Something old to something new

We have 3 playgrounds near where we live. JED have visited them so many times that they are bored of them and bug us to take them to new play spaces.

But on Thursday when it rained as if the gods were crying and the whales starting beaching at NUS, there was little for them to do to in the house except to drive us all insane. I decided to take them to the playground in the rain.

That was the one guaranteed to make sure that the old folk that sit at the void deck spaces tsk and hiss at me disapprovingly. Didn't I know that allowing them to play in the rain was a sure way to have them catch a bad cold?

In such a situation, it is always good to not be able to speak very much dialect. Then all that can be done is to smile and shrug your shoulders and walk on, guaranteeing that the whole block will know how bad a mom you are but at the same time also ensuring that JED get to do something they don't often get a chance to do.

Part of the fun for them was outfitting them; raincoats, wellies and even umbrellas.

There was more tsk-ing and hissing when the aforementioned folk realised that I had put Muffin in Jordan's old rain gear; a green rain coat with pink lining and pink wellies.

But just adding that extra novelty made it a whole lot more exciting with lots more squeals and chuckling. Swings, swinging on their bellies, climbing up and down slippery rock walls much to my terror. I feared that with every time that Muffin lost his step, he would slip, fall and break his teeth at the very least. But every time he slipped, it elicited a nervous chuckle and tried it again.

The ground was wet. The air was cool. And an added advantage There was also the added advantage of the playgrounds being empty on account of the rain. 

Evan was so happy he was both singing and dancing in the rain. He has the sodden, swimming pools in his boots to prove it. 

All this plus the long and hot bubble bath in their bath tubs meant that it took up the entire afternoon and by the time they were done, they were ready for dinner and very quickly ready for bed. 

It meant that I could shower myself, do my last minute packing and get them all to sleep before I had to head off to the airport.

So, if you are okay for your kids to play in the rain, rain doesn't mean they can't play outside. Unless there's lightning of course. I may be nuts but not that nuts.