How to Have an Adventure

Thoughts & Reflections

Set your alarm. There’s not a moment to lose. It’s the day you’ve been planning. Your child is finally old enough to enjoy an adventure!

Not the adventure of learning to walk, or the first bloody lip from bumping into the coffee table, or those first words, but a real, planned, everyone enjoys it, capital-A Adventure.

You’ve planned every detail. You’re sharing something with your child that you enjoyed yourself — a trip to the Zoo, a Baseball Game, the Aquarium — or perhaps something special you have been eagerly anticipating since you discovered this sweet babe would be joining your family.

Your child wakes up, and is so excited about the day. They don’t even understand what a Zoo is, but they know it’s going to be great. After all, they get to spend time with you, their Most Favorite.

After breakfast, you begin gathering items — sunscreen, water bottle, backpack — and your child entertains herself with a favorite or forgotten toy. You’re ready, it’s time to go! Your child is enraptured by their play, but we have a schedule to keep! Baseball waits for no one.

Your child gets in the car, but not without one more trip to the bathroom and maybe some pretzels for the road.

Ok, here we go.

You start on the road, and, that’s strange, the sky looks rather dark. This was not part of the plan. By the time you get to your destination, it is pouring, and your adventure is absolutely ruined.

How disappointing.

Well, everyone is dressed and in the car, we can’t waste an opportunity like this, I guess we do have a few errands to run. You head to the pharmacy, and then need a pick-me-up. You get a coffee, and, since we have a few minutes, we can sit together and enjoy our drinks. You have a conversation with your child and simply enjoy the moment.

Re-hydrated, you go to the grocery store. Yes, we could get pizza and a movie, why not? You laugh, discuss which are better — red or green grapes — and make a new friend in the check out lane. You sneak some popcorn in the cart to surprise your child with later during the movie.

You get home, not too soaked, and prepare dinner. Your child colors and you bake the pizza and prepare a salad. There’s some mud on the floor, but it’s okay.

Everybody eats dinner together, and you hear about the day that was not as you had planned. The disappointment is still there, but so is joy.

Time for bath, jammies, and everybody gets cozy for the movie. There are squeals when you bring out popcorn.

Cuddled under the blanket, watching the latest animated blockbuster for the umpteenth time, your little one snuggles close, happy.

And that’s when you remember. This IS the adventure.