Thursday, May 24, 2007

Am I in a Circus?





A good friend of mine and I have been creatively arrange time for our kids to be together and for us to have time to refuel. This has taken different forms, depending on the stages of our kids and the needs we have had. When our second children were babies we read an excellent article in Mothering Magazine written by another friend about create 'tribes' as a way to support each other. We implemented this by taking turns at each others houses, to get through the day together. We gathered with kids in pjs, had breakfast together, cleaned out the fridge in between nursing and story time, we had lunch and playtime. We have cooked, sorted baby clothes and Tupperware, organized closets and filing cabinets. We have given each other time on their own to take classes, go to the gym and driving lessons. We have taken younger ones to playgroups and had special time with the older ones. Its been ever changing in the form it takes, yet constantly meeting different needs.
This week we decided to hold camp. On Tuesday all but Shai went to her house for a bone museum day. The day consisted of a bike and hike, digging in the sand, painting a clubhouse, playing the pizza shop game, making a video to advertise the museum and of course some lego because what would a day without lego be! They were exhausted but raved until bedtime of all the fun they had.
Today her kids came to our house. The theme; circus fun. We biked to the park to test our acrobatic skills, returned home for a cool down with water ballons, we tried a parachute, pool games, face painting, training the dog, painting a sign, making tickets, decorating clown ice cream cones.
It was tiring. It was long and hot. The house was a disaster zone afterwards. Would I do it again. Yes. But not for awhile.

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