Go Ahead and Jump!
It had been a really long week. Sometimes, the daunting schedule of homework help, meal prep, carpool driving, sports practices, and pick-up really gets old. It can feel like Groundhog day. And while I am trying to soak up every minute with my littles, sometimes these mundane minutes get the best of me.
Last week, in the middle of this madness, I was floundering. I was feeling a little lost in the homework help, taxi-driving, and dinner planning, and the emotional worries about my kids seemed especially heightened that day for some reason, warranted or not. Sometimes it’s hard to mix it up when there isn’t time, but I knew that the kids had a free afternoon on Tuesday, and I couldn’t let it pass us by. I picked my kids up from school, telling them that we were headed somewhere for the afternoon together. You should have seen Brady’s face as he climbed in the car – this kids’ smile was as wide as his face.
We arrived at Pump It Up, a local place with multiple bounce houses and fun activities for kids. And for the next two hours, we jumped. We played dodge ball in a giant bounce house. I shot hoops together on a trampoline with Brady. I went head to head in a giant side-by-side blow up obstacle course with Grace. Quinn and I dominated jumping across a series of platforms without falling to the bottom. And I slid down a two-story slide, hand in hand with Hayden. My spirit was soaring, and I could tell it was the same for my kids. They were sweaty, giggling, and happy. It was just what we all needed.
I know that these kinds of adventures cannot happen every day. There are chores, school work, hobbies, and interests to pursue, of course. But sometimes we all just need the take a break from the daily and really, really enjoy our kids without the emotional and physical weight of all the to-dos. Van Halen had it right when he said, “Go ahead and Jump!” Trust me – just do it.
