that it's time to switch out the toddler swing at home for the preschooler version. I think he'll really like that. But hey, at least they have a playground. It occurred to me while we were out on this day that my own elementary school didn't. Which probably goes a long way towards explaining some of the less desirable ways that we spent out time. Granted we also had bars on the windows and cockroaches in the cafeteria, so perhaps there are more contributing factors there. I often think about how when you are very young, you don't question things. It is just assumed that everything is the way it should be. Take those cockroaches for instance. My mother was appalled when 20 years later I asked her if she knew about them;
"Why didn't you tell me?!?"
"Why would I tell you?? It was normal. That was just the way things were. We made a game out of counting them in the hallway between classes."

It's funny how people assume that children are born with some sort of innate sense of "right" and "wrong". Children know the life they are given, nothing better and nothing worse. It takes many years to learn the nuances of ok and not, socially acceptable and not, healthy or harmful....that's what growing up is all about. It's deciding which of these things you accept and what ones you turn away and still others that you modify depending on the company you keep. But it's not there on day one, nor day two, nor the day after that.

Leave it to me to be inspired by playground equipment to start aimlessly musing about the human condition!


On day last summer I took the kids to our favorite pond. We played in the fields for a while and the sun was fairly close to setting by the time we made it to the beach. When we stepped through the trees we found a woman kneeling in prayer. The kids, of course, came running down the path and burst onto the beach the way they always do, with me following a few paces behind. The woman looked up and smiled at me and said "Don't worry, their play won't bother me any. It just becomes a part of the prayer and the prayer is all the better for it." I like that. I like to think of my life that way. There is nothing wrong with small epiphanies by the swing set.


Back to the playground... a good time was had by all, complete with scootering around the grounds for the big guys (and yes, this is why the boys are pictured wearing helmets, I'm not that overprotective), the climbing of giant snow piles for the little guy, and a nice sling nap for the wee little gal.


There was also some whiffle ball play. Tether ball too. The Goosey Boy and I did a bunch of playing on our own during those times. And yes, a bit of watching as well...


When shown this picture, the Papa half-jokingly remarked that we might need to tighten up his stance a bit. It would improve his form I'm sure, but how much do I love the limbs flung this way and that, in free-form boy-like fashion?!? Oh very much indeed.


And one last blurry picture...

Baby Roo has been liking the swings of late too!