PLAY DAY

We have had so much going on around here lately that we needed a play day. Today I woke up and didn’t do a thing other than play with my kids. Eliza and I started the day by watching some cartoons in my bed while we waited for Jackson to wake up. Then we all ate some breakfast and got ready for the day.

By 10:00 we were out the door and headed to the indoor play ground. It was a little chilly this morning, otherwise we would have gone to the outdoor playground. We spent all morning playing and having fun. We even packed a lunch and had a little picnic at the playground. It was just what we needed. By the time we headed home at 1:15 both kids were worn out! Jackson fell asleep in the car, and ended up sleeping until 3:30. Eliza was ready for her nap once we got home. She slept until 3:30 as well. Once they woke up we had a little snack and bundled up to go to the neighborhood park. We took the long way there and enjoyed the outdoors. We stopped at almost every house along the way so Eliza could investigate something new. By the time we made it home it was already time to get dinner started. It was a pretty perfect day!

Honestly, I wish this is how every day could be. Sometimes I think, “Is my house ever going to get clean and stay clean?” Or I think, “Yup, I’ll have more laundry to do tomorrow.” There’s even the weekly, “Ughh, it’s time to meal plan and grocery shop for next week.” Today, all I was thinking was “Man, soon these kids will be all grown up and we won’t have days like this!”

Being a mom is a tough balance. If all we did every day was play, play, play, then all the other area’s in life that we are responsible would suffer. Housework, laundry, cooking, paying bills, yard work, grocery shopping, all the errands we run, and all the other “little things” we do every day still NEED to be done. Being a mother is so much more then just playing with our kids, but having a play day every once in a while is SO important for mom and kid.

Growing up I can remember thinking, “Man, all dad does is come home from work and play with us, and mom is always working.” Now, obviously my dad did a whole lot more than just play with the kids and my mom did more than just “work around the house”, but those were the things I noticed. I’m not faulting either of my parents because I know my dad did work around the house and I know my mom spent time playing with us kids, but isn’t this how every household works? Why is it that the dad comes home and is the “big playmate”, while mom works?

If there is one thing I’ve learned while being a parent, it’s that I NEED to play with my kids as much as I can. God has loaned them to me. Who is a better playmate for my children then me? There is an old saying that teacher’s pass around: “Everything a child needs to know, he learns in kindergarten.” The lessons that a child learns while playing are so numerous. It’s an awesome gift to be able to be the first teacher to my children, and to teach them while we are having fun makes it that much better. Hopefully, as my kids grow up they can remember that the lessons they learned while playing with their parents were just as important as lessons learned at other times.
　
Don't forget to count your blessings--especially the small ones! :)