It's really not so different these days than when I was growing up--Sesame Street still begins with the all-too-familiar song and Cookie Monster is still eating the letter of the day. I'm still playing school like I used to, but my "student" is now our little boy instead of my captive, I mean captivated, little sister. I'm still playing in the kitchen, but now my tools are a little bigger, a little more expensive, and a little less likely to break (particularly the oven!).
What is most exciting to me is getting to step back into the world of our toddler and "grow up" with him. The opportunity to read the books I never read as a child just excites me, and one of the most relaxing afternoons I have had in months came the other day when my son and I sat on his play carpet and pushed cars around a make-believe road. And, you know, it is more fun to eat sandwiches cut into silly shapes (particularly when they're made with Nutella! lol) I had forgotten the sense of accomplishment that comes from having colored every inch of a page from a coloring book, and stacking blocks to see how tall they will go could keep me busy for hours (if my son didn't get tired of it after 10 minutes and move on to something else!). I am seriously looking forward to the LEGO and Lincoln Logs years. Don't even get me started on the joys of playdough--especially now that I have the pleasure of making it before I play with it! We add spices to it that complement the colors of the dough--ground cloves in red playdough is just amazing...
So, why the nostalgia? Today is my birthday and God has blessed me with 32 wonderful years of life on this little planet. I am so grateful for the ordinary miracles of life and for my dear family and friends, and I am so humbled that on top of all of this, I get to have a little fun, too.
(Me, three years old, with my baby sister)
6 comments:
I agree! When I became a mother, I felt like I had been issued a license to act like a kid again. To take in the wonders of the world with all of my senses turned on. As adults we learn to tune things out in order to get things done, but kids notice everything!
Happy Birthday, Rachel! Hope you enjoy your day like a little kid!
Love,
Donna
Well happy birthday to you!
It sounds like it was a good day!
Leticia
Happy Birthday!! You were soooo cute!
It is true that having kids makes me feel young again, although some days I think it has aged me too!
Hey, do you have a good playdough recipe? With the yummy spices? I would love to know!
Thank you! It has been a great birthday weekend!
Karly, I use a traditional play dough recipe that some of the other moms here gave me, then I experiment with scents and colors. I usually try to pair the spice with the color that seems to go with it, like cloves or cinnamon with red and turmeric with yellow. Once the play dough is ready to knead, I add in the spices and work them in so that they're incorporated. The hard part is using ingredients that can balance with the saltiness of the dough--I tried vanilla once, and it did not work well at all. I do think I'm going to try pumpkin pie spiced orange play dough in October--as long as my son doesn't try to eat it!
Here's the basic recipe I use:
1 cup flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup salt
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 cup boiling water (with food coloring of your choice)
Mix the dry ingredients together and add the boiling water. Stir until the dough forms. Let it cool, then knead it until it is the right consistency.
Have fun playing!
Happy Birthday, Rachel!!
Happy Birthday....again!! lol I hope it was a good one. I enjoyed reading this one a lot. And, it's so true- it is fun to "be a kid" again.
And, I loooove the picture. lol Ah...the memories!!!!
Love,
Tara
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