TGIF...

What a long week... Why does time go so quickly when you are at home and so slowly during work hours? Daughter number 2, has been in a great mood all day. One of the girls from her school and who is on her volleyball team moved in down the street today. I just pumped the tires up on their bikes and they were planning all kinds of things to do... watching movies, riding to the UDF to get milkshakes, getting online. I have often wondered, especially when we first moved to the bubble, why kids just don't go out and play anymore. Everything always has to be a "play date" that is scheduled by someone. When we first moved here, about 14 years ago, Daughter number 1 was 2 years old. I was the only one sitting out in my chair watching her play outside. All other kids were in the house. Even as she got older and her sisters came along, there were no pick up games of kickball, basketball or tag. We lived on a cul-de-sac and we were the only ones out riding bikes, drawing with chalk, riding in the barbie jeep.

I remember when I was little. We had a "field" (it was really someone's side yard, but big enough for us to play) in our neighborhood. There were no calls that had to be made when we got home to make sure so and so would be there - you just rode your bike if you were allowed and showed up. You picked teams and you played. Didn't really matter what - mattered more what kind of ball we had to play with. We always knew when the one kid's mom called him for dinner - how many minutes we had before we had to get back to eat at our house. When dinner was over - it was "game on" once again until dark.

Not so much in the bubble. More so here where we live now. Our new house is also on a cul-de-sac, but we live on one of the ends. Now, it is the adults that meet up in the street each night after dinner to talk. They all have younger kids and they all play together. But you can tell - they are mixed between the world of arranged play dates and just showing up!

I'm glad daughter number 2 has found a friend. You never know - she might venture out and actually make a few friends while milling about. And none of it will be arranged by me!