Just want to say that after remembering how I played as a kid and observing what kids do today I pulled the plug on my cable TV because my kids were possesed by it. They get enough of that garbage elsewhere, so I figure three or four days here every week they can just operate on “kid power”. It works. After the initial shock of “whatawegonnado!?” they now play ball, chase each other around, made a club house, a tree house, push each other around in a genuine 2X4-milk crate-baby carrage wheeled speed car, swing on ropes, beat the %#$ out of each other, play man-hunt, roller blade, throw the football, play basketball, ride bikes, catch with the “pinky” and more. It did’nt just happen!!! I found that todays kids have lost the art of being a kid. They had no real “kid skills” until I showed them. But I only had to show them “once” Then they just took off and showed other kids. They think for themselves now instead of having the video games set the rules. The best was when they were playing some pathetic type of war game and I said “Hey you pack of lameos thats not how you do it”. So I got a copy of “To Hell and Back” with Audie Murphy and the “Sands of Iwo Jima” with John Wayne and made em watch it. Afterwards I said “that’s how you do army and that’s why you do it – in the service of freedom and your fellow man. First questions were “did that really happen” and “was grampa one of those guys saving people?” Now army is one of their favorite games – yeah their kids – (7 & 10) playing “war” a killing game. But it beats that senseless killing stuff on todays TV and video games. In thier minds their liberating the neighborhood. They use beanbags, and pinkey balls to get the “bad guys” (rocks are against the Geneva Convention) The little guy is getting real good. I looked out the window one day to see him in his camo pajamas, helmet, ammo belt, etc, drop 8 feet out of a tree on top of his big brother and friends who were looking for him. An older couple in the neighborhood was passing by and were surprised and said “who do you think you are jumping out of that tree like that” He said “I’m Audie Murphy and these Nazi dogs are my prisoners” The old gentlman (a WWII veteran) said “well then..in that case, carry on soldier”

It doesn’t get better any than that.

One last thing – a kids favorite play thing is a parent, if only to get em started.