Monday, June 16, 2008
The Point of No Return
I realized something this weekend.
On Saturday morning, we went to a local state park on the Potomac, where they were opening a new pirate-themed water park by hosting a live pirate attack at the shore. They had a little schooner, and there was musket and cannon fire back and forth till the pirates made a landing and the swordplay started. Ellie thought the cannonfire was "too loud," but she enjoyed the nearby playground when the pirates got a little boring.
Then we went to a birthday party for Ellie's friend Jasmine, where there was a moon bounce, a wading pool, princess crafts, and other 3-year-old fun.
As I was sitting quietly in a chair, watching Ellie lean into the pool to splash herself (before we got her swimsuit on her), a thought hit me. We've passed the point in life where we now start doing things not because we think they will be fun, but because we think Ellie will think they are fun. We're living vicariously through our children. Already.
Don't get me wrong - I think I was the person who most enjoyed the pirate attack, and I certainly had a good time at the party (and later that very full day we went to a more adult-oriented party where Ellie just ran around the house giggling). But when we think of fun things to do, we think of fun things for our little girl to do. And the fun of it for us is showing her and sharing the fun with her. Until the cannon fired, I held Ellie on my shoulders and was overjoyed as I showed her the pirate ship out in the water. At the party, the fact that she was having the time of her life bouncing in the moon bounce with her boyfriend Ryan gave me more joy than a lot of the things I actually do for fun for myself.
I guess that's part of being a parent: the thing that makes me happiest is making my girls happy.
On Saturday morning, we went to a local state park on the Potomac, where they were opening a new pirate-themed water park by hosting a live pirate attack at the shore. They had a little schooner, and there was musket and cannon fire back and forth till the pirates made a landing and the swordplay started. Ellie thought the cannonfire was "too loud," but she enjoyed the nearby playground when the pirates got a little boring.
Then we went to a birthday party for Ellie's friend Jasmine, where there was a moon bounce, a wading pool, princess crafts, and other 3-year-old fun.
As I was sitting quietly in a chair, watching Ellie lean into the pool to splash herself (before we got her swimsuit on her), a thought hit me. We've passed the point in life where we now start doing things not because we think they will be fun, but because we think Ellie will think they are fun. We're living vicariously through our children. Already.
Don't get me wrong - I think I was the person who most enjoyed the pirate attack, and I certainly had a good time at the party (and later that very full day we went to a more adult-oriented party where Ellie just ran around the house giggling). But when we think of fun things to do, we think of fun things for our little girl to do. And the fun of it for us is showing her and sharing the fun with her. Until the cannon fired, I held Ellie on my shoulders and was overjoyed as I showed her the pirate ship out in the water. At the party, the fact that she was having the time of her life bouncing in the moon bounce with her boyfriend Ryan gave me more joy than a lot of the things I actually do for fun for myself.
I guess that's part of being a parent: the thing that makes me happiest is making my girls happy.
Comments:
Aw...what a great blog Matt!
I saw her boyfriend Ryan tackle her in the moonbounce...hehe...young love. :)
Cindy
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I saw her boyfriend Ryan tackle her in the moonbounce...hehe...young love. :)
Cindy
