Tuesday, June 10, 2008

When was the last time . . .

you just played with the crazy abandon of a child?

This weekend, my family had a mudfest. Not kidding. And why?

Just for the fun of it. I will post pix as soon as I have them.

It all started when my cousin and his wife-to-be tried to talk their son into playing in the mud like the other kids. LOL!

Not kidding. Something about that cracked me up. I mean, usually it's the kid trying to talk the parents into letting them play in the mud and the parents trying to talk the kid out of it.

Not in this case. The kids all were playing on this seven dollar Slip-N-Slide. The grass at the end of it became excavated to the point a huge mud hole formed there. So when the kids started pulling each other across the wet material, one accidentally fell face-first in the mud. She came up totally brown and dripping with muddy water.

Absolutely hilarious sight to behold.

So the rest of the kids started splashing in the mud. Except one. His parents tried to goad him into it but he wasn't so sure. So he challenged his mother, "If you think playing in the mud is so fun, why don't you do it?"

So she did. Tromped right over there and flopped down in the muddy hole and rolled around until she was caked from head to toe in moist, gooey brown clay.

Then chaos erupted. Everyone started chasing and dragging everyone else (adults included) through the mud. My family hasn't had that much fun in I don't remember when. And we always have fun and laugh a lot when we're together.

Cars driving by were hilarious. People would just slow down and s-t-a-r-e.

My husband pulled up and my dad and cousin and all the kids chased him and my brother-in-law up a tree because they had no intention of getting muddy.

So they got the water hoses after him.

My husband jumped out of the tree and ran his legs off, threatening that if anyone dragged him through the mud, they'd better know how to swim because he'd toss them in the pond.

And he would too.

I'd know. I had found out the hard way. Not that day, but when we were engaged eleven years ago. But that's another funny story for another day.

So, my faithful blogees quit lurking. Let's have an interactive blog.

Tell me about the last time you and your family had some crazy outlandish fun. When was the last time you acted as carefree as a child?

Talk-talk-talk people! I wanna hear your stories.

Post them by this time next week and I will draw names of everyone who comments on this post. One lucky winner will receive a "Summer Fun Mystery Gift" from me.

Cheryl Wyatt aka Squirrel

10 comments:

Brittanie said...

We don't really have a lot of fun like that in my family. My mother and grandmother like to go shopping with my sister and me. :)

Ausjenny said...

now that sounds so funny and your hubby and BIL up the tree is even funnier.

with mum being older we dont do much about christmas about 9 years ago it was so hot like really high 90's and then we had a change and rain I remember i was coming back from the playground with the two girls (neices) to avoid getting soaked. but when it rain mum was about 80 and out she goes and stood in the rain carefully splashing in the water like a kid.

the last time with mud was playing hockey we play on grass feild and the high school field doesn't drain well so you play in mud. there was a fight for the ball and mud flew everywhere. I also over committed for the ball and ended sliding through the mud. but Hey muds good for you right!!!!!!!!! I admit a hot bath after felt good. the ones tiptoeing through the mud always make good targets!

Cheryl Wyatt said...

Brittanie, I LOVE to shop! I wish my sister, mom and grannies and me had more time to shop together. It sounds like you're making great memories too!

Jenny, the image of your mum in the puddles made me smile. Love what you said about the ones treading carefully on tiptoes make the best targets! LOLOL!

Hugs and thanks for commenting ladies!

Cheryl

Anita Mae Draper said...

Hey Squirrel, this isn't the most recent, but it was the most fun...and we did it twice!

Both times was with a large (approx25'x30') clear tarp.

The first time it happened, we had the tarp lying on the lawn and started to fold it up. But when we picked up the corners and started walking back to the other corners, the wind picked up, filled it, and left it flapping. It was so big! So we corralled our 9 yo (at the time) to help. She stood on one corner and I stood on the other beside her. My hubby then brought one opposite end to me. I had a hard time hanging on to it b/c it was filling with the air again. But the real action started when he handed off the other corner to our dd. It took only a second when he released it and our dd was on her tummy sliding across the tarp as it billowed in the wind!
Laughing, she finally let go but then it yanked me forward. I ended up on my butt with my arms waving up and down with the flapping tarp. It was really fun! It was like trying to control a giant kite.

When we moved to our farm a few years later, we had another large tarp we had to fold up. DH looked at me and grinned. We called the kids together (now there were 2 more of them) and let them take turns hanging on and sliding.

You know, it's funny...we can never seem to get a small kite into the air but give us a giant tarp and no problemo!

Cheryl Wyatt said...

Goodness Anita Mae, those images had me laughing. I know we have a tarp somewhere around here. BUT NO WIND! Darn!

Sounds like such fun!

Thanks for commenting!

Cheryl

Ausjenny said...

Cheryl your comment to my comment about the target reminds me of a time with my friend i was visiting in Perth we went to Adventure world and me and machinery well its not a pretty site I still dont know how to drive! Well we went on the bumperboats. I never did quite master steering but it was fun but the second time we had hooked up with a couple of guys in that we were going on rides together more so than anything else well Poppi dedided not to get soaked again! so it was me against 2. Which was fun til i stalled the boat so they got me going and got soaked. There was an USA sailor who was fair game and loving it and a lady well i accidently bumped her boat and she freaked out. a tiny splash but you would think she had half drowned. well after that the guys, sailor and myself along with everyone started bumping her. Could be why she got out early! If she had accepted the appology and not made such a fuss no one would have gone after her (they would have continued on me and the sailor!) but they found her a little precious and she was getting the accidental on purpose bumps and by then we knew just how to soak someone. I was looking like a drowned rat (that was laughing)

Rachel Leigh Smith said...

This isn't a family story because there were only 3 of us home at the time, but it still qualifies as silly fun. The backstory is that I'm 25 and my sister is 24.

Our swimming pool has been a cement pond for the last 4 years. It's been infested with tadpoles. Last Friday we found out that on Monday draining of the pool would commence. I was thereby instructed to buy chlorine and shock the water to kill the algae. And the tadpoles. My sister and I couldn't bear to commit genocide, so Sunday evening found us out by the pool with a bucket of water and a net.

Saving tadpoles from immanent death. Just like little kids. We managed to get two that had all 4 legs, and then this morning my brother dumped the whole bucket out in the creek.

Cheryl Wyatt said...

Jenny, I'd love to play on bumper boats!!! That is so funny about the lady. It's always the ones who don't want to get wet who get the most drenched. LOL!

Rachel,
Thank you for commenting on my blog! I remember collecting tadpoles from mudholes in New Mexico. Your post brought back some great memories! That is sooooo sweet that you guys saved the baby frogs from genocide! LOL!

Hugs all!
Cheryl

Eileen Astels Watson said...

We love thunder storms and sometimes even when there isn't one we still pull out our favorite game and huddle in the "unused" room of the house, aka the living room and play Balderdash. Some of the things we come up with send us all howling.

Pool games like tag are another way we have fun. Nothing like mud slinging and play, but it works for us. What a memory to share for the rest of your lives! Your girls will forever remember that!

Unknown said...

The unplanned fun times are the best, aren't they? Add some spontaneity to a little silliness, and suddenly you've created a memory!

When my girls were 5 & 3 years old, we went on our annual Christmas tree search at a farm that offered a hay ride, hot cider, and "cut-your-own" privileges. It had recently snowed, and it was bone-chilling cold that day, so the girls were donned in their one-piece nylon snowsuits that were so well insulated, the padding made them hardly able to walk. Trudging up and down the hills of trees, the baby took a tumble that had her, literally, sliding down the hill until she was stopped by a tree. To keep the tears at bay, we all started laughing... next thing you know, we are on the vacant, snow-covered hay-ride path taking turns pushing the girls down the hill on their well-padded rumps! Contagious giggles ensued, and other tree-cutters joined the fun. Who needs a sleigh?

We've never managed to catch a tree-finding snow day again... but the story is repeated every year as off we go through the woods for our traditional Christmas tree cutting! :)