Childhood and Good Books

I've been sitting out in my backyard, on a warm summer day, reading one of my favorite books, "I Capture the Castle" by Dodie Smith, and watching my kids and niece and nephews play in the backyard.  Madeline and Burkeley, are singing "How Do I Know He Loves Me" from Enchanted, and basically acting out some dramatic story from their imaginations.  At one point, they were running across the lawn, when Burkeley dramatically dropped to the ground and said, "Save yourself, go on without me!"  To which, of course, Madeline ran back to save her.  The two-year olds, Tyler and Gabe, are wandering about, playing on the swing set and exploring.  Takes me back to my own childhood--riding bikes around the neighbor, making up beam

 routines on the brick wall (I represented all sorts of gymnasts in a competition, I'd bobble for some girls, and someone would totally nail the routine, it was sweet), using our swing set as  a gymnastics high bar.  How great to be a kid and use your imagination!  How nice to be content wandering around a back yard playing and singing.

It reminds of a great quote from my book . . . "When I read a book, I put in all the imagination that I can, so that it is almost like writing the book as well as reading it-or rather, it is like living it.  It makes reading so much more exciting, but I don't suppose many people try to do it." (Cassandra, Chapt. 3, pg. 26).  Maybe that's why I like to read so much, it's my link to childhood.  I can look like an adult, possibly even a smart adult, reading a book, but no one realizes that in my mind, I'm in the ruins of a castle in Suffolk, England during the 1920's, seeing life through Cassandra's eyes.  It's a nice escape from the everyday events of life.  Although, I have to admit, watching my kids, that if I were to go outside and break into song, they might not mind my joining in their games . . . Oops!  I was interrupted to save Gabe's foot from underneath the Big Wheel.  Now all the kids are coming in the house because "There are sharks out there!"  I guess I missed my chance to join them (or even observe, it's very entertaining)! 

*Classic Tyler quote of the week: Sitting in the carseat, playing with his toes, Tyler asks "How do we get in our skin?  Do we open our toe and climb in? . . . Is that how the spiders get under our skin?"  Tyler also thinks that spiders eat our scabs off, gross, I know.