We have had some pretty nice weather this week. I have to admit. Yes, it may have been cold, and there may have been a few flurries earlier in the week, but it shaped up to be a very nice week. Yesterday reached 80 degrees in Bristol...and that means the boys and I were at the park.
I think that one of the things I find the best about parks, is that they never truly get old. Maybe it is because my boys are younger, and there is always something new to learn, but I even love going to the park. This time we went back to Rockwell Park, since we have not visited there recently. And in true mommy fashion, I packed a nice picnic lunch and actually grabbed some sidewalk chalk to use there. I do not know why I hadn't thought of this idea before, but now that I brought it, I think that will become a regular item.
To begin with, we have a gravel driveway. That means that the only place they really use their chalk at home, is on the front steps. Since they cannot draw massive pictures and try different things, I think that is why they get bored with it so quickly. Yesterday was a different story. Not only did they spend their usual couple of hours on the playground equipment, but they then spent an additional hour using the chalk! They were drawing circles, lines, figuring out which color was which (it was a huge box of 48 different shades), and the BEST part was they were asking other kids to come color with them. For Carter, this is not a huge step. He has always been "The Mayor" as I call him. For Pierce, it was huge. Not only was he playing so well with another girl his age, he was even having full conversations with her! And to think this all started by setting out a box of chalk. Simple chalk.
And since we had a few other kids join us, we drew robot faces, circles, smiley faces, and even a hopscotch game to learn how to play. I really wish I had taken pictures of all the art work...but my camera was deciding to tell me there was a zoom error instead. It was refreshing to yet again see how well the boys thrive when they are around toys that don't require batteries and require an imagination. I'm not saying that those that need batteries are not great, because they have learned plenty from them. I am saying that there is much more to be said about using an imagination and having to use social skills to make friends.
This was yet again another reminder for myself, that the boys love to be old fashioned. They love to draw, love to do activities, and don't always need to go somewhere fancy. Yes, the boys love to explore and find things. But, I need to remember to use what surrounds us. We have a HUGE backyard with tons of trees. And if that is not good enough, we have White Memorial Nature Center about 5 minutes or so up the road. Tuesday, we spent about an hour and a half in the woods just exploring. We looked at different flowers, found out what lives underneath the leaves, and counted how many Lilly-pads we found in the pond. I need to foster their desire to explore and learn a little better. I know somebody had mentioned a scavenger hunt a little while back, and I am going to set one up for next week.
I also noticed that with today being Friday, we have yet to spend a day at home, and not have something to do. With that being said, as of last night, we have started having an issue with some listening ears being turned off and general crankiness. I need to calm it down again. How can I teach the boys to appreciate what they have, if we are never home, or running here, there, and everywhere? And this is where the delicate balancing act will start.
Well, this post turned into a big babble, and it was all caused by a box of sidewalk chalk. I cannot help but chuckle at myself right now as I am going back and proofing this entry. I hope everyone has a great weekend. To my boys: I love you to the moon and back, forever and always. Thank you for helping me remember what is important in life. It means more to me than you will ever know...just like maybe someday you will learn just how much you mean to me.
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