I was in Target the other day, buying way more than I went in there for. I only had Nolan because the other two yahoo’s were still in school. Nolan caught sight of the big humungo bin of big bouncy balls and decided that he just had to have one. I let him play with one and to my surprise he kept himself *and quite a few other patrons* entertained with that ball for about 30 minutes. So, I bought the ball for him *I’m not a softy kind of mom, but how could I deny him hours of entertainment with this ball?*
Upon checkout, the nice employee was commenting on how there are hundreds of big-wig toy company big-boss-bass’s trying to make sure that their company comes up with the next “toy to talk about”. And what do the kids always end up playing with? The balls and the boxes.
Two of the most boring, simple, common shapes and object. And somehow, the simplicity of these objects appeals to every young child out there. Maybe the simplicity of it makes it possible for each kid to allow the object to be whatever the child wants it to be. In their head, maybe it’s a cave in the middle of the jungle. Or a sewer filled with an army of rats that they must combat. Or maybe they can pretend to be a bear hibernating for the winter.
Which leads me to my all-time favorite summer buy – the slip n’ slide! Who didn’t have fun on these as a kid? And their premise is soooo simple. Make a surface wet – and slide down it. Last summer, Emma and Clyde had so much fun on this thing that I found myself praying to the slip n’ slide gods every night and thanking them for making such a simply beautiful product. This was followed by a prayer to the red wine gods which make it possible for me to have a moment at the end of every evening that is all to myself:)
And no one is more passionate, more spirited, more fun-loving, grab life by the horns (and then take a nap) than my Clyde. He could probably slip n’ slide all day long, pretending he was diving off a watercliff in Micronesia or racing to save a baby turtle in dire need. His imagination is endless and so is his energy. I love watching him engage with toys that allow him to explore the far reaches of his mind until he finds a certain adventure that’s just waiting to be explore. Have you ever seen the cartoon Backyardigans? In Clyde’s mind, his backyard really does turn into a dude ranch filled with cattle to be herded, or a vast desert filled with dinosaurs. He is amazing to watch and even more amazing to watch grow.
So, here are my kids – Clyde being adventurous, Emma being cute and docile, and Nolan being goofy. God please let me remember these days – they are such a unique treasure.
Okay, so I just have to comment about this picture below *the rest tell the story on their own*. The other day, I was talking to Nolan and I asked him, “Are you tired?” I fully expected the freak-out that comes after that question that adamantly refuses any admission of fatigue but is shrouded by an overall, subliminal message of “PUT ME TO BED!” But to my surprise, Nolan seemed to yawn, almost on command. I laughed. And being my little clown, he laughed too. And now, ever since then, if I ask him if he’s tired, he gives me the biggest fake yawn that he can muster, waits for me to laugh at him, and then cracks up like he’s the hit on Last Comic Standing – what a little belly buster he’s going to be. So, here it is – documented for him to see when he grows up – t h e f a k e y a w n 
