Friday Fun

At the beginning of each week I try to think of new and fun things we can do in the week ahead. Sometimes these ideas involve leaving the house and going some place fun. Although many times they involve staying home and being creative since a certain little someone who is only 7 months old needs to take many nappies. Well, I thought today would be a good day for an obstacle course. I cleared away the dining room table and pushed furniture aside and we went to work. D. Clapp eally only wanted me to set up the "diving board". Right around his 3rd birthday he was obsessed with "jumping off the diving board"-he would make diving boards out of anything-furniture, boards, curbs, sand piles....he just loved to jump. Although he hated getting in a pool or the ocean so I find it amusing that he called them diving boards. He even had a homemade diving board at his carnival 3rd birthday (which, by the way, you just jumped off of a board into the grass-but he loved it!) So, today's obstacle course had to include a diving board.






























We pretended that our obstacle course was at the beach. You first had to drive to the beach.


Then you had to crawl through the tunnel to get to the beach...OK, not realistic, but I had to get the tunnel in there somehow.


Then came the board walk.









Then came the grand finale of the whole obstacle course-diving off of the diving board into the couch cushions-a usually forbidden activity in our home. But now that I am anticipating the possibility of getting new furniture-jump away.

After several runs through the obstacle course, mommy was quickly told to stop taking pictures and play. Ok, sir! We then pretended that the pillows were boats and the floor was water with sharks. You had to stay on the pillows or a shark would eat you!!! That actually held his attention more than the obstacle course itself.

Doing this event made me feel like a good mom-you know how it feels. When you plan something you think would be fun. Something different that you don't do everyday. Something that involves a usual "no"-liking jumping on pillows and couch cushions. Something where the house looks like the kids took over. I personally had lots of fun. And I believe in my heart he did too! But, after an hour of fun, I had to do something and he came to me asking "Will you play toys with me?" To which I replied "Babe, I did just play for over an hour. Wasn't that good enough?" "mommy, you played obstacle course, I want to play toys". I think I will always hear "come play toys with me" in my sleep.

This is what D Clapp looks and feels like when you don't play toys with him......

Even though he just wanted to play toys and it seemed for a moment that the obstacle course was in vein, I know that it's still important to do new and different things. I know that today built memories. It may not have been playing toys, but it was spending time together. Time-both quality and quantity. And time is my son's #1 love language. We had a lot of fun....and don't worry, when he wakes up I will give him undivided toy playing time! I love you D Clapp....and your toys!