Stating the Obvious

This may be stating the obvious, but boy do kids love to play! Every morning as I creep down the stairs (everyone else is already up except for me... God has blessed me with a man who knows how luxurious and renewing an extra hour and half of sleep can be for a mother of three!) I hear the sounds of trucks "brrmming", whistles blowing, wooden hammers pounding and more often than not the pounding of little feet running. Of course it is a lot to wake up to all at once and I often have to take a deep breath and surrender my day to God before the children hear me coming down (once they see me, it's all over!).
It just amazes me that even so early in the morning they have the energy and concentration to play so hard. Mike often worries about the sounds our bordering neighbors may hear (because they don't have small children we assume that they must be sleeping). They often get into a trance-like state as they build lego villages, role-play with their dolls/GI Joes, or color through pages of coloring books (this week they've grown very fond of a historical coloring book that friends gave to us with pictures of John Smith and Pocahontus!). Whenever I have to interrupt and call them to dress, school work or anything other than play they act as if they're being tortured. Tears, whining, "one more mintue pleases" follow.
I have read and do indeed believe that a child's work is PLAY. And if this is the case, then my children are working overtime! Mike and I often reminisce about when we were small and play was our work. It brings smiles to our faces and often gives us the understanding necessary to be more forgiving of the children's flying off sofas (and often flying just centimeters over their baby brother's head), pounding feet racing in circles through the "loop" that our dining area, school room and kitchen make (we moved into the perfect house for running laps) and toys that we often trip over. Dr. Sears says to "get behind the eyes of the child" and that really helps me to remember how FUN it was to play. Besides, you can see the wheels of imagination turning and the bond between this brother and sister growing.