We’ve all seen the funny cartoons, read all the snickering stories– men, for some weird, reason, love to play. You know what I’m talking about. Just as there is this cultural perception that women shop too much, there’s this same cultural perception that men play too much, especially on electronic games. It’s mocked in cartoon strips and in stories, just as women are mocked about their shopping.

But I think men do play better than women, in general. My man plays better than me, that’s for certain.

I hurt my back and have been on bed rest for almost a week. So while I lay here, the children have had to come up with their own activities. And, honestly, the younger ones haven’t always been making good choices. They want to play Legos all day, or play on the Playstation all day. You see, when I am up and about, I’m always organizing them into working parties. We have a lot to do around the house– fixing the garden fencing, building a French drain along the house foundation, packing up the summer clothes and preparing for winter’s wear. Laying here has put a temporary damper on our work parties. And the younger kids have been idle. And I can’t stand that!

So my husband has today off work. I asked him to please plan some constructive activity for the boys today, because they were about ready to bring the house down with all their antics. So what does he do?

He teaches them a game! They are in the Dining Room, learning how to play Parcheesi and Bible Trivia! That’s constructive?! I thought.

Then I stopped thinking, and thought a little. I thought about how I am– I rarely, rarely play with the kids– and how he is– he rarely, rarely works on projects with the kids. We obviously don’t have that “perfect order” in the home, but I hope there is at least balance. I know that I could definitely play with the kids more then I do. And he can work with the kids more than he does. But guys are really, really good at playing with their kids. Did you ever notice that?

I’ve been surfing some of your blogs– you who have the photos of your husband tossing your little girl upside down while she squeals in delight; you who talk about your husband teaching your little boy how to ride a bike. Dads are natural playmates. I think it’s kind of cute. :)

When my kids were very young, after dinner was eaten and the plates cleared, Hubs would have “wrestling time” with the kids. It often involved a large floor space, a dozen large fluffy pillows, and four energetic little muchkins who pig-piled on dad. I sat back, watching from a chair while I mended trousers or cross-stitched delicate patterns.

After a snowstorm on cold winter days, he was always out there ready to haul all four parka-packed kids, piled up on a small toboggan, across the frozen tundra that was our backyard. I was the lady with the camera, snapping photos, and coming to the rescue of an occassional lost mitten or hat or child that was getting too cold.

This is not to imply that I never do anything resembling play, or that he never does anything resembling work. My husband takes my son with him to go mow the lawn and fix the doghouse; I take the kids when we travel to different areas and teach them arts and crafts projects. But overall there is a discernable pattern: moms are industrious and work, dads are fun and they play.

Dad is the guy who takes the kids on piggyback, who pushes the swings, who pulls the cart, who tumbles down the slide with the baby. Yeah, Dads are really good when it comes to playing with the kids!

So I’m cooling my “nag” jets when it comes to what I think are “constructive” activities and what he thinks are “constructive” activities. People are different– moms and dads are different. I think it’s good for kids to be exposed to these differences, because pieced together, it brings wholeness. And a kid is a terrible thing to waste.

ROFL! Look what I found at the Fancy Dress website!

OMG that’s funny. That is one cool costume! LOVE that hair! We don’t “do” Halloween, but my kids love to dress up. They have a huge, huge box full of funny clothes and costumes. I think if I got one of the kids that costume, they’d freak, though. But I’ll bet they’d do a great impersonation, anyway! LOL! Check out the website, there are loads of funny and cute costumes.

… you stay up all night and watch info-mercials…

Heh heh! I actually didn’t find this on TV. I don’t have TV! I saw this months and months ago on the Internet. My sons’ recent obsession with Star Wars Legos made me remember it. This is just TOO funny!!!

Jedi Ginsu Knife Commercial - The most popular videos are a click away

First it’s Nerf, then it’s paintball! I think I may have started something with my sons. Now, they have GOT to be shooting at something! Paintball sounds like a healthy hobby. Well, I need my house siding painted anyway… lol.

Actually, my sons are a little young for paintball yet… but sooner or later they’ll want it. They have already seen those Tippmann A5 guns (they had to wipe their OWN drool off the computer keyboard, thank you very much). There is a paintball arena in our local area, but to be honest, I’d never feel comfortable taking them there. Anything can happen, ya know? Much better to get the gear they want and let ‘em at in the backyard. We could even set up a little target range or something if they don’t want to shoot at each other. But who am I kidding?? They will definitely want to shoot at each other! lol! Boys, boys, boys!

From what I’ve seen, Ultimate Paintball at pntball.com is the place to shop for great deals on paintball equipment. Plus they have free shipping! I’d much rather the kids start out with paintball than with rifles or bows and arrows. What do you think?

Hey, this is NOT a paid post (although I wish it was!). I’m doing this review out of the goodness of my little heart. And because I just love this toy!

It’s tough finding suitable toys for boys these days. Everything seems geared toward electronic gadgets or Legos. My sons have a ton of Legos already, so they spend a lot of time sitting around. I wanted to get something more interactive– with humans involved– for my son’s birthday. My husband and I found this game while scouring the shelves at Toys R Us. We looked at it, then looked at each other.

SOLD for $25! A bit on the pricey side for me, but– hey– it’s the kid’s birthday.

It’s Nerf, so it’s Jimmy Carter-approved (won’t hurt anyone). It comes with two soft-side Velcro vests, two blasters with 6 Nerf darts each, and two “cool cat” sunglasses (for eye protection). The vest belts are hefty– they even fit my 18-year old, 5′9″ daughter (who, by the way, loves this toy, too). My husband was concerned that 6 darts per boy wouldn’t be enough. We’ve lost a few rockets and balls up in our Nerf-eating trees. We considered the additional purchase of a package of replacement darts, 50 in a pack– but they were $10! We figured we’d skip the extra darts; and if the boys lose them, well, they can buy the replacements themselves if so inclined. But it’s nice to know there are backup replacements in case we need any. :D Good planning, Nerf guys.

As soon as my son ripped open the birthday wrapping paper, he flipped when he saw this. Both boys strapped on the vests and tore outside to destroy each other. Heh.

I did wonder if the darts would shoot straight and true. When I had Nerf toys as a kid, the darts flopped around like peeled bananas. Not these! Modern Nerf technology has been applied to make these darts lethal killers.

So the Nerf Dart Tag game gets a thumbs up from this family. It’s a great game to get the kids away from the electronic gadgets, outside in the fresh air, and chasing each other. While mother sips her coffee in peace. Ahhh.