The view from the backyard

-
I spent today cleaning my house, going through baby toys and being over zealous and steam cleaning the carpet in the family room. I even went as far as to rearrange, including the amazing task of moving an entire giant bookshelf by myself. (Toby cheered. "Wow, mom, you're really strong!")
All of this work and sweat was really a loaded day of chores.
I'm kicking my kids out of the house.
The weather is good, the sun is out (most of the time), the grass is fairly dried out, and the poison ivy hasn't really reared its ugly head quite yet. So there's really no good reason that the kids should be inside at all, except maybe to use the restroom, although my son does have a special spot behind a fallen tree that he prefers.
But here's the thing: Kids SHOULD be outside, without any pushing or shoving. They should be out running and jumping and spinning in circles until they fall down and/or puke up their popsicles. They should be sneaking drinks from the garden hose and have mosquito bites and skinned knees and a farmer's tan to beat the band.
They should be out doing these things without parents asking them to-- by choice. And I don't mean taking the DS and sitting on the back step.
So this summer, I'm not giving my kids an option. The house is clean, the toys are stashed away for a rainy day. The backyard is theirs to destroy, steering clear of the garden and flower beds. They are free to build and break and jump and whatever, and as long as there is a stash of BandAids in the bathroom and popsicles in the freezer, they're game.
And I'm glad.
The truth will be told, however, if the family room stays this clean until mid-July.
(Track our outdoor adventures on Dirt Don't Hurt, and then go out and play for yourself.)

Comments

Loren said…
I totally agree with you...as it rains really hard here every single day this week!!
May 7, 2009 at 10:16 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bedtime

-
            It is a cruel world we live in, when the time for sleep is never the time we want it to be. Ever.             There are, of course, exceptions, but speaking from my own personal experience, I’m not sure I’ve ever really been able to go to sleep exactly when I wanted. I can’t remember a single time (although I also can’t remember what I had for dinner last night) that I’ve had the pleasure of announcing, “I’m tired. I’m going to bed and no one or nothing is going to stop me.”             As tiny infants we know no better and haven’t yet adjusted to any sort of schedule. After living in darkness for all of our lives, we suddenly find ourselves with lights and sun and lovely people who are trying to train us to sleep at times when we really don’t want to, but aren’t sure why.      ...
Read more

Darn the first entry -- THE BOOTS.

-
I hope to, years from now, sift back through the archives to view the very first entry of this blog. And most likely, I'll be disappointed because reading things that you've personally written aren't quite the same as reading what someone else wrote. Just like coffee and salad always taste better when someone else makes it. It's one of those worldly mysteries that not even Nancy Drew could figure out. I'm starting this blog in lieu of my old web site which is now defunct because the whole economy is going somewhere in a handbasket. But this [free!] alternative gives me one great place to post everything and anything I want, combining my old blogs, SmallTownSoup.blogspot.com and OutdoorMama.blogspot.com. But to put something of substance in this first entry of this new blog, I thought I'd tell a bit about the boots you see in the logo. This photo was taken before Annie was big enough to wear shoes, so there's only two little boots following mine. Toby's a...
Read more

Pepe le Pew and Cupid, too

-
            Phenology is the study of seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant and animal life. Watching the way nature changes with the calendar can be a neat way to track the world and make ridiculous comparisons and conclusions about fragrant animals, diapered babies and bow and arrows, and old cartoons characters with a French accent.             Living in Ohio, we never know what the weather in February will bring. We can assume snow, but even the most astute student of phenology will tell you that weather (not climate) is not what makes most things in nature happen.             So I go to two reliable signs of February: Love and skunks.             I’m sure everyone will agree that February is the month of love, with the whol...
Read more