::letting them play

The suckers are running!  This is such a telltale sign of Spring in our little corner of the world.  Every Spring when the suckers are making their way up our creek we all splash around  searching for these ugly fish as they make their spawning runs.  This year our four children (and the dog and cat) were part of the experience.  The kids were independently making their way up and down the creek, two boys racing boats they made out of scrap pieces of wood.  After a full week at school and a full Saturday of cleaning and laundry, I had to resist my urges to stop them in their play, just for a while, so they could live this experience today and make these memories of their childhood without their mother nagging them about getting their clothes dirty.  As their mama, I know these memories are far more valuable than the  inconvenience of another full load of laundry and the mud and dirt tracked into the house.  Sometimes all it takes is a moment to pause and take a breath, to gain the perspective that I need to just let them play.