the joy of being a kid

There's something so simple and sweet about being a child. The innocence shines through in every child's eyes while they are doing something precious or even when they are annoying the #*$! [insert your own word here] out of you. Their curious minds can't help but inquire, their cute little laughs can't hide if they had to (even if they're laughing at all the wrong times), and they can't help but make playing the art of childhood. It's thoughts like that that really make one wish they could be a child again. Well, I don't know if I should say they make one want to be a child again, but it sure can make one reminisce about the joys of being a kid.

I remember being the kids of the family and all the fun times we had. We were fortunate enough to grow up with each other (8 of us cousins) and although we had 14 years in between the oldest and youngest(me!), there was always a time when each of us was having fun with another. Being a child, I could have cared less about what the adults were doing, talking about, etc. They were boring. The kids were the fun ones - and man, did we have some fun times. With that being said, this past weekend with the family made me look at the "new" kids of the family in a different light. My siblings' and cousins' children were having a blast just being together. They could care less what us adults were doing or talking about. To them, we were boring. Here are some of the joys of being a kid I spotted in just one weekend...

Remember the kids table? You always thought you were having so much more fun than those boring adults.
And why do they eat that weird looking food when there are chicken fingers, burgers, and fries? Hmm..


For some reason, the faces of one child can make another crack up in a way that no adult can.


Looking out at what the world has to offer is far more intriguing than the sound of adult chatter filling their ears.


Finally being taller than one of the adults is such an accomplishment! (Although, who are we kidding...I am just a big kid!)


Making funny faces in a moment when you know you're supposed to be lookin' good seems like the obvious choice.


Gosh, why do adults take so long to open gifts? "here..let me help you, GG!"


Yes, these crazy adults think that monkeys on my feet is the most adorable thing ever.


Ah, to set up a slip and slide, grab whatever dish soap you can find and hope the adults don't seem to mind. How much fun...


my turn, my turn, my turn!


Ending the night with a cousin slumber party and a movie in the den...oh, the life of a child. :)

And then there were the moments I couldn't capture - but I do know there were plenty of moments where they were being sneaky. They were doing things that only they could know about because the adults weren't cool enough to participate. Those are the moments they will remember just like the moments I remember having with my siblings and cousins..and while they may be long gone out of some of our minds, we know there will always be that bond we once had; the same bond the "new" kids of the family will always have.