The kids got to visit with Santa yesterday. The enjoyed chatting with the jolly fellow. But, honestly these moments are more for us as parents than they are for our kids. Looking at it that way is the only thing that explains why we dress our kids up and bring them kicking, screaming and crying (well, not my kids, but several others in front of us) to “Santa.”
Technically, the birthday is Wednesday, June 15, 2011, but we decided to celebrate his birthday today. Great day for the celebration. In the morning it was roughly 60 degrees and overcast. While that might not sound like perfect weather, it’s ideal for great photos. The overcast sky means no harsh shadows or squinty eyes. We headed over to the baseball field for some early morning photos and this one was easily of my favorites.
The rest of the day was filled with fun. Great food, family and friends created a very memorable day. John definitely enjoyed himself and that’s all that really matters.
I love Legos. I think I love them more as an adult than I did as a child. In fact, there’s really only one major Lego initiative I can remember undertaking as a kid. My dad and I, over the course of about a month, built Disney’s Magic Castle. It was hundreds of pieces. I wish I had a picture; I looked all over Google for it, but couldn’t find anything. Bummer, because it was impressive.
My son, John, loves Legos. Love might even be an understatement, because Legos seem to be a passion for him. This past weekend, John and attended the Lego KidsFest in Minneapolis. It was a blast. Just awesome. John was tentative at first. I think the scale of the event was just daunting for him. But, he quickly warmed up and got to work with building towers, buildings and cars that could be raced down ramps.
I mostly sat back and just watched him dream up idea after our idea. There’s something cool, raw, interesting and exciting about watching a child create something. There are no rules, no boundaries, no need to be uniform. It’s all wide open. It’s pure creativity, just like how it should be all the time for everyone.
When did we stop imagining like a child? And why?
This what you have to love about kids. You give them a marker, let them draw on a white board, and they end up drawing on themselves. John got more on his hands than he did on the white board!
This is John looking out the window after the plane had already taken off for New York City. He was mesmerized to say the least.
Building the kids their very own ball pit was a heck of an undertaking, but totally worth it.
I’ve said it a lot, but it’s always true; I make cute kids!
Head of Social Media at Walgreens. Interactive marketer, innovator, boat rocker, continuous learner, movie lover, risk taker, dad and all around good guy. I'm always up for a spirited conversation. These are my thoughts and ramblings, not those of my employer.
