After four days being cooped up with a three-year old with chicken pox, we escaped to the front yard.
I am not sure who needed this more her or me. The toys flew out of the garage so fast that it had my head spinning. All I could think about was the fact that I would probably have to put them back in.
As I sat on my lawn chair to watch the world go by, my daughter decided this was the perfect time to learn to drive her Barbie car she received for Christmas. I got a huge kick trying to teach her to drive from my lawn chair. Forward, backward, left, right, towards the red car, back in the driveway. Anyway you get the picture.
Alas she noticed one of her favorite things of summer – lightening bugs. The car was quickly parked and she began running around the yard in her PJs and Crocs chasing lightening bugs. She quickly realized she couldn’t catch them. Pretty soon I was dispatched to go inside to get her bug cage (gift from the Easter bunny) and net.
As we chased the lightening bugs around the yard trying to catch them. I got to thinking things don’t get any better than this. Summer is meant for the simple pleasures of being outside catching lightening bugs, eating popsicles, visting with neighbors. In the age of having to have every electronic gadget available to entertain children sometimes it is the simplest things that amuse them.
Why do we as parents think that they need to be occupied every moment with these gadgets? Why can’t we let them enjoy the outdoors and the simplest of things?
We got a lightening bug. It slept in the cage next to her bed all night. We finally released it this morning with tears. Assurances of more lightening bugs and more summer night fun helped.
It is my goal this summer to kick back, relax and enjoy the simplest pleasures of the summer.
