"When I was a kid I didn't have an XBox or Wii. I had a bike and a curfew. Mom didn't call my cell - she yelled for me, and I played outside with friends, not online. If I didn't eat what my mom made me, then I didn't eat. Hand sanitizer didn't exist, but you COULD get your mouth washed out with soap. Re-post this if you drank water out of a hose and survived."
I know those days are long gone and our children are growing up in a very different world. One with XBox, Wii, cell phones and chat rooms (shudder). We'll face those things as they come. For now my children watch very little TV (lots when they're sick, but only very wholesome, non-violent, educational little shows), they play outside if it isn't raining too hard with sticks and shovels and wagons. Inside they color, paint and mold with playdough (the gluten-free stuff is stickier, but works great). They make up grocery shopping games, have tea parties, birthday parties and make dinner in their little kitchen to share with their dollies and animals and occasionally our cat, Dizzy (if he'll stay put for a minute). They love to play "princess super hero" where one of them goes across the room and cries "heelp" while the other one runs around a little (flying, I think) saying "I'll help you! I'm coming! PRINCESS SUPERHERO!" And when they "arrive" they stand in front of each other for a minute, giggle and go off to do something else. Maybe a rousing game of pull the sofa cushions onto the floor and jump around on them singing their favorite song de jour.
I'm going to hang onto all of that wholesome, sweet, creative play as long as possible. But I also plan to embrace the new version of childhood that is inevitable and will be here in the blink of an eye. They're about to turn three. Before I know it, my girls will be in school. Preteens. Graduating college. Walking down the isle. Calling me as late as they think they can get away with - crying because their two-month-old baby (maybe twins?) just won't sleep. All things I look forward to. But for now, I'm loving that they're not babies anymore, but not quite little girls yet.
Lily is reading flash cards while Kate plays air guitar.:)
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