Playing in the rain

There is something about rain that deters adults, yet attracts children. My son is drawn to water like a little frog.  He just wants to play in it all the time.  Even though it was raining when we got out of bed this morning, he was still excited to go to Piyo Piyo. 

My parents brought me a bag of rolled oats, a special request since they can be next to impossible to find over here.  This morning, partly due to the rain and partly just because I could, I made a lovely pot of oatmeal for breakfast.  I added a chopped apple and banana, as well as a small amount of maple syrup. It warmed us up as we prepared for the day.

As we were packing up to leave, the doorbell rang.  It is quite loud and surprised us all.  It was the postman with a package.  Oh, what joy!  My uncle had asked if there was anything we needed and he sent us a package of (glorious) Puffs tissues and a huge box of graham crackers (which I have not been able to find here).  As soon as my son saw the box of graham crackers, he started dancing around singing "Those are mine, mine, mine!"  I, too, did a little joyful dance, but singing was not included in my part. 

Packages are a little piece of heaven to us.  They always bring such happiness.  I am eternally grateful for each and every one we receive. 

Once we calmed down, it was time to head out the door.  The rain was falling enough for us to use umbrellas as we walked to the park.  At one point, I noticed the stuff falling from the sky was whiter and a bit more solid than before. 

When we arrived at Piyo Piyo, several of the park moms had already built a fire and had started boiling the water for soup.  After introducing my parents, I got busy chopping the mizuna (a bitter green) that I had brought for the soup.  The fire pit (that we build each time out of bricks and a metal sheet) was placed under a tarp.  We huddled around it since it was quite chilly.  The soup bubbled and everyone added the ingredients they brought with them - carrots, mushrooms, onions, renkon (lotus root), leeks, and more.  Soon, some small sausages were cut up and added as well.  It simmered away as everyone carried on conversations and the children played with fort building supplies, throwing leaves up in the air, and rolling balls down the hill.  My son, however, was not doing any of these things.  He was over playing in the water faucet getting as wet as his Muddy Buddy suit would allow.  

As soon as the vegetables were tender, we added soymilk, seasonings (chicken bullion and soy sauce), and the greens to the soup.  Several of us tasted the soup and gave suggestions like "a bit more bullion" until we all agreed it was perfect. 

We had stretched long pieces of fabric between tree branches to cover our seating area while we ate.  So, we all sat in relative dryness as we ate our lunch of soup and rice (that we brought from home). 

Once the kids were done eating, they were playing once again.  There is never enough time for playing with each other.  At that point, my parents decided to head back to the house because it was still very cold and they were ready to be inside.  My son was not done playing yet, so we stayed behind to get some more playtime in while we could.

Back to the water he went, spending most of the remaining Piyo Piyo time playing with the push broom and water.  Periodically, he would rush to me in tears that he was super cold.  But after a quick squeeze of the pocket heat packet and moment by the fire, he was off playing in the cold and wet once again.

By the end of our time at the park, my son had succeeded in using his time to the fullest.  It never ceases to amaze me how creative kids can be while playing.  It doesn't take much, just some space, to create a world of fun.  Add a bit of water and it is that much better.

Today we enjoyed the simple things - packages, playing with friends, warm soup, and even a bit of crazy weather.  It is these simple things that bring us great joy.