Wednesday, July 11, 2007

"Firsts on the 4th"

After what ended up being a week of July 4th events for our family, the kids experienced a new kind of fun to which they had never before been exposed. We enjoyed visiting with both sets of grandparents and great-grandparents, and while we all had a great time, the kids definitely participated in some out of the ordinary activities from what we consider the norm.
As kids, we all grew up with our parents telling us that there are certain things that aren’t safe, aren’t smart, or that we just shouldn’t do. Now, as the parent it is my turn to pass on those enduring “don’ts” to my own children. But from the parade and the park in Sentinel to the milk barn and the farm pond in Sterling, during this July 4th week, there were a few of those ageless rules that for the first time my kids were allowed to break, or see broken by one of their loved ones.
1. Don’t play in the street.
2. Don’t throw food. (or candy)
3. Don’t eat anything you picked up off the ground.
4. Don’t talk to strangers.
5. Never ride a motorcycle without a helmet. (Aunt Dottie!)
6. It’s never safe to play with fire.
7. Never stand (or walk) behind a large animal.
8. Drink your milk from a glass not the container. (or the cow)
9. Call things by their correct names. (the cow’s “other”)
10. Don’t play in the dog bowl...or “the cow drink”. (the pond)
Yes, childhood can be a confusing time, and the holidays can make things even crazier when the rules keep changing and the days seem to go on for weeks. But from sugar coated tummy aches to cow teats and pond scum, the memories made and the time shared with family sure seem to outweigh them all.
And that’s All in a day’s work!

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