I have discovered the best way to get the kids to play together...outside at that...is to request their help cleaning up the house. For the past several days the kids have stayed indoors (messing up the house) because it has been too hot to play; never mind the the fact that they continually get on each other's nerves. First thing this morning I notified the kids that at 11:00 we were all going to stop whatever it was that we were doing and straighten the house UNTIL IT WAS CLEAN! Almost immediately both kids started MAKING THEIR OWN SANDWICHES and packing their own backpacks. They "innocently" stared at me as if I were a cyclops or something like it (although my eyes are puffy enough that the skin could possibly merge) and proceeded to tell me that they were "just about to go exploring." Uh-huh. I stood my ground and forced them to put away the dishes and pick up all of their stray belongings. All of a sudden the phone rang and I found myself tucked away in my bedroom talking to my sister. When I emerged from my room I could literally hear and feel the absence of my kids. While there was still plenty of cleaning left for me to do the dishwasher was empty.
I looked out one of my windows and saw the backs of my kids as they tromped off into the woods. It took me back about nine years when my son (then age 4) would get all suited out in his fireman's costume (complete with helmet and air tank) and strap on his "workerman" tool belt. He would meticulously make certain that his tagalong sister (then age 2) had as close to matching gear as possible. I even have a picture of the two of them (air tanks strapped to their backs) taken from behind as they walked off into the woods.
Before I could grab my camera the moment was gone. The kids were back inside ("...it's like 106 degrees out there!") and asking if they could watch t.v., get on the computer, play games, etc. At least while we all retreat to our favorite electronic source of entertainment we can enjoy playing in a much cleaner house than the one we woke up to!
I looked out one of my windows and saw the backs of my kids as they tromped off into the woods. It took me back about nine years when my son (then age 4) would get all suited out in his fireman's costume (complete with helmet and air tank) and strap on his "workerman" tool belt. He would meticulously make certain that his tagalong sister (then age 2) had as close to matching gear as possible. I even have a picture of the two of them (air tanks strapped to their backs) taken from behind as they walked off into the woods.
Before I could grab my camera the moment was gone. The kids were back inside ("...it's like 106 degrees out there!") and asking if they could watch t.v., get on the computer, play games, etc. At least while we all retreat to our favorite electronic source of entertainment we can enjoy playing in a much cleaner house than the one we woke up to!
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