The Jumpy Place

My godson, who is 5 years old now and going into KINDERGARTEN has been spending some quality time with me lately. He likes having sleep-overs at our house and just hanging out; (the endless video game playing he gets to do with Uncle Chris being a factor, I'm sure.) He is at such a fun age where we can actually have meaningful conversations about things like why he has to go to school and how to tell your right from your left. It is the coolest thing to see my best friend's child growing before my eyes.

Yesterday I picked him up for the afternoon. We went to McDonald's drive-through to pick up lunch, which is a special treat for him (and me), and came back to my house. We sat across from each other at the kitchen table eating our lunch, him enlightening me on how chocolate milk is made.

Being a little boy, he needs lots of physical activity. The temperature is over 100 degrees here and, unless you are in the water, you really can't comfortably be outside. So, we found a special place where we can go inside and have loads of fun! He calls it The Jumpy Place. It is this warehouse with a giant trampoline inside, probably the length of half a football field. And it is just a few miles from our house, making it that much more inviting to the adults.

For $10 a person you can spend an hour jumping, flipping, leaping; whatever your body allows you to do. Usually, I would just have him go jump with my step-kids while I sit on the sideline and read. But today it was just him and me.

"It wouldn't be that fun without you" he tells me as we're taking off our shoes. He then grabs me by the hand and says "Come On" in a sweet, friendly voice. I felt so special at that moment; so lucky to have him wanting me there.

Having grown up with a trampoline in my back yard, I had some tricks still hiding in this 33 year old body. As soon as I stepped foot onto the gigantic trampoline I went from serious, reserved adult to smiling, outgoing kid. Jumping in itself is thrilling; that fluttery feeling when your body is airborne. But the ability to still do flips that I use to do when I was 12, and my godson thinking I am cool because of it, is priceless.

We played jumping games, leaping games, and running and jumping off the trampoline wall games. I sweat like I had run a marathon and was clearly getting winded. But it was so much fun that I just kept going, not caring that my hair was dripping with sweat or that my body was tired and would certainly feel my flipping tricks in the morning.

Afterwards, to cool off, we each got a Popsicle that turned our mouths purple. He struggled with the over sized Popsicle on the ride home, his hands getting sticky, and some of it falling down the side of the seat. He was more worried about the mess than I was, an obsessive cleanliness trait he gets from his mother.

I am such a lucky girl to have such a sweet boy in my life. He is truly a bright light in my world and adds color to a life that is spent way too seriously. He brings out a side of me that is quite hard to get at; a freer spirit; a lighter outlook on life. I have found another way to move my spirit: an afternoon with my godson sharing meaningful conversation eating McDonald's lunch and some good quality fun at The Jumpy Place.

Vacuuming With a Baby on My Hip

August 10, 2010

We picked up 2 more beautiful babies on Saturday; 15 months and 4 months old. Another short-term placement. This time I am prepared emotionally to give them back, but am swimming in satisfaction with having them here for the week! A tiny baby and a toddler. They are precious, tiny beings.


Any baby that can't walk is puzzling to me. I don't know what to do with them. You see, I admire independence. I am a pretty independent person in the sense that I like to have my freedom. Babies who walk are given the freedom to explore their world within the parameters of the caregiver. At this moment the 15 month old is walking on the couch and smiling, indicating she thinks it's pretty cool that she's not confined to a sitting chair like her sister is at this moment. She can move about as she wishes within the safety of our baby proofed home. I like that she can entertain herself and am finding I actually prefer the walking baby to the immobile baby.


In any case, it is my job to ensure that the immobile baby gets the proper stimulation throughout the day; back time, tummy time, sitting in a bouncer facing her towards a window to watch the trees, holding her, talking to her and carrying her around. This particular baby is so happy and easy to please, when the fussing begins you just have to find the right need to be met. She had been fed, changed, and had plenty of activity, yet she was still fussing. As soon as I picked her up and started carrying her around, she stopped fussing and was content. But I still had vacuuming to do. One of those cool papooses to carry baby around in would have been great at that moment!

I've always been told I had child bearing hips. I put baby on my protruding left hip where her bum rested perfectly and put her arms over my left arm. At first I wasn't sure how to really do this. I usually would use my left arm to get the cord out of the way. This is where the other limbs came in. I used my leg to do what my occupied arm would usually do, vacuumed the rooms, got a left arm work out, and made baby happy, fulfilling her desire for human contact and a change of scenery.


I actually felt a sense of accomplishment! For the last 2.5 years I have wondered, while doing household chores, "how am I going to clean with a baby?" Maybe my child bearing hips can't bear children, but they sure can prop 'em! It is a very satisfying feeling to figure out how to give the immobile baby the mobility she desires and how to get my household duties done as well! With that said, I will be getting one of those papooses for the next baby!