Zen and the Art of Motherhood

Today was another crazy day. A house that would make junk yards look good, a to-do list a mile long. So being the woman of action that I am, what did I do? Took the little guy and went to the park.

What's the big deal with that?

The following bad parenting confession should clear that up: As you may know, our little guy is the youngest of four. I'm an older parent. And that's not the best combination for doing fun, kid-oriented stuff on a regular basis.

Unlike his siblings before him, we don't do playdates, he has no friends his own age, and his usual outing consists of driving his older siblings to and from THEIR activities. And the time we do have alone together is usually the only time I can run errands, go grocery shopping or clean house.

That said, I don't know what got into me today. After leaving SuperCuts I just didn't want to go home to my growing mound of work. It's a beautiful day (compared to the snow two days ago) and the sun was shining. So to the park we went.

The little guy's reaction kinda surprised me. Suspicious and unbelieving, he kept asking, over and over again, "Why?"

That's when the mommy guilt really hit. Note to self: I've got to get out with him more often.

Now this wasn't the normal, sit-on-the-bench-exhausted-while-the-little-guy-runs-around-like-a-banshee type outing. Contrary to my usual MO, I was right out there with him, sliding on slides, swinging on swings and yes, I even did the monkey bars. Some of the teens ditching class at the local high school looked at me as if I was certifiable, but today, nothing could stop us.

The best part was the game. My highly imaginative little man wanted to play Monsters. Tickle monsters, scary monsters, Frankenstein, mommy monsters --  you name it, I played it. And the corresponding giggles could be heard 'round the world.  His were pretty loud too.

To sum it up, a good time was had by all.  This is one of those days I want to hold onto for a long, long time.

The moral of the story? Get out with your kids more. Not only does it do wonders for their disposition, but it might just make your day.