It doesn't take a mountain...

This was an after thought which I had before I wrote about boys becoming men, which is reinforced by my last blog...

While out on the front lawn of the church watching my boys and a friend having a wonderful time sledding, it struck me - it doesn't take a mountain to have a great time.  I would have never considered the slight roll from the fellowship hall down toward the sidewalk a hill, and definitely not a sledding hill.  However, this winter the snow piles around the parking lot (mind you they did top 10 ft) have become icy summits for Tobiah and the decline out front a great sledding hill.

Prior to his requests to play within 250' of home, any thoughts of sledding involved (in my mind) loading everyone and everything into a vehicle, driving to a park with a significant sledding hill, and making an event of it.  As a result, it only happened a few times a year.  We did go there this year, and it was a fun afternoon, but no more fun than what my boys created for themselves standing, diving and rolling on the gentle knolls in the heart of Delmar.

This all relates to a blog I wrote in my head before I wrote blogs, and have yet to create - "pacing pleasure."  The gist of which is; if kids experience most everything before becoming a teenager, what's left?  I won't fully develop the thought here, but it was a reminder that being a "6-pack" (or in our case a 5-pack, see previous entry) is more important than doing it all, or making everything "special."  When kids find the joy in the simple (a little hill), the mundane (making a toy rocket from things in the junk drawer), the family (making an adventure video in the basement with two brothers), they will experience a richer, fuller life.  Richer and fuller than if I take them to the mountain, theater, or program any time they need something to do.  They don't need a mountain.

Here in the suburbs I feel guilty having the kids here in and around the house all day.  How strange it that?
What about a Sabbath - isn't rest from a full schedule good?  How about pacing pleasure?  Why do I think they need to have programs and activities to go to any time the schedule is open?  If they are out and about being "enriched," we can't be a 5-pack.  My kids are well above average on the enrichment scale, yet I feel a suburban pressure to fill every moment, but I resist.

I guess I'm good with some rural country living right in the heart of the burbs...