Do you ever think back to the things you did as a child when you watch your monsters play? Especially when you listen to them complaining about how bored they are? I realize it’s different times than it was when I was a child. I was able to go out and roam my neighborhood as long as I was in ear shot of my dad’s whistle, otherwise my bum better be inside when that first street light came on. These days I couldn’t even fathom just sending my monsters out to play for the day, not even in this safe neighborhood we live in. Running in & out of the house wasn’t allowed either, better grab a drink out of a hose if you were thirsty, after all we didn’t live in a barn, at least that is what I was told. It sometimes makes me sad for my monsters that they will never know what that was like. To not live life worried about letting your child safely play in your front yard, without cell phones, endless varieties of electronic devices and video games, not being glued to a tv watching cartoons all day, with the exception of Saturday mornings, because that’s when cartoons came on. Life is certainly different than it was when I was a kiddo. I can remember looking for four leaf clovers for hours on end, because well let’s face it, one could never have too much luck, even at nine years old.
Countless hours picking these flowers and making little necklaces, halos, or bracelets out of them.
Playing tag or hide and seek with neighborhood kids that I am still friends with to this day. Riding bikes without knee pads or helmets. And quite possibly one of my favorite childhood memories. Going outside at my maw-maw’s with my cousin, Donnie, and our little bowls of sugar. Picking fresh blackberries, sitting in the front yard eating them, and giggling with not a care in the world.
These days we are far from our carefree childhood. Both busy moms with a house full of monsters. But there has never been a single time that I have walked past blackberries while makin’ groceries and not instantly flashed back to those summer days and those fresh off the bush blackberries with my cousin.
Don’t get me wrong, my monsters don’t have a horrible childhood. They are just making a different kind of childhood memories than we had as kiddos. And while my childhood was carefree, I would much rather be the mama I am to these four rad little monsters! These days I am in the business of teaching them new things and all too often learning even more from them. Watching them do things for the first time and sharing with them the things I did when I was a child. Sheltering them from harm and letting them explore at the same time. I truly cherish all if the craziness we experience with these monsters of ours. So we live in a modern world full of technology & devices. But our monsters also live a life full of skateboards, teenagers, a loud record player (yes, my son kicks it old school), cartwheels, karaoke, dancing, skipping, jumping on a trampoline, neighborhood monsters, cousins, coloring & crafts, giggling little gals, tricycles, hula hoops, puzzles, forts, playhouse, easy bake ovens, train set, swinging, slides galore, and oh so much more. Have I mentioned just how truly blessed I am? I kind of love being their mom and sharing their fun filled childhood memory building with them!
