Play

I'm taking a crack at writing an article for the Yummy Mummy club (see: www.yummymummyclub.ca) Their theme in May is "Mummy Plays". They don't pay for articles, but it might be a way for me to start writing for "real". Please provide feedback (ie. constructive criticism, typo corrections, general comments, encouragement, etc.)
Here we go...

Silly Mummy, Toys are for kids!

How silly am I? When I go out on a rare shopping trip alone, I usually get what I'm looking for in the first few minutes then spend the rest of the time browsing the toy or kids clothing aisles. When my kids aren't shopping with me, it is a bit of a relief, but even in their absence I'm thinking about them!
And so what if I am? Maybe part of the desire to look through the toy aisle is my own nostalgia and looking at toys for them gives me an excuse to reflect. Remembering the good times I had with my strawberry shortcake dolls, shrinky-dinks or pogo ball. With some rare exceptions, it is hard to recapture the fun I had on the playground with my friends as children. Clothing and accessories just don't do it for me!
Playing with my own kids is rewarding and fun in its own way, but often I'm distracted by safety concerns or what I have to do next (make dinner, do laundry, etc.) It's not as much fun when I'm trying to play in the sandbox with one child while pushing the other on the swing. Sometimes I'm even struck by my own ignorance. How do we play monster trucks?
I haven't yet found a real substitute for playing with toys as an adult (ahem, I don't mean "adult" toys here). Driving a van full of kids around isn't the same as driving a Barbie van full of Barbies to the Barbie house for a pool party with Ken. And home repairs are definitely not as thrilling as building something really cool with blocks.
If I enjoyed sports as a kid, I guess it may be equally as fun to play sports now. However, I didn't and I really don't. Fortunately, my kids are all better with sticks and balls than I ever was and seem satisfied with my feeble efforts to run and kick at the same time.
So why am I attracted to the toy section of the department store? I guess I'm looking for that special toy that will provoke the excitement my kids so easily feel at play. In the meantime, I will continue to follow the lead my children are eager for me to follow and I'll enjoy their toys as much as I can while they'll still share them with me.