Sunday’s weather was beautiful, cool and clear, perfect for a morning at the lake.
The kids love going to the lake. For people who live within walking distance from it we really don’t spend enough time down there appreciating it
It seems in my role as mom I spend a lot of time telling my kids what they can’t do: Don’t do flips over the back of the sofa, stop using the central vac hose as a jump rope, don’t convince your little sister that sliding down the stairs on a piece of cardboard is a good thing.
I know as parents we’re suppose to encourage our kids, offer positive reinforcements, focus on the good, but some days that seems to get lost with all the warnings I seem to dish out. Sometimes we have to make judgement calls as to what really is a Don’t and what the kids can actually get away with.
Sunday morning I gave in and let my kids throw rocks. Not those little tiny peddles I mean big, honkin’, you-can-build-a-house-with-those type of rocks. We drove not far from our house to Mimico (my husband loves to visit Bird’s and Beans coffee-house there) and the lake is right behind the place so we went for a walk. Actually my 3 and 6-year old went for a run. You would think I had kept them penned up all week and they were fleeing for their lives. If only they had that much energy for the walk to and from school. Somehow I think the big boulder wall they ran along helped.
There is a beach area along the path, a beach of rocks. My husband was trying to show the kids how to skip stones but there were those kind of rocks. So stone skipping turned into stone tossing: who could throw the biggest rock? Who could throw the farthest? Who could make the biggest splash? Who could throw the most before counting to 10? It was amazing the number of competitions my kids could think of around tossing rocks into the lake.
Yes, we did have to spread them out to ensure no one accidentally tossed a rock at a sibling standing in front of them, but overall there were no issues and they had fun, I mean real laugh-out-loud fun. From tossing stones to looking for the best stone to climbing the rocks, my kids had a great afternoon at the beach. No one got wet and it didn’t cost us a dime, except my husband’s coffee but we won’t count that.
So many throwing rocks isn’t all bad.
Trying to balance life at home with my 3 kids (all under 7), while building my business and developing my writing. Oh and throw a load of laundry in and a dinner that isn't burnt. Wasn't working from home suppose to be easier?
Another day, another thought...or two. 
Posted by Sarah on September 27, 2010 at 2:15 pm
My son LOVES to throw rocks in the ‘big water’ aka Lake Ontario. It’s the only place he’s allowed to throw them, and he knows it.
There is something very satisfying about throwing a big rock in water. Looks like you had a lot of fun! I love those big climbing rocks.