Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Life is What You Make of it!

On my other blog I have a photo for the caption contest that I originally saved to write this post. But I thought it was so clever that I used it for the contest too. When I saw the photo I thought back to a time that we lived in Utah.

We lived in a duplex and had 2 wonderful trees in front. At first we had a hammock in the trees, but the first winter and the hammock was no more. But we hung a rope between the trees. The distance was around 51/2 feet. At first none of my kids could do anything with the rope. They would try and sit on it and swing and would fall.(kids were 8,5,4, and 2) We also were the "hub" for several neighborhood kids and everyone tried that swing.

But the kids did not give up and day after day they would huddle and grasp at the swing and finally one mastered it! Then a few more and then even my baby, Fourth. I was truly astounded at the way they played. Now we had tons of nonsense toys but those trees were the hang out spot.

As I think of the caption photo I am reminded of yesteryear with my kids and then even further of my youth. We are so creative when we are to think on our feet. When one is without one becomes challenged and actually does better. I know.

So in this season of buying gifts, if you are going to buy things consider challenging the creativity of the children. Consider things that bring out skills that will make your child's life. Not wasteful time consuming presents that end up broken in weeks.

Just my thoughts...

Your turn to share any yesteryear play items that you created.

4 comments:

~~Deby said...

When I was young...I would cut out my own paper dolls and make their clothes...sure my mom would buy them for me sometimes..but I liked my cardboard imperfect dolls....with the THEN Sears Catalog...I would spend Forever cutting out the furniture...arranging it on the floor, flat...etc...it was a treasure of cutting pleasure....
my Barbies..had clothes made out of old socks..cut up...
We made treehouses..played for hours with jacks and balls...we did not spend hours in front of video games...etc...we had imagination
Deby

... said...

i think playing with dolls uses a little's girls imagination and creativity. so i obviously did that.

but what i also remember is playing with my brother's legos and using them to design my own house layouts. i thought for sure that i'd someday become an architect. most of the time it was just a flat 2D layout kinda like a lego blueprint. i'd build one and almost immediately tear it down to build another. i have such fond memories of that.

TO BECOME said...

As children we never had "toys" as such. We made our own or played like something was this or that. I might be wrong but I think we had a lot more fun than kids do today. connie from Texas

Pen of Jen said...

Deby Diana and Connie

Thanks for walking down memory lane.
Yes I know that we had more fun when we created play!

When I was 8 my mom had my little sister and I played mommy alot. We also lived on 360 acres so I was a pioneer and rock collector and was outdoors nearly every day.

I also played with colored hair curlers. They were imaginary people and I had so much fun!

And sheets created forts of every sort...childhood was only limited to my mind...and mine was always busy!

I loved all the things you shared
Jennifer