A different kind of summer adventure

"Little kids are fun to have around," he said, "But then they get old."

I'd just been explaining that we're preparing to host two of our grandkids at our house for a week or two, and my friend responded that he would never volunteer to do such a thing. Kids! They spill sticky things, drop toys all over the floor, yell and cry and jump all over the furniture, and they need to be fed and bathed and changed and soothed, sometimes all at the same time.

But then they get old. And they move out, leaving behind plastic bins full of Legos, puzzles, Matchbox cars, and doll clothes. And the house gets quiet, clean, and calm. 

I'll be the first to admit that I like a quiet, clean, calm house, and I'll appreciate it even more after spending more than a week with two kids under the age of 6 underfoot, but I'm excited all the same. I never had much help with my kids when they were little; we lived too far from family and rarely had money for babysitters, and so my husband and I went months at a time without spending more than a few hours away from the kids. It makes me happy to know that I can heFun lp my daughter and son-in-law have a little more together time.

But the kids! They're so fun and creative, so full of laughter and energy. I've been getting the house ready and making plans for adventures, and even though I know I'll have some frustrating moments, I also know that help will not be far away. Fortunately, this is all happening before fall classes start up, because I doubt that I'll get much work done while surrounded by little imps.

I've had a lot of adventures this year, from hiking in the Adirondacks to visiting Manhattan for the first time to wandering in our local woods, and this will just be a different sort of adventure. I'm glad it's happening while they're young, because you know what happens with little kids: they get old, and then who will bring so much laughter into my house?