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To Swing With Clouds

Learning to Truly Enjoy Playing with Our Children

By Stephanie Elliot

ke the rules. And if the kids don't have clean shirts or the dishes are left in the sink an extra day, are we any worse off? Will the kids complain that the house is a mess or that they are tired of having peanut butter and jelly or macaroni and cheese for dinner? Will they beg me to stop playing Barbies, "dance party" and "restaurant" with them? At this stage in their lives, I am confident they won't say, "Mom, we don't want to play with you anymore." That will happen soon enough and it will crush me.

I want my kids to remember that I could swing higher than anyone at the park, master the balance beam better than their gymnastics coach and blow the biggest bubble without getting gum all over my face. I want them to remember that I noticed what was important in their lives, and I delighted in every minute of it. In no time at all, I'm sure that what I'm doing now will be embarrassing for my kids. They'll shudder when they see me whipping down a slide or screeching atop a hill, arms outstretched, bubblegum stuck to my chin.

For now, I'm going to relive my childhood with all the gusto and force that I can muster. Their childhood won't last forever but the chores will. And the chores can wait. Who's got time for laundry? I think there's a swing out there waiting for me to take it to the clouds.

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