Fun With Family!

One thing I've noticed lately, which I really knew all along, is that the kids really enjoy doing fun and different things as long as you can find ways to make it fun and entertaining.  Yeah, I know...  If you're a parent then that's not really anything you didn't already know either.   Many times there are educational opportunities that go along with the activity as well and you can sneak them in when the kids are least expecting it and it makes learning more exciting.  The hard part is that, unlike when we were kids, we as parents now have to compete with the DSI, Wii, PS3, X-Box, etc.. and don't even get me started on the texting thing....  I was actually looking somewhat forward to the time when a boy would call the house for our daughter so I could see if he had the right type of phone manners.  Now they all have cell phones!  UGH!  Yes, I know I'm old fashioned, but there's nothing wrong with that....

My best friend and I often joke about the fact that we're turning into cranky old men before our time.  I tell him we were just born into the wrong generation.  I'm a product of the "Yes Sir", "Yes Ma'am", "Please" and "Thank you" upbringing and I'm a firm believer in it but it seems like those qualities are lost on the younger generation.  Oops, there I go again being the cranky old man.... 

I'm sure you can all relate in some way to what I'm talking about.  It's 70 degrees outside in November and you tell the kids to go out and play and they're glued to some game on one of the a fore mentioned devices.  Not that it's totally bad that they're doing that but when I was a kid... Look out, cranky old man quote coming up.....  we climbed trees and played ball and raced our bikes and jumped off the swing sets etc. You thought I was going to say, "Walked to school, up hill, both ways, in the snow, carrying our little brother." didn't you...  I'm not that old!  That's what my parents use to say when they were telling us to go out and play...

Our kids enjoy the Wii games and PS3 stuff as much as any kid does but I've found that the best activities are the ones you can do together one on one with them or as a family together.  Just a few months ago our daughter helped me install the basketball goal at our house and it was a learning experience for both of us...

She's somewhat of a Math wiz so I took the time to add some Math to the project while she helped me mix the concrete and set the pole in the ground.  It was a lot of work but we were both outside, working on a project together and it made the project so much more meaningful and enjoyable to have her there with me.  Since she helped install the pole she got to take the first shot once everything was done.  Did she make the basket?  Let's just say I think she should stick with being in the band :-)

Tyler and I went Turkey Hunting recently and he said to me, while we were out in the woods, "You know Dad, everything is better out in the woods!"  I couldn't agree more!  We saw Turkey Tracks, Deer Tracks, tons of birds, explored the railroad tracks nearby and were out in the woods together for the better part of the day.  Later in the afternoon we heard a noise and Tyler couldn't figure out what it was, pretty soon a giant Owl flew out of a tree and Tyler thought that was really cool.  He then asked, "When is Owl season Dad?"  Yep, you guessed it...  Time for an educational opportunity.  There's not such thing as Owl season son.  I let him bring his toy gun out in the woods to help him learn gun safety and where to point the gun, how to hold it etc.   Last year he earned the nickname of  "Thunderfoot" because his tiny little feet found each and every twig in the woods.  You would have thought I had "Snap", "Crackle" and "Pop" hunting with me that day.  This season he seemed to avoid the twigs a little better but the nickname stuck!  "Thunderfoot" and I plan on going Deer Hunting this season as well. 

The smiles on their faces and enjoyment they had doing things like this were so much more gratifying than having their nose buried in some electronic device playing some game.  They can do that anytime.  They're only young once and life is short so cherish your time and take lots of pictures!