Living in a Kid's World

A funny thing happened this weekend, I realized I like living in a kid's world. We had a bunch of older family members visiting this week and then on Saturday we had a bunch more older ones show up at our house for a day long visit. Now that sounds like lots of fun at first, and they were all very nice, but they didn't fit into our kid's world. Now I not just referring here to our "Kid's" world but my kid's world as well. Let me explain. Years ago BK (before kids) we used to watch shows like CSI and Cold Case and Criminal Minds. We, or I in particular used to watch serious and sometimes action or violent movies, and it was quiet when we did these things. Our world was an adult world, where if there were children present, they were seen and not heard. Then the gumba's, the twins came along and everything suddenly changed.
Our world now is a kid's world. We do not watch CSI or Cold Case or Criminal Minds any longer. They are too dark and scary for the kids. We do not watch violent movies for the same reason. In fact we hardly watch TV at all any longer. When we do watch it is Sesame Street and Elmo and good cartoons. We also watch kid's movies, I can recite lines and songs from Madam Blueberry and Pooh. We still watch the news but we have to sit close so that we can hear it over their playing. We sing kids songs and we play kid's music. Our kids also have an electronic drum machine and a keyboard which is constantly being used. Our house is always full of music. We also spend a great deal of time playing outside in the yard or at the park. We ride bikes, we play on swings. In other words we live in a kid's world.
So it was hard this weekend to all of sudden be living in an adult world. I didn't much like it to be honest. They expected my kids to be quiet, they expected my kids not to play their keyboard and drum machine. They wanted to watch a serious movie, and be able to hear it. They didn't want the kids interrupting their conversations. The adults, as usual, made it all about what they wanted. At one point I took the kids and spent several hours playing with them instead of talking to the adults.
Needless to say, although the adults were nice and friendly, I was glad to see them pull out of my driveway so that I could go back to my kid's world. Today I will probably watch Madam Blueberry for the 157th time. I will probably read another kids book at bedtime. I will probably get in a tickling contest and lose. I will probably set up the bubble machine and listen to them hammer on the keyboard and dance around the room to their own beat. That's my kid's world and I love it. Someday I will return to the serious adult world and I will probably complain about other people's kids making to much noise, but for now turn up the music, put on Elmo and let the bubbles rise. Kids really know how to live.

Pastor Fred