Played Out

With fall approaching and the daunting thought of winter in Rochester I have to address something that relates to my earlier post, those endless days of play. While you are happy that school has started just remember, there will be many days ahead where you are going to be inside. For those of you whose kids are in all day kindergarten I say “You lucky ducky” Your kids are wiped when they come home because they are all played out. Sure, staying at home means that you are safe and that a potty is mere steps away but staying inside too much can be just as deadly. Turning to Facebook or working on the blog is how I deal. My kids ask me why I always play that game on the computer. It’s because if I play Star Wars one more time or have to pretend I am going skinny dipping by taking all the dresses of Sarah’s Barbies in the royal pool at Belle’s palace I am going to lose it. I don’t know how I got this way. Willie Pacer and I used to play Star Wars in his backyard with his state of the art Han Solo blaster and he always made me Chewbacca because I was the tallest kid in class. My brother and I used to play G.I. Joes endlessly, Star Wars, He-Man etc., it was just too awesome. I guess I am just all played out. Or maybe it is because Adam won’t let me control Man-At-Arms like I want to and he imposes all these rules about how none of his guys can get hurt in anyway. Conflict! We need some sort of conflict over here! I don’t know about anyone else’s kids act but mine crave constant attention. Adam was always needy from the get go. Maybe I fed into that because I was so excited about playing with him. I used to think, “How can parents not want to get down on the floor and play with these cute kids?” Now, I am fully aware of why. Playing is their exercise and this is what they love to do. Now, while they are playing we are following close behind. We make sure they share, that no toys are left behind, that sand is not “accidentally” being kicked in some kid’s face. Now that’s work. For the first five or six years of their life all they do is play. Think of puppies or kittens and how their exuberance can get them into trouble, kids are a reflection of the endless energy that even animals have. At the Brookfield Zoo I always noticed lion cubs. Boy, they do not give up; jumping on the Daddy Lion, biting his ears, playing with his tail while he tried to take a cat nap. Dude, I can now relate. I am sorry if I ever referred to you as “that lazy butt lion”, I get it, I really do and I am sorry. I respect you Mr. Lion and I hope you get that nap in there while your kids jump on your nether regions. I had a friend whose job was being a toy tester. All she did all day was play with toys and assess their value. How cool is that? But, when I asked her how I would get a job like that she would say “Trust me, you don’t want this job. It gets old.” I guess that could be true. Seems like we all get played out but for me I need to find another set of Energizers aka. coffee, and forge ahead. I have to run. I have a tea party to attend to at Castle Greyskull with Strawberry Shortcake.