play, discover

It is so easy to forget to play. Or maybe adult play is just different than a child's play. Both true, I think. I get caught up in so many "grown up" things: listening to the news, unloading the dishwasher, organizing clutter. Things that never seemed fun to me as a child. Now, as I follow a child around (almost) all day, something will strike me, and I'll think, "this is fun, this is playing". 

We went to OMSI yesterday and played. I actually played, didn't just sit there with a glassy-eyed expression on my face while Jacob entertained himself. There are plenty of those times, but this wasn't one of them. It was fun! For a few minutes, I felt that joy of discovering and wondering and... playing. 

Yesterday evening, I had a drink, and Jacob wanted to put a straw in it. A curly straw. My first reaction, "No, I don't want a straw." Then I stopped. I thought, why not. He wants to give me a curly straw. When was the last time I used one of those and remember how much fun they used to be to watch. So I let him put it in. He said, "There. That made you more happy, Mommy." And you know what, it did.

Today, the day started off relatively clear, so we headed to a new nature park. Great fun. Beautiful, mossy, green, wet, chilly, smelling of dirt and decay and Douglas fir trees and the times I went camping as a child in Oregon. Wonderful. We had such a great time together, exploring, discovering, playing. 

We even saw a little newt/salamander which was super cool. And totally happenstance because I couldn't find on of these if I tried. It was the same colour as the leaves!