othing else was available, he used his finger.

Last Labor Day morning I woke up to the sound of rain. I wasn’t sure that’s what it was at first. I hadn’t heard the slow, soft sound of a lingering rain in a long time. I went to the door and looked

As adults we have our pastimes and our hobbies. We bowl in leagues, go to the gym to work out. We do things that we don’t consider work, but we hardly ever play. When we do we often base our play on expensive toys - 4 wheelers, boats, water skis, snow skis. Children can play with anything. They don’t need fancy toys to entertain themselves, although advertising would have you believe they do.

Picture a child of about 3 or 4 at Christmas or a birthday. He gets help unwrapping the perfect educational, guaranteed to entertain him for hours toy. It is placed in front of him at last. What does he do? Toddles right past it to the box is was wrapped in and entertains himself for the rest of the day. He uses it as a fort, a race car, and a drum. Toys are a dime a dozen to a child, but a good box will last until Mom finally makes it disappear.

When my oldest son was small, I decided we would not have guns in our house. Personal preference. Lost cause. He made guns from sticks, Legos, and when nothing else was available, he used his finger.

Last Labor Day morning I woke up to the sound of rain. I wasn’t sure that’s what it was at first. I hadn’t heard the slow, soft sound of a lingering rain in a long time. I went to the door and looked

kis. Children can play with anything. They don’t need fancy toys to entertain themselves, although advertising would have you believe they do.

Picture a child of about 3 or 4 at Christmas or a birthday. He gets help unwrapping the perfect educational, guaranteed to entertain him for hours toy. It is placed in front of him at last. What does he do? Toddles right past it to the box is was wrapped in and entertains himself for the rest of the day. He uses it as a fort, a race car, and a drum. Toys are a dime a dozen to a child, but a good box will last until Mom finally makes it disappear.

When my oldest son was small, I decided we would not have guns in our house. Personal preference. Lost cause. He made guns from sticks, Legos, and when nothing else was available, he used his finger.

Last Labor Day morning I woke up to the sound of rain. I wasn’t sure that’s what it was at first. I hadn’t heard the slow, soft sound of a lingering rain in a long time. I went to the door and looked

nal, guaranteed to entertain him for hours toy. It is placed in front of him at last. What does he do? Toddles right past it to the box is was wrapped in and entertains himself for the rest of the day. He uses it as a fort, a race car, and a drum. Toys are a dime a dozen to a child, but a good box will last until Mom finally makes it disappear.

When my oldest son was small, I decided we would not have guns in our house. Personal preference. Lost cause. He made guns from sticks, Legos, and when nothing else was available, he used his finger.

Last Labor Day morning I woke up to the sound of rain. I wasn’t sure that’s what it was at first. I hadn’t heard the slow, soft sound of a lingering rain in a long time. I went to the door and looked

are a dime a dozen to a child, but a good box will last until Mom finally makes it disappear.

When my oldest son was small, I decided we would not have guns in our house. Personal preference. Lost cause. He made guns from sticks, Legos, and when nothing else was available, he used his finger.

Last Labor Day morning I woke up to the sound of rain. I wasn’t sure that’s what it was at first. I hadn’t heard the slow, soft sound of a lingering rain in a long time. I went to the door and looked

othing else was available, he used his finger.

Last Labor Day morning I woke up to the sound of rain. I wasn’t sure that’s what it was at first. I hadn’t heard the slow, soft sound of a lingering rain in a long time. I went to the door and looked out just to make sure. I stepped out onto the porch and drank in the fresh, cool air. * I love rain. I think it has something to do with growing up in Louisiana. It rains a lot there - you might as well love it.

I remember being little and watching it rain, playing in the puddles, and making mud pies. I knew what was coming last Labor Day morning- “Mom, can I go play in the rain?”

Of course you can, I told my eight year old son. Out he went, before he even had breakfast. He didn’t just play IN the rain, though. He went beyond that. He played WITH the rain.

For a long time he sat in one of our plastic lawn chairs out in the rain and sang. Not words, really, just joyful sounds. Soon he was soaked.

The he decided to splash. Not just little splashes in the puddles. He took a lawn chair and positioned it just perfectly so one of the streams coming off the roof fell right into the seat. When it filled up as far as it could, he turned around and quickly sat down. SPLASH! Over and