Not Complaining one bit...

As I type this, it's blustery outside. Dark sky, intermittent rain both light and heavy, gusty winds - Which, for late May in North Texas, is a tad odd. But I'm not complaining... Being a native Texan, we see far more heat here than we do days like this. Since I said Texas, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if, by afternoon, the skies had turned sunny, nary a cloud, and the only proof of rain will be a tiny puddle here and there. Which reminds me of a rather large puddle roughly 15 years ago.....

I had the privilege of shuttling our then 5 year old to her twice per week soccer practices in West Plano. Along for the ride would be her little brother, who was then a mere 3 years old. I had the sense to grab a giant plastic Tonka truck on the way to the car so he'd have SOMETHING to play with while we hung-out for Big Sisters practice with the "Ladybugs". There had been a recent deluge, and the skies were JUST beginning to clear. Sun nicely peeking out from behind clouds all spent. I parked the car and as we walked to join the other kids and parents on the edge of the makeshift soccer field I saw IT.

A puddle roughly the size of a bedroom. That's right... it was roughly 12' by 12' and just off to the side of said "field". First things first, I turned the girl over to the Coach /team, then wandered back over to that puddle. I remember taking him by the hand and saying:

"Hey, you see that great big puddle over there?"

His eyes followed my pointed finger to their mark, then came back to meet mine.

"How about you take your Tonka and run thru that while Sissy's having her soccer practice?"

I remember it like it was yesterday....

His eyes got as big as platters, and he took one more look at the puddle, then brought his eyes back to mine as if to question what he'd just heard. To make certain Mamma had said what she'd just said...

Needless to say, I smiled and nodded, giving him the go-ahead. The smile that acknowledged he'd heard me right.

The other parents, some on the team, some just passers-by, spent most of that practice either a)watching my son having the time of his 3 year-old life, or b) pointing him out to me and asking "do you know what your boy is doing over there?!" Only to hear me reply that it was MY IDEA...

If the truth were told, I'd be willing to bet most of us grown-ups wished we were right in the mud puddle with our Tonkas... and we wouldn't be complaining ONE BIT!