We have this really cool thing on a shelf at our house called a "lycra tube". It's a huge piece of fabric . . . a bright, "busy" floral pattern ~ one I probably wouldn't have chosen personally (but it belongs to the campground). Either way, the thing is a blast! A wee bit dangerous, but super fun!. The kids put four of them in it at once and run really fast, catapulting themselves off of it's 'walls', turning around and doing it again, laughing the whole way, and finally collapsing into a heap on the floor in the middle of it. It's impossible to photograph, it's even a little hard to watch, for fear that their rapid criss-crossing will result in a head on collision (amazingly it hasn't yet).
A few nights ago, we made homemade ice cream. One batch in our little nifty Cuisinart automatic ice cream maker and another batch in our very fun "ice cream ball". We haven't used the ice cream ball in quite a while (probably not since Anna's 5th birthday party when we still had a trampoline for the kids to roll it around on -- well over 2 years ago). We keep talking about using it. But, you know how that goes. Talk. "Yes, we should do that sometime". Sincere talk. But busy days turn into busy weeks and (for me) unless I'm really determined and intentional those things remain just that - talk. Empty words.
So, I went ahead and scheduled it. I wrote it down - right with our weekly menu on the fridge. Now I was committed. Several sets of eyes read the words up there and start to anticipate and plan on what's written there. Suddenly my options for backing out diminish. My chances of following through grow stronger. Now there needs to be a better reason than "I'm too tired" to bag the idea altogether.
So we pulled out the ice cream maker and the ice cream ball and made ice cream. Turns out we got a little crazy and decided to try using the ice cream ball AND the lycra tube together! The kids rolled it around and around inside the lycra tube! (and at some point in there, I ended up with the ice cream ball while they went crazy in the lycra tube!) Fun time, lots of laughter . . . and very yummy ice cream was enjoyed by all!
(Yes, that handsome young man DOES indeed need a hair cut!)
