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What More Can You Ask For?

I think some people worry that our children aren't getting enough socialization, or that they are too sheltered, or that I am over-protective. I think they worry that somehow our children's emotional and psychological growth will be stunted because they are with their mommy too much. Well, I'd like to share one of the many fun things our family has done this summer that will hopefully help to put those people's minds at ease.

It was family fun night at Fort Nisqually, a fort where people used to trade beaver furs and blankets way back before our state was a state. We walked up to the gate and, a kind lady dressed in a long dress with a full skirt welcomed us to the fort. She informed us that it was 1855, and invited us to get some ice cream and lemonade and to enjoy ourselves.

We sat down (for essentially the last time that evening) while the children gobbled up their ice cream. Then the excitement began! My hubby, John, spent most of the evening following our active, adventuresome one year old little boy, Calvin, as he wandered around the fort. I spent the evening watching Ellen, our four year old little girl.

When Ellen saw other children racing in a sack race, she hurried over to watch and wanted to do it too. The lady directing the game yelled out, "Last chance for ages four to eight." I hung back hesitantly, not actually sure how Ellen would do in a sack race, but Ellen insisted she wanted to do it. Another mom near us nodded and quietly said, "Go ahead." That gave me the courage I needed, so I strolled over to one of the workers and told her Ellen wanted to do it, too. The game director was just starting to say, "On your marks, get set. . ." and the other lady called out to her to wait. Ellen quickly got in her sack. The race started and off she jumped. She did an awesome job. They didn't really have a winner (or as Ellen likes to put it, they were all winners!). We were excited when the children made it to the finish line, and everyone in the race got a ribbon.

Ellen wanted to do the three legged race next, and since she needed someone to give her a third leg, I got to be in this race. I tied our middle legs together. We didn't practice beforehand, but I explained to her that we needed to move our legs at the same time and told her that we would start off with our middle legs. She went at a steady pace as fast as her legs would go, and I kept up with her, and we were one of the first--perhaps the first--to reach the finish line.

We walked off and looked around the fort for awhile with John and Calvin while waiting for other people to have their turn in the race, and when we came back they were starting a new game--walking with a plate with a cup of water on it balanced on your head. We were late, but I asked if we could still play and was told yes, so Ellen did it, too, and ended up receiving three ribbons, one for each of the games she played.

Then we played with some old-fashioned toys for awhile. Ellen and I tossed a hoop back and forth with some sticks. Well, we tried to anyway. Ellen noticed a little boy who was with some older children. Ellen observed, "They hurt his feelings." (I hadn't even noticed.) The other children walked away, and Ellen commented that maybe she could play with him. She walked over and asked him if he wanted to play. He played with us for awhile and then went off with the other children again.

Soon the announcement came that there would be dancing. Ellen excited said, "I want to dance!!!" She eagerly ran over to the area set aside for dancing. A kind lady found a place where Ellen could join the dance. The dance went something like this. . . A bunch of people held hands and made a large circle around a man in the middle. The dance involved stepping forward toward the man, back out again, and then stepping eight steps to the right and eight to the left and then twirling around so that you were next to different person.

Ellen looked a little bewildered, and fell down at first, but someone helped her up and she kept at it and had fun! I had oodles of fun watching her. This dance wasn't too complicated and people were careful of her and helped her, but Ellen also wanted to do the second dance. That one was more complicated. . . .

They stood in two lines, the men on one side and the women on the other. By the way, I think Ellen was probably the youngest and smallest person doing the dance. Two people from opposite ends (a man and lady) came and met in the middle and twirled around once in a circle. Then two people from the opposite sides did it. The next time they did a right hand twirl, then a left hand twirl, then a no hand twirl. Then the first couple held hands and walked around and everyone followed them and then when they got to the place where the beginning of the line used to be, they held hands and made a tunnel for people to go through.

Sound confusing? Yeah, I think so, too. I didn't know how in the world Ellen was going to do all that when it was her turn, but it turned out fine. The other dancers patiently guided her and let her know what to do when her turn came. She did a good job, and I felt so proud of her. When she and the boy who was her "partner" held hands and made the tunnel for the rest of the dancers to go through, they were so short that most of the dancers held hands and went over them! But Ellen had such a good time.

John and Calvin came and stood by us, and soon it was time to go. But what a fun time we had! Our children are brave, adventuresome children who are eager to try new things and meet new people. My daughter is empathetic and cares for the feelings of other. Our family loves one another and we enjoy being together. What more could you ask for? Nothing.

Published August 2000
Written for my column at ApronStrings Parenting