Climbers

     I really have no one to blame but myself for my kids being such monkeys. They are skilled climbers and have no fear as I did when I was I kid. I'll never forget scaring the crap out of my mother at age 5. She was calling for me, looking around in the backyard. She couldn't see me as I was up quite high in the tree having a ball. I laughed a minute at the fact she couldn't find me before yelling down to her. It took her a few minutes to spot me up there. Then she immediately told me to get down. And, of course asked how I got up so high. It was easy really. I loved to climb and I was good at it. I could even climb up the walls, literally. My younger sister could too but she wouldn't go up to the ceiling as I did. My one son could do it too. I'm not sure about Jacob. We'll have to let him try next time we go to visit Grandpa, as in our house we don't have any good spots conducive to climbing walls.
     I could blame my older kids for showing Jacob how to climb on top of all the playhouses and such in the backyard. I'm sure he figured by watching them, if they could he could. I know better. It's just in him and he'd probably do it no matter what. I didn't have anyone to watch or show me how to climb. Up I went. I did have my dad who was up on the roof fixing things and used to let us get up there too. We used to sit on the roof of the porch on the 4th of July to watch the fireworks in our neighborhood. He has already let my kids, Jake included, stand on top of the playhouse he built for us when we were kids that still sits in his backyard. They all love it. There's no fear of heights here.
     Andrew is the most hesitant. Robert is the tree climber. He gets up quite high. Emily tries to get up in the tree but just isn't as good. She settles for getting on top of everything else in the yard. Jake is following her footsteps but I think he may just be a tree climber too. He is only four yet. When Robert first attempted the tree I didn't stop him. I knew how fun it was and you're only a kid once so why not. I gave him a little help and direction in the beginning but he really didn't need much. Andrew will get up there but won't go as high. He just isn't as agile as Robert. I do stop them from climbing trees in other peoples yards like I used to.
     There was a house diagonal from ours that had one of the best climbing trees. It was near the edge of the property, close to the curb. It was a very large property so we figured we were far away enough from the house we could run if anyone ever came out to yell at us. It was great just hanging out in the trees. Before Halloween came my mother would buy candy and put it out early. We weren't supposed to eat much of it as it was for Halloween. My friend and I would take turns climbing down from the tree, running into the house, stealing a handful of candy, and bringing it back up into the tree to eat. .
     I'm very glad that our house has a good climbing tree for my kids. I can understand why people don't like trees. They are work and can cause some major damage in storms. But they are a lot of fun for kids. (We also have a swing and a ladder hanging from ours) They are so pretty when they change colors. And of course nothing says spring more than the trees beginning to bud. I don't even really mind raking the leaves. The best part about that being making piles of them for the kids to jump and play in. Kids are still kids and outside nature time, sunshine time, fresh air time, whatever I call it when I kick them all outside when I feel they've been too "connected" is definitely good for them. Sure, they are annoyed somewhat at first, at least the older ones, but they know better and give it up and find something to do out there. Even if it is texting their friends from up in the tree.
    Jake wasn't up in the tree, yet, but I had my own scared mommy moment yesterday. I told the big boys to go outside and play with Jake. He was bugging me to go out and I needed to feed Colin, my extra for the evening. After a short while I heard banging on the back of the house but up pretty high. I figured they were tossing a ball into the house or something and let it go. Not long after that I heard Jake crying. I took Colin and went out to investigate. There's my Jake standing on top of the larger playhouse crying and banging the side of the real house. It seems Robert was telling him to get down and he didn't want to, hence the crying. Seeing him standing up there crying, knowing your not as stable up high when your crying, was my own shock. Of course I screamed at him to get down. And at the boys for letting him get up there in the first place. Which of course they didn't let anything just didn't stop him before he got too high. Payback is a you know what. Maybe I should call my own mother and share this story with her. I think she'd get a kick out of it.