Mud Play

I must have mentioned upteen number of times that I had a huge open space in the house where I lived in my younger days. It offered immense potential for mud play, running around, playing- so much so that at one time, 7 sets of us were casual playing badminton - and that was just one side of the house.

We used to spend the entire winter morning & afternoon in the garden - studying, reading, eating oranges or playing in the mud, making mud houses, shapes, collecting pebbles, leaves, flowers.

Off course summer holidays meant collecting fallen mangoes!

We would plant methi, pudina etc if the gardening bug bit us and spend ages sitting at the ground floor verandah if it was too hot to be outdoor.

I carried this childhood imagery of a home as I grow older and one conference, I spelled out my passion - I want a house with a garden.

In a matter of days, we booked this home with a tiny garden space on both sides of the living room. It is tiny still it is something with mud. And offcourse the complex had huge open space. Close but but quite I wanted - next time I need to be a bit more specific in terms of size and quantum of direct sunlight - good-enough-to-grow-rose- marigold-jasmine, I want daily to reach my garden.

Anyway, I am glad that I bought this apartment because if nothing else, it replicates closely what I had when I was growing up.

The kids spend the entire weekend outdoor- playing with mud, leaves, flowers (wish they don't pluck the flowers though), looking at butterflies, watching lizards & chameleons, cycling & tricycling, trying to play badminton

And the best part is- so much of mud play has solved their pincer grip issues- without my really doing anything.

Now, cannot resist adding this- if someone from Illionis is searching for pincer grip activities and lands up at this page- I give them one more reason to crib about