It’s sunny today, can you fill my water table? my toddler asks. Three days ago, I bought the table as a gift for the first birthday of a friend’s baby son. As soon as I got it home, I realized there was no way I would be able to keep such a large box in the house without the kids seeing – and wanting – it. So I gave it to them, and ordered a second table to be delivered to my friends.
For days, the table has sat in the chilly sun after my eight year old #son assembled it all by himself. And now? All three kids splash in the warm water and laugh as they send Nemo flying through the air.
Two weeks ago, I withdrew my children from aftercare. Why? Because they weren’t using it. Between after-school ballet, fencing, and playground trips, it became a race for me to get them from school before the aftercare picked them up. Also? My book is written, and is at the printer. I am incredibly grateful to the kind aftercare staff for helping my family get through a long and challenging winter.
It is time to get ready for summer. And summer? Means outdoor family fun. I am looking forward to many more days like yesterday, when the kids and I rolled out of bed and decided how to spend the day.
Kathy Zucker is an international social media Shorty Award winner, mother of three and a startup founder at companies including the Metro Moms Network®.
