this kid is made for toys of all ages

demonstrating his radio

our driveway doubles as a wagon runway

i have a propensity to give more importance to getting stuff done than to esteeming the value of rest or gasp play. accomplishing stuff is my play.  or so i reasoned.  then i read this article called "getting serious about play".  it caught my attention. stopped me in my productive tracks. i sat. i read it, every word of it. i laid it aside. i came back to it. i re read it. i thought about it. a lot. i talked about it to my girlfriends. then i began to notice that play really didn't have much of a place in my life. there's yoga a few times a week where i play with friends called crow, plow, and triangle. but when i am not falling on my face from poor balance and even poorer upper body strength, play isn't something that speaks to me. i am ashamed to say that when my children call to me, i often postpone play to…well, get stuff done. 

stuff like, ironically, driving my kids to their favorite toy store. my boys adore this little brick and mortar play land. the toys are beautiful. they are smart. they are made by local artisans. the 12 year old had some cash in his pockets and wanted to spend it on a marble maze. as we were driving away he said, "this kid is made for toys of all ages." i laughed. it was brilliant, creative, inspired, playful! so much so i had to accept his challenge to a game of foosball-then i beat him.

you can read the article on play here.