Rain trumps Rigidity

   I'm a bit rigid.  I have a hard time admitting that, but truth be told I'm a bit on the strict side when it comes to my kids and messes.  You wouldn't know it from the looks of my perpetually cluttered house, but I have a hard time just letting the kids go wild, letting them run when it means they'll be tracking in water and dirt.  But, since I know about this problem of mine, I'm trying to be a little less, um, how would the kids say it, "mean" and a little more flexible.  See picture above.
    After the weekend of camp and a week of crazy with school starting and Lanie's birthday rigamarole, we hadn't had a moment to breathe.  This Saturday was it.  And I was, as you would expect based on my earlier description, cleaning house.  K was outside cutting down bushes that turned into a forest of trees.  The kids were fending for themselves until I heard the thunder and rain pitter patter outside.  Next thing I know, the kids have rain boots and rain coats strewn across the kitchen as they made their way outside.  Then those same boots and coats were discarded around the yard and all 3 are soaking wet, jumping in the trampoline.  This poor trampoline has seen better days and with the heat rising to 100, there's been little action lately.  But the rain changed it all.  I think this was the happiest 30 minutes of the whole day.
     I think I may have cringed a minute when I realized the mess that would stumble through the clean house and up the stairs to the shower, but as I said, trying to improve.  I went outside and watched  them, and snapped my pictures.  If I were really a good, fun parent I would have thrown caution to the wind and jumped in with them.  But let's not get too crazy.  Learning to be flexible takes time my friend.

On a side note, look at how much work K did.  An amazing difference. And there's still so much to do.   Of course when the kids were watching The Lorax later in the day we felt a little guilty since there was no one to speak for the trees he had just cut down.

Not sure if the trash guys will pick this up.