Being a Kid Again

My friend John throws some of the best get-togethers. You never know who will show up and what an evening at John’s will hold, but it is always memorable and fun.

This past Saturday was a hot and humid day, and it didn’t cool off much that evening. After enjoying a fabulous dinner, most of the adults were in the house around the tables, chatting and getting caught up on who was doing what, etc. There were a few kids, and they had all scattered outside, catching fireflies and playing with several balls in John’s yard.

Well, a few of us opted to step outside and enjoy the evening, too, and we ended up getting a kickball game going with the kids. We played for over an hour until we could barely see the ball any more. It was awesome! It was the kids vs. the adults, and that was the way the kids wanted it. Then a few more adults came and joined the kids team to make things a bit more even. We never did keep score, and so I'm not sure who won. But no one seemed to care, we were just having fun.

I got to be on the adult side for a change and was the only female on my team, too. I got called “the little lady,” which just made me chuckle. The kids were a riot—chasing the ball down the hill, trying to tag the “big boys,” etc. I think the adults had just as much fun as the kids, maybe more. We were all running the bases, trying to determine how hard we should really kick that ball, etc. I really enjoyed that game.

Unfortunately there are no photos of the priceless moments. I had my camera in tow that evening, but hey, I was working hard out there on the pitcher’s mound. And who ever said that kickball wasn’t a workout? HA! It can be. We finally called it quits about 20 after 9 and headed indoors for drinks. I was surprised to find my hair rather damp. We were all pretty sweaty actually.

After the game, we rested for a few minutes, and then the kids tried to teach me how to play bumper pool. I’m a hopeless cause, I’m afraid. One boy told me he was going to go easy on me. I really appreciated that. I didn’t want a 7-year-old showing me up too badly. HA!

My friend Becky laughs at me when I tell her that meeting new kids doesn’t scare me in the least. It’s just the adults that freak me out. HA! But I really do love kids, always have. They make me laugh and enjoy the little things again--something I think we could all do a little more of. On Saturday night when I left John’s house to head home, I got a couple of hugs from some little people I had just met, which totally tugged at my heart’s strings. [sigh!]

Thanks for a great evening, John! Let’s do it again soon.

Homemade Desserts: $10
Catching up with old friends: Wonderful!
Time with other people's kids and playing kickball: PRICELESS!!!