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| Add Sizzle to Your Summer
By Julie Perkins Cantrell
 Preschoolers seem to naturally understand how to be spontaneous, exciting, and imaginative. In fact, I am often amazed at the inventive (and sometimes destructive) ways they find to entertain themselves.
At age two, my daughter decided to paint her hands and feet yellow and crawl across the carpet in her playroom to “decorate with bear paw prints.” At four, she declared that she no longer spoke English. She spent a week speaking only “Nywhalian,” a language created completely in her own mind.
Her younger brother is also an original. This is the boy who once painted his entire face with a blue permanent marker. That was during his “blue phase.” Later came his “yellow phase,” when he insisted he could only wear yellow (despite the fact that he only owned two yellow shirts). This same child, now four, has worn nothing but cowboy boots since he was old enough to announce his preferences.
Colorful characteristics like these are the essence of our children’s dynamic personalities. You probably have similar stories of your own. But have you noticed that something changes between childhood and adulthood? I look in the mirror and wonder how I evolved into a more predictable, dependable, and sometimes downright boring individual. What happened to my own adventurous, creative spirit?
What can we do as adults to bring back the pizzazz in our own lives? While I don’t recommend painting your face with permanent markers, I challenge you today to add some sizzle to these last days of summer: |
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- Rent a convertible, drop the kids off with a babysitter, and take a long ride on a sunny road.
- Color your hair or try a wig.
- Purchase a colorful purse or pair of shoes to get out of the neutral rut.
- Paint, sculpt, knit, write, or play an instrument. Who knows what hidden talents are just waiting to be discovered?
- Wear an outrageous bathing suit, even if it’s only to splash in your backyard wading pool.
- Kiss your husband in public.
- Pack up the kids and take a spontaneous trip to a park or a friend’s house for lunch.
- Purchase bright table linens for an outdoor patio table and invite friends over for a barbeque and game of backyard volleyball.
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As summer wanes, dig deep to reach the child within you. Add a little color to your life and bring back the sizzle of spontaneity.
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Julie lives in Firestone, Colorado, with her husband Charles; their two
children, Emily and Adam; and their lovable Golden Retriever, Maggie. A former
speech-language pathologist, Julie is a regular contributor to MOMSense
Magazine. |
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