Matadors in the Living Room

Today two of my sons were bull fighting in the front room. One of them had a blanket and was playing the matador while the other one was charging away. I always risk the possible damages in favor of creative play, well usually! I love when they are using their imaginations and being real kids. It is such a struggle to fight the mind-numbing video games, and tv time. All summer long we fight about it. "How much video game time do I have left?" "Does it count for my time, if I'm watching him play his game?" Many times I have gotten so tired of discussing it that I just throw up my hands and yell "whatever, play games all day, I don't care!!!!"
Praise God, I had a brain wave (right at the tail end of summer) that seems to be working better for us. Instead of limiting the TV to 1 1/2 to 2 hours a day, I am letting them play pretty much as much as they want on Wednesday's and Friday's. (Weekends we play by ear.) This has made it easy. "Can I play a game?" is answered by "What day is it?" I know they may be wasting time on these two days, but think about the miracle of three days a week with no whining, or begging. Three days where they are forced to use their imaginations to entertain themselves. They are slowly learning to play like "real kids". Joy for Mama's heart!!

Trick or Treat?

Does your family celebrate Halloween? Working at a Christian School there are many children who tell me that their family does not celebrate Halloween. I always smile and say, oh very good I can understand that, and I can. It is a pagan based holiday. But for me Halloween is an opportunity for family memories, not to mention a chance to show the world that Christians are not too uptight to let loose and have fun. I love that all you have to do is dress up and visit the neighbors. There's no gift buying, or turkey stuffing, just fun, and getting the chance to pretend to be something completely different from who you really are for a little while.
Does symbolically shutting the lights off to show the neighborhood children that you are too holy to give away candy really help them see how much God wants to accept them for who they are, and that they are beloved by God? Am I endorsing the devil by dressing my son up like a chicken? I hope not. I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure God gets a smile out of his cute kids, just as much as I do on this silly holiday. I would hate to rob anyone of the fun.