The wonderful thing about Tiggers/
Is that Tiggers are wonderful things/
Their tops are made out of rubber/
Their bottoms are made out of springs
That phrase kept going thru my mind today as I watch my children careen from one big, inflatable play station to another. And my second thought is "Why is this so fun that they can do it for two hours and still want to stay longer?"
After 3 days stuck in the house with either my husband, his mother and grandmother, or myself, they boys had massive cases of cabin fever. Usually their days are spent at the babysitter's house with other kids and outside playtime. But spring decided to spring a leak on us here in Southeast Missouri and our babysitter has been unreachable since Sunday. While our flood issues were extremely minor compared to many of our neighbors, we still needed to find a solution to the growing boredom in our house.
So I took the boys, via the shortest available route (which was about 50 minutes each way), to Cape and we descended on LeBounce. It's a climate controlled bouncy house playground where they kids can run wild. And it was just what the doctor ordered.
They boys expended all that pent up energy and played with other kids for nearly two hours. Finn flipped and slid. Elwood bounced and climbed. And as I watched them, I couldn't help but think "Why is this so fun?"
I mean, I can understand the first time going. It's something new. But this is the 3rd time we've been there in the last month and every time we go in, it's like their birthday and Christmas rolled into one. I actually had Elwood tell me "Thanks for bringing us some place cool" as he ran off to the big slide.
I guess that's one of the wonders of childhood. If something is fun - it's fun the first time and the third time and the fifth time. And if something is fun, you can do it over and over again until you pass out.
As adults, we think about the ramifications. How much does it cost? Do I have enough time before my next appointment? Do I look ridiculous? Does my ass look big as I climb that inflated rock wall? We've forgotten how to just let go and enjoy that moment. That one moment of pure joy and the one that follows it and the one that follows it...
That's one of the beautiful things about watching my kids. The remind me of that. And that, is wonder-full.
