Suburban Paradise

This afternoon I felt like I was living in an episode of Leave It To Beaver or The Brady Bunch.

We try to walk to and from school everyday; it's only 0.6 miles each way, and we need the exercise. Today, after fetching Zee and his friend J. from school, we walked home (picking up J.'s little sister T. on the way), and started making cookies. (Correction: I started making cookies, the kids all started watching She-Ra on Hulu.com.) After an episode of good-old-eighties-animation, the kids went outside to play. When checking on them about ten minutes later, I discovered their numbers had grown--considerably. There were now at least eight boys and three girls, all running around with light sabers and (empty) squirt guns.

Eventually the girls separated off into their own group, playing little girl games like pet shop and house.

And when I was done baking cookies, I took a plate out and offered them around. (Fresh baked chocolate chip cookies! All arranged on a pretty plate! All I needed was a ruffled apron. I was practically a domestic diva!) By now, almost every child from the five closest houses on our block was outside. Mothers were lingering in doorways and mediating spats. I actually finally met the family that moved into the downstairs apartment next door, and the family that lives in the white house on the corner, and I had a chance to exchange more than "hello" and "good-bye" with my neighbor who lives in the upstairs apartment next door.

And in between dashing inside to listen for my napping babies, and moving batches of cookies from the oven to the cooling racks, I counted. There are thirteen boys and four girls on our street. The oldest boy is nine, but the majority of the boys are between seven and four. The little girls are all Em's age or younger. There are three baby boys.

What a fun neighborhood to play in! All of the kids seem to be really sweet and respectful. (At least so far!) And all the moms seem to be wonderful and watchful. It was all very suburban and almost-too-perfect. (But in a good way!)

All-in-all, I'm pleased. My kids are having a marvelous time (and wearing themselves out!), and I am learning to let them play out-of-my-sight (sometimes).