Child's Play

Remember when you were a kid?

When you would be really "into" something? And that was the only thing you did for hours every day?

My sister was always my companion in this. We would all of a sudden get really obsessed with a certain game or activity and then plunge into it for days, only stopping to eat and sleep.

All of a sudden, our Polly Pocket village would become the most important thing in our lives, taking over the entire living room where people would step on pieces by accident. We'd be laying there on our stomachs, moving the tiny people around (back when they were REALLY tiny. you know, choking hazards.) and acting out life as we knew it by our favorite books or tv shows.

Or sometimes we would keep playing a game. One week we played UNO every waking moment until we were completely sick of it. Or there was the game of Monopoly that would keep stretching out as we proclaimed we would not STOP until someone won!

At one house we lived in, we had a sandbox in the backyard. My sister and I took it upon ourselves to begin sifting all the sand in it with our blue plastic sifters, taking out twigs and rocks and such. A pile of pristine, sifted sand grew in one corner of the sandbox, and we worked tirelessly to clean up the rest!

When you're a kid, playing is your occupation. Imagination and creativity are your tools. You just have to go for it and do your best, no matter how long it takes! How sweaty you get! How many fights you have with your sister!

But after a few days, it all wears off. Your mom realizes that it has been some time since the giant tower of blocks has been touched. You know, that tower that was going to reach all the way to the ceiling. And then you have to clean it all up.

Now, onto something new!