I had a moment yesterday that gave me pause. I was passing through the living room, heading towards the kitchen- taking care, of course, to NOT step in front of the television, otherwise the shrieks of protest would be overwhelming- and I noticed #4, completely engrossed in the movie, sitting like this:
When I asked her why, her response was a chipper, “I don’t know!”
Of course.
Because when you’re a child, you can do things that don’t make sense. And no one will judge you, unlike when you’re an adult.
Ex.- Kids are full of energy, enthusiastic, and always in a hurry. So they run. Everywhere, at full speed. But as an adult, if you attempt to run everywhere, like to your car, to the neighbor’s etc., you look less full of life and vigor and a little more like this:
Adults are obviously more aware of being socially appropriate (well, some adults anyway. Others… not so much, as I’ve mentioned here. ) than kids are. Kids live in the moment, and do what amuses them. And sometimes, in the midst of my own adult busyness, I’ll happen to walk past a child, do a double-take, and mentally utter a “What the-“
Here are some of those moments:
“Now the drink can be further AWAY from me!” (Parent translation: “Now the drink is ON THE EDGE OF THE TABLE.”)
And sometimes, these antics are less amusing and more traumatic and/or annoying: for the mother, that is. Like so:
These are those moments when I’m at a loss for words. Sometimes I laugh in appreciation of their antics, and other times… not so much.
But what I’ve come to cherish is their sense of creativity, of amusement simply for their own amusement’s sake. My kids don’t look at a pile of clothes, toys, or random remnants scattered on the floor and see a mess, like I do. They see potential for fun. They see the opportunity to try something different, to imagine, to create.
The words “What the-” slip out of my mouth too often. At times, it’s in reaction to a catastrophe, usually involving spilled milk, broken glass or writing in places that writing simply should not be.
But then there are the happy “What the-“s, the ones that make me pause, take in the scene, and smile. Or laugh. With this crew, the laughter happens often. Because as an adult I don’t always understand why my kids have chosen to do what they’ve done, but I appreciate it.
(Disclaimer: Exceptions include broken glass, spilled liquids of any kind, experimenting with household spices or cleaning products, and inserting objects of any kind into the toilet. Those mental are followed with a “What the- add expletive here-!!”)
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