"Side! Side!"

It’s that time of year when the kids are clamoring to spend time outside. It’s even more fun this year because Allison is getting into the act. If she even hears the word outside she starts demanding “Side! Side!” until you can’t take it anymore. In case you’re wondering, when Ally says side it never means inside.

Monday night after dinner we went out on our deck. Each of the girls took a ball with them and we had a lot of fun playing out there. The girls were giggling and screeching. Toward the end of the evening, Emma wanted to play the stop and go game. I had no idea that they were playing games like that yet. So I started saying “green light go” and “red light stop” over and over again. Both girls had a blast with that. Emma took a few seconds to stop each time and Ally seemed to get go and stop mixed up from time to time. She just thought it was great to be running around with Emma. Ally also like yelling “Go!” and “Fwap!” At some point I stopped saying go and stop. Emma went back to playing with her ball. The next thing I know, Ally is tugging on my pants. When I looked down at her, she yelled “Fwap!” That was so darn cute. I couldn’t help but play with her again.

Jenny, a friend I haven’t yet met, commented on one of my posts that no one remembers being born, but we do remember how we were mothered (and fathered). I thought about that as dragged the kids back in the house against their will. Those are the memories I want Emma and Ally to have of our family. The best part is that those memories are fun for everyone.