Rainy Days

The day started with more swimming lessons. The skies seemed to be holding back so we walked and Jonathan biked down the street for class. While Lindsay was working hard and Jonathan was playing hard it started to rain a bit. I assumed we would be rescheduling Jonathan's class since the rain became constant. The swim teacher thought things would be fine so I stopped acting cool with the rain long enough to prop up the umbrella as it really started to come down. I had to trust that she knew what she was doing although I was so thankful when the lesson was over and I had both kids out of the water. By the way, both kids are on the verge of swimming breakthroughs. I just have to sit on my hands and clamp my mouth shut while they struggle in the water to reach the apex of their current ability.

I love kids playing outside. One reason is that they are outside while I remain inside -- life is quieter. My dad cannot figure out how his mother and other mothers kept kids busy all day in the pre-television and pre-gameroom-packed-to-the-hilt-with-toys days. He has decided that kids were sent outside to play instead of hanging around indoors. (I watched Lassie the other day and was aghast as I watched a four year old tromp around from farm to farm unaided. No wonder they needed a wonder dog to keep everyone safe!)

So, my new favorite neighbor kid is Austin. He and Jonathan spent two hours outside doing the things kids are supposed to be doing instead of watching the Disney channel. I first saw all four kids making mud cakes -- definitely an important childhood activity my kids have not had enough practice with in our yard. Later they were working on the hole Sadie dug under the fence. Later they were in our pond finding and collecting fish (or some organism that seemed to be swimming). I am not sure anyone will be eating out of my depleted tupperware collection again though. At one point I looked outside when it began dumping rain and there they were seeking shelter in the kid's fort. After the playdate, I had a lot of muddy prints running through my house, but I am grateful for every one of them.

Actually, I mopped them all up because the preacher from the church we have been visiting was coming by. Around the time he arrived the waterworks had begun again. This time in the form of tears. Lindsay was distraught because I had Jonathan run Austin's forgotten shoes over to his house. Her tears that started when she felt hurt slowly but surly welled up into tantrum tears. About this time the pastor was kind enough to smile at Dylan, who thought it was the devil come to take his soul. In the midst of this when we could barely hear for all the screaming and tears, the phone rang just to add insult to injury. When all the excitement died down I was surprised to see the pastor still there. I thought he might of headed back out the door while attempting to exorcise our house.