Never Stop Jumping in Puddles!

Today we were on base with Connor, ending a long and fun morning with a quick trip to a field full of tanks and helicopters. This is an activity Connor adores, but as we parked close enough for him to point and yell in excitement, we noticed that the sprinklers were on. We had a quick debate about mud and decided to go for it anyway.

Connor tromped through the grassy field, got sprayed by a sprinkler and then discovered the ultimate delight: a mud puddle!

We didn't have sandals on, a towel to dry off with nor a change of clothes. But Connor jumped into the mud anyway. He laughed gaily as he jumped as hard as he could to make the biggest splashes possible. Nick had just one comment: "he's going to get all muddy". Yes he was, and yes he did. I simply had to say "That's okay". But me, being me, nearly launched into a speech about how being a kid means doing fun things like jumping into mud puddles.

I thought this through while watching my son play. I initially wanted to say that he ought to have fun now while he can. Childhood is for playing and getting muddy. Then I felt sad. Why would we ever stop having fun like this? Is there a cut-off age for splashing in the rain? No, there isn't. You decide for yourself when and if you are ever too old to play.

I have a pile of muddy clothes to clean up, and dirty shoes to scrub up. But I don't care. I hope we will always be the kind of parents that encourage fun and exploration and don't sweat the small stuff like muddy sneakers. And truthfully, if I hadn't been ordered to continue taking it easy for my bed rest, I'd have grabbed Connor by the hand and ran with him through the sprinklers and helped him make even bigger splashes in the mud.