So, where were we? Oh, yes, blogging.

When I was growing up, we didn't have a pool, or money to attend day camps during the summer or basically anything costing money. So instead, we had to be inventive and entertain ourselves in ways that I wouldn't necessarily consider "typical." Actually, that might be true of other people who grew up 20 years ago. But our society has made it so that children must be entertained at all times to the point of being overscheduled. Heaven forbid children be inventive and entertain themselves with things that don't involve soccer, karate, ballet and then swimming lessons all before dinner. Small rant. Sorry.

As it turns out, the cheap childhood games we played are the very same ones that I relish and long for my children to enjoy.

Things like...

Three legged races.

And Red Light, Green Light and Mother May I, but I don't have pictures of those... so keep an eye on Jenny's blog, too, because I think she will eventually have them up.

We also entertained ourselves with things like...

Swinging and climbing on the rope swings. There has been a rope swing on this tree for the better part of the last 22 years. Poor tree.

What else? Oh yeah, races.


Making necklaces, bracelets and headresses out of clover flowers. Yes, even for the boys.




I guess some occasional parent interaction is okay. But just to spin you around.

And in general, just getting really dirty... and REALLY sweaty.



(if that one of Miles doesn't make you guffaw, you're dead to me.)

But, I guess that sometimes, kids just get tired of entertaining themselves. They just can't bring themselves to do any more swinging or sliding...


and that's when Mom offers you a popsicle.

and you attempt to eat it through a butterfly net.

Kids are weird, man!