The other day I came home to find a swimming pool inflated in my kitchen.
I had been writing at the library and my mom was watching Peeper. When I got back, my munchkin was splashing in a kiddie pool indoors. She was loving it, of course.
I would never have thought to blow up the pool inside and let Peeper go at it, but that’s just what Grandma did—and continues to do. She’s set up the pool a few other times and even bought one for her house for when Peeper visits the grandparents.
I want our home to be a place where spontaneity is the rule, where an unexpected adventure can crop up on the most mundane afternoon, where fun trumps conventionality. The environment can have unintended benefits too. My kitchen floor, for example, has never been cleaner.