We have some friends - a family whose son played hockey and now soccer with AJ - who recently bestowed two gifts on my children. There was no special occasion for the gifts. It was as we walked back to the car after a soccer game that the kids excitedly showed me their new possessions.
I'm trying to take the gifts at face value, that they were a sweet gesture from an innocent boy. But I can't help but wonder if the mom is secretly cheering him on for passing along some clutter from their house to ours.
Because that's what I would have done if the roles had been reversed.
To AJ, this boy gave a large treasure map that he'd made himself. It was drawn on the inside of an old pizza box. Meanwhile, he presented Sydney with what was probably a free Frisbee from Target. It's covered with their bullseye logo.
Whatever the intentions behind the gift, I have to thank them. Because we have been having a lot of fun with that Frisbee. (I let the map sit on my counter for a week before sending it to the recycling bin.)
Sydney embraced the game first, and wants to play it the most. Which means, at least for the time being because she's had a lot more practice, she's finally found a sport she's better at than her brother.
It took a while to teach her how to throw the Frisbee. Finally I demonstrated how to hold her arm out and then curl it back toward herself to be in the proper throwing position. And so now every time she throws, she first extends her arm out:
And then curls it back in:
AJ's competitive nature has taken over. His sister can't have more fun than he does. And so he begrudgingly puts down his baseball glove and plays along. And has a good time. If you can't beat them, join them.
I have to say, of all the outdoor activities my kids enjoy, this one is the hardest to photograph. And so, at the kids urging, after taking "enough pictures", I set down the camera and picked up the Frisbee. So it's also true, if you can't photograph them, join them.
No comments:
Post a Comment