Boys and puddles

Last night it rained a lot and this morning you find puddles all over town. It is also a rare 60+ degrees outside so I took Eli to the playground with the rubbery ground to avoid him playing in mud.

We took the scenic route to the park, parking outside a short path through the woods instead of in the park parking lot. Puddles and a mini impromptu stream lined our path and it wasn't long before Eli grabbed a stick and was happy as a clam making dirt swirlies in the water and splashing when there weren't other walkers around. It's moments like these that I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to stay at home, to take our time, to not rush from one activity or another and try to imagine him not growing up too fast. I actually couldn't wait for him to be done with the playground so he could do it all over again on the way back to the car.

Minutes later when we picked Tobey up from school, we saw large puddles on the school field, puddles that had it been normal New England temps, would have been mini ice skating rinks for kids after school. And alongside of those puddles was a group of boys, standing along its edge, contemplating their next move, perhaps calculating the trade off between their moms' scolding and the joy of jumping in. It was like moths to light how easily they were drawn in to the call of the puddle. And those boys were a little bit older which gives me hope that I still have a few years yet when the simple things in life can still entertain a boy.