Even though that meant that the "Terry Fox Run" would have to be held inside today at school. But, that would be okay.
We walked to school in the rain and our raincoats, pants and boots. And had fun, even though we were in a rush to get to school on time. On the way home though, Boy and I had nothing but time.
So we played outside. Because it was raining, he wanted to splash in the water. Of course. And so we found some "puddles." The stream of water running along side the road toward the storm sewer. And, where Paul has killed the grass from driving on it (maybe if the concrete pad was a bit wider we wouldn't have this problem?) there is this little puddle that we could splash about and experience a 'mud' puddle. And Boy was thrilled! He splashed and splashed and laughed and smiled and shrieked.
And I smiled. And then I was sad. So super sad. I'm raising my kids in the city. Where the puddles have been engineered away. Where I can't tell that it rained in the morning at the end of the day because the storm sewers and landscaping have made it so puddles can't exist here. Where the puddles aren't. Where there isn't mud, and yet, it is still so dirty.
The water running along the curb (but mostly this picture is just trying to show him chasing the bird).
This is our mud puddle.
How will he learn about the deep puddles that result in boot fulls? Or about the sticky mud puddle that holds on to your boot so tight that when you try to take a step, your foot moves and the boots stays in the mud? The type of mud puddle that requires you walking home to find your mum stocking footed to have her come rescue your boot? Or the simple puddle, that gives you something new to do while you wait for the school bus- creating trenches from it to join another?
I remember looking at a picture of the Amazon River where two rivers meet. (Isn't it the Amazon River)? There are two different rivers meeting and the colour of the water is very different. I remember looking at that picture and thinking that it didn't look too foreign to me- even though it's in a different country, continent even. I thought that picture reminded me of when I would connect one puddle to another. Puddles are pretty important, aren't they?
I'm not asking the city to change and to make puddles for my kids. Far from it. Just more proof that this farm girl was never meant to be a city kid. I mean really, who else whould be crying about this?
I really, really miss mud puddles.
It's pretty fun, regardless of it being pretty lame.
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