Autumn Adventures: Stomping and Splashing in the Rain

It rained recently, after not raining much for the past month or more. It was a gentle, steady rain, and exactly what we needed. I was thrilled that our brown patches of straw grass might have a chance at revival. Mr. I. and Mr. L. were equally excited about the rain.  No, they don't have an early interest in gardening....they were thrilled to be able to wear their raincoats and rain boots to school!

Anything that makes the morning routine smoother is a huge bonus, so not having to argue over putting on socks and shoes was great.  However, as the day wore on and our scattered showers turned into all day showers, my enthusiasm waned.  We visit the playground almost daily to get the wiggles out before dinner and wind down time.  With everything soaked, we were going to need a really good backup plan to avoid the witching hour!

After talking with my husband, it was decided that dinner at a local fast food restaurant would be a good choice.  With some healthier-ish options on the menu, and an indoor playground to run off the wiggles it was a good treat for our rainy day.

Dinner was nothing eventful, but definitely enjoyed.  However, as soon as Mr. L. got out of the car at home, I knew we weren't finished with our wiggles just yet.

"Jump puddle" he insisted sweetly.  Looking at his hopeful face, and realizing that we were probably in our last day of warmth for quite some time, I nodded. He excitedly jumped in a tiny spot of water on the garage floor before heading down the driveway to a more appropriate splashing puddle.  Mr. I. followed without an ounce of hesitation.

They played happily for quite some time....until Mr. L.  jumped a little too big and totally missed landing on his feet.  Wet but unhurt, he sat in the puddle unwilling to get up and refusing help from his big brother.  Mommy to the rescue!  This was the end of our time enjoying the puddles, as we all needed to dry off, and it was definitely time for bed.  Reluctantly, both boys followed me into the house to start our nighttime routine.

My lesson from all of this?  It's OK to have spontaneous activities. It's OK to veer away from the schedule set in my head.  It's OK to get a little wet and messy.  It's OK!  The smiles and the memories from that 10 minutes of change are more than worth anything that would have happened in that time had I forced them inside where it was warm and dry.

What is your favorite way to enjoy a warm, rainy day?