(Not so) Secret hideouts

Sometimes a little too much of this is in our life....

Oh technology.  I love it and I loathe it.  Great example:  Andie and I were reading Little House on the Prairie this afternoon when they mentioned the killdeer bird.  Andie had no idea what it was so I spent about 5 minutes explaining what it looked like and how it would act like it had a broken wing to distract predators from its nest.  Andie said "why don't we just youtube it mom".  I was a little taken back.  Did my 6 year old just tell me to you tube something (on our Ipad no less)?!?!  So she grabbed the Ipad and unlocked it on her own.  I looked up the killdeer bird on youtube per her request.  And you know....it was great.   We watched a 10 minute video of a killdeer protecting its nest by faking an injury.  Andie could see just what it looked like, fake broken wing and all.  We then watched an 8 minute video on a tortoise laying eggs that looked pretty slow and painful but that is another story.  I never saw a killdeer when I was 6.  When I read that book at 8 I had to imagine what a killdeer looked like.  I think I first saw a killdeer act hurt when I was in my 20s.  So technology.....don't get me wrong....I do see the benefits.  I just know that it is very powerful and while I want my kids to use it and benefit from it, I can also see how it can easily turn into a quality-time sucking force around here.

So it always warms this mom's heart when I see them doing something that I remember doing as a kid.  This week the kids were big into (not so) secret hideouts.  Our first, favorite, and most played in is located in the front yard.  It is the two spaces between our 3 somewhat large pine trees.  The kids have played "little house on the prairie" here for hours....no exaggeration.  Quite a few mud pies have been made for supper, house guarded from wolves, sticks hauled for firewood, and Indian beads found in this little space.

We live in a more mature neighborhood (our neighbors are mostly older and have grandkids) so we have quite a few neighbors stop by while they are walking to see what the kids are doing in these trees.  They smile and nod and I think they remember playing Little House on the Prairie too.  Andie spends quite a bit of her time sweeping the dirt floor that can never quite get clean.

And their other hideout this week.  Our living room.  Ordinarily they take all the pillows off our couch and jump on them but they constructed this beautiful creation this week:

It was a 3 bedroom "lion's den" where they spent a good amount of time roaring and purring and going to sleep and hunting antelope.

 I really appreciate when I see their imaginations at work these days.  I love watching them play in similar ways that I remember playing as a kid.  There is something comforting when I watch them play these same games, knowing I still remember playing them to.  I feel like those are the memories that will last.