Chief Mom

We gave our neighbor's daughter a sleepover at our house as a birthday gift. Not just any sleepover though...a camping sleepover. We called it Camp Nicole. Of course here in the PNW camping outside in April would not be fun for anyone (especially the adults) so it was an indoor camping experience. My goal was to design an evening that was fabulously fun for the kids but low maintenance for me....and it was achieved. The kids made up their own nature craft (nature craft wasn't even on my radar). They covered pine cones with peanut butter and put crushed crackers on it (I didn't have birdseed). The great thing is that we actually got some good bird visits as a result, a blue jay, a woodpecker, hummingbirds and some other sweet looking bird. Then I provided dinner outside, then we lit the fire pit and made s'mores, then the kids went on a nature hike in our back yard (backyard is tiny so it might be more appropriate to call it a nature hop). Then the kids got every blanket in our house and turned the basement into one huge tent (fort would be more descriptive). That took up so much time that once it was done, it was bedtime. I had doubts that sleeping UNDER the fort would last, and as predicted, an hour into the 'sleeping time' everyone migrated up to my daughter's bedroom to sleep on the floor.

Right now I'm asking myself why I felt compelled to share this and part of me is that I am proud of MYSELF for providing fun inventive experiences for my kids and their friends. I also am realizing that I enjoy planning events that kids will love (Nicole's sister's birthday gift was an evening where they 'ran a restaurant' and cooked a 5 course meal for 5). Am I doing this to be perceived as a cool mom? (probably), do I enjoy seeing life from a kid's perspective? (probably), do I love it when my kids are having fun with others so I don't have to feel guilty about not wanting to spend time with them? (probably), do I love to see the joy, wonder, creativity, pride and smiles of children when they are having fun and "I" made that fun for them? (probably)....Am I trying to create lasting wonderful memories for my children (and their friends) so that when they look back they might say, I had a great childhood AND my mom was so fun? YES....can I guarantee that is what they'll think and say, NO...but that doesn't stop me from trying. Excuse me while I go and ring the breakfast bell for the campers...you can call me Chief MOM.