activities
When I enter my brother and sister-in-law's house, I am met with a barrage ("A rapid, concentrated discharge of missiles, as from small arms") of invitations:
Tessa: "Can you put my dress on? Do you want to sit with me? I made you something! Do you want to hear me sing the days of the week?" (All said while holding my hand and swaying.)
Kaylee: "Let's play cups!" (Instructions: find a cup, turn it over, hit it with your hand or bang it on a table, sing loudly your favorite song. Repeat.)
Tysen: "My turn! I want to wiggle, wiggle, jump!" (This is exactly what it sounds like.)
Kenzi: "Come to my room. I want to show you something!" (There isn't actually anything she wants to show me. She just wants me all to herself.)
Kasen: "Aunt Katie, did you know..." (Insert random fact he and daddy learned from NPR on the way home from Grams and Gramps' house, or how many levels he has beaten on his video game, or what the score of the Duke game was.)
I love the flurry of activity that meets me before I can even take off my coat.
When do we stop playing, doing all the things we love, and using our imaginations? More importantly, why?
All too often our days are filled with sleep, eat, work, avoid (watch TV, Facebook, read, drink, etc.), repeat. What if instead we filled our days with holding hands at the door, making music out of everything, wiggling and jumping just for the fun of it, spending one-on-one time together, and talking about whatever is new and exciting (I realize we have to first get excited, which may be the root of our problem--when do we stop getting excited by life?).
Do something you love with someone you love today. But not just because it is Valentine's Day. And not just with four-year-olds.
Every day:
EMBRACE ACTIVITIES.
Watching my favorite scene from Step Brothers and laughing out loud.
Tessa: "Can you put my dress on? Do you want to sit with me? I made you something! Do you want to hear me sing the days of the week?" (All said while holding my hand and swaying.)
Kaylee: "Let's play cups!" (Instructions: find a cup, turn it over, hit it with your hand or bang it on a table, sing loudly your favorite song. Repeat.)
Tysen: "My turn! I want to wiggle, wiggle, jump!" (This is exactly what it sounds like.)
Kenzi: "Come to my room. I want to show you something!" (There isn't actually anything she wants to show me. She just wants me all to herself.)
Kasen: "Aunt Katie, did you know..." (Insert random fact he and daddy learned from NPR on the way home from Grams and Gramps' house, or how many levels he has beaten on his video game, or what the score of the Duke game was.)
I love the flurry of activity that meets me before I can even take off my coat.
When do we stop playing, doing all the things we love, and using our imaginations? More importantly, why?
All too often our days are filled with sleep, eat, work, avoid (watch TV, Facebook, read, drink, etc.), repeat. What if instead we filled our days with holding hands at the door, making music out of everything, wiggling and jumping just for the fun of it, spending one-on-one time together, and talking about whatever is new and exciting (I realize we have to first get excited, which may be the root of our problem--when do we stop getting excited by life?).
Do something you love with someone you love today. But not just because it is Valentine's Day. And not just with four-year-olds.
Every day:
EMBRACE ACTIVITIES.
Watching my favorite scene from Step Brothers and laughing out loud.
Congrats on being present in such a moment! In my small experience with this large family, they are easy to embrace or as you have stated so insight-fully ...be embraced by.
ReplyDeleteEnjoying your blog, Suzie