Play

This post really has very little to do with gardening, except that you may notice that the time has come to whack some weeds on the embankment in these photos.

I was just reading a very disturbing article about the importance of play and how it is disappearing at a rapid rate from schools and homes in the US (and probably other countries, too), and what this means for our children (nothing good). Apparently, lots of kids don't even know HOW to play any more, even given the opportunity. Needless to say, as a mother, a teacher, and a worrier, I found all this rather distressful.

However, I am rather confident that our girls have ample opportunity to play, both at school and at home. Recently, they have learned to entertain themselves for an entire day outside while we garden with minimal fighting. Today M's friend spent the day with us, and they had lots and lots of play. I think this is how they will spend the rest of Golden Week, except for the day we go to the pottery festival. Oh, and my husband is planning to cut the weeds back tomorrow, so hiding spots for hide-and-seek might require a bit more inventiveness. Right now, they just walk a few paces and sit down.

They did manage to catch a few butterflies, but let them go.
Hide and seek, L and friend are hiding front left, M is seeking.
The hiders...
Almost found...