Growing up

I want to be a little kid forever.

Yesterday, I saw my friend whom I hadn't seen since December. We ran into each other at a Christian rock concert, which I went to because I had nothing else to do on a Friday night. It was a good concert, but I was exhausted after a week of teaching my class.

I was in a good mood because yesterday at camp, we had "Fun Friday"-- where we do relay races and play games outside. We were going to do a water balloon toss and other games, but we ended up just getting into a huge water balloon fight. All the kids ran after me with buckets full of water and I got completely soaked. All my kids played-- even one boy who just lies on a bench whenever we go outside. My assistant hit him with a water balloon and he joined the war. I dumped a bucket of water over his head and he started cracking up and chasing after me. So priceless.

We combine my class (Class E - the 14-17 year olds) with the class below us (Class D - the 11-13 year olds), for Fun Fridays and for games outside. The Class D kids are crazy, and I have a blast with them because they know I'm one of the "cool" teachers who will play freeze tag, and won't care if they throw me in the pool with all my clothes on. Because I'll just grab them and throw them in next.

I told my friend that the water balloon fight was honestly the most fun I have had in SO long.

He looked at me and sort of laughed and said, "You need to get out more."

The truth is, "getting out" and hanging out with people my age is nowhere NEAR as fun as playing with my kids at work. Whether the game be freeze tag or a water balloon fight or even kickball.

The amount of laughter, the smiles on EVERYONE's faces, and hey - the amazing workout you get, is priceless.

I love growing up and getting together with my friends and just talking and spending time together...
But I want to just get together with people and play freeze tag at a park. Or something.

I asked one of my kids who he admires for our self-expression class. He said no one. I explained what it means to admire someone - that it means you look up to them and want to be like them. He still said no one. I asked if it was because he was just happy with the way he is. And he said yes.

I admire THEM.

Their love, their innocence, their joy, their never-ending supply of funny things to say, their simplicity, and their youthfulness even at age 17 are all things I want to exude in my life.

I want to grow up to be like my kids.