3.23.2009

Group Therapy

Yesterday we went to a friend's fathers' 80th birthday party. Lee and our friend Matt played guitar and sang for the party. I wasn't going to go, because Lee offered to take the kids alone. I figured he'd probably need me to be there, so that he could play uninterrupted.

The party was in a park district (not ours) party room. Half of the room had mats and play equipment for kids. It even had a ball pit. Well, there were 20 (30? 40?) some kids there, so it didn't take long for the ball pit to be emptied, what with everyone chucking balls at each other.

It's so interesting to see different parenting styles in regards to this kind of activity. Nothing in the room said NOT to use the balls that way, but is that something that everyone should know is wrong? Heh... well, I didn't care except that some Moms were trying to stop it. 2 different times some moms made the kids pick up all the balls and put them back in the pit. Wanting to please the conservative faction I told my kids not to throw the balls anymore.

Well, at some point, the ball throwing resumed and I chucked a ball at Habtamu, and he chucked it back at me, and soon our whole family was weaving and bobbing and diving for cover and chucking balls at each other as hard and fast as we could. Other kids joined in, and eventually, some adults too. It was so much fun, that I forgot that my official "stance" was not to throw balls at each other. Then I figured that the park district was probably cool with us using them that way, since we all got good exercise and MAN, did it feel GOOD to chuck things at the kids... I'm sure they felt the same! :)

As we left, Lee said, "You know, we should do that once a month as a family." Couldn't agree more.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

"You could have put someone's eye out!" ;)

Anonymous said...

"It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt."

Anonymous said...

"Ma'am we are going to have to ask you and your overly rowdy family to leave..."

Anonymous said...

"Somebody call 911!!"

Anonymous said...

Good Heavens! Just because they build a pit to jump around in...people think they can just jump around in it! Not like when WE were kids, and always wore our Sunday Best to play (politeley!) in the ball pits....

Mike Harman

Windchimes said...

hmm... I wouldn't mind chucking some balls at at least one of my kids... I bet he wouldn't mind chucking some back too!

Anonymous said...

When we were at the Dells this weekend, they had this interactive playground where you can climb around with your kids & use air cannons to fire foam balls.

I was shooting other people's kids...felt great!!!