Not really :-). Just getting a well needed facelift. When I first started the blog, I knew that the format was only going to satisfy me for a short time. I didn’t like the fact that the older format only had a fixed header, and just some of the text and layout was a bit cramped for me. So I had a flash of inspiration today and decided to make changes. I started working on the new layout, and then, it was all about the header. Now to answer the obvious question, yes – that is me in the Frontier Village stocks :-).
Originally, I was going with a cute pic of Josh when he was young, but I was in a bit of a quandary: Would people assume that it was me? Would it be fair to the rest of my kids? And, would that pic really capture the essence of what the site was about? After all, the site isn’t about children… it’s about kid stuph… What is kid stuph anyway?
That is a complex question to answer, but I think I can summarize it this way. The mind of a child is open, willing to learn, willing to try, capable of enormous amounts of love and has no pretense about giving that love. To a kid, things just make sense. Play time isn’t scheduled – it just is. Friends are friends forever, even after a fight. Forgiveness is a given. Questions are asked without the thought of offending. This is kid stuph…
Kids have to learn who to hate, what groups are better than others, who to shun and how to act better than others. Seems that when we teach kids this way, we forfeit the very wisdom that they naturally have. I teach and train people to run more efficiently, and one of things I do is point out how many very young children do it naturally. We develop bad habits as we grow, and in many cases, have to go back to what we originally were, as kids, to do it right. This is kid stuph…
Belief is kid stuph. Kids believe in God, Santa, Easter Bunny, monsters under the bed, super heroes, loving parents, a good world, and G.I. Joe with a Kung Fu grip. Kids believe they can do and be anything, and that’s just how it is supposed to be. Kids believe that they are right, but that you can be different, and that’s ok. Kids are curious enough about your differences, but not enough to lose you over it.
I think you get the idea. Kid Stuph is about shedding the trappings that keep us bound in a form of adulthood, and learning to embrace simple truths that are truly freeing. Love. Life. Wisdom.
I must give thanks to Estrella Azul, for adding her unique expertise to the banner, doing what I could not. I had just written about doing stuph together, and here it is, exemplified. This, my friends, is Kid Stuph 🙂
Love the new look!! And I’m looking forward to more wisdom from a grown up kid!
thanks Julia! 🙂
What you wrote here is exactly what I also love about kids – they’re just amazing, simple, and can teach adults so much more than anything or any other adult truly could.
Watching kids play (and playing with them, etc.) makes me so happy every single time, because I’m reminded of all these things I grew out of, got forced out of while growing up and I realize how sad that is.
I think that’s why I try and do my best to live in the present (the hardest) and look at the world as much as I can from a kid’s perspective. I don’t succeed half the time, but when I do – it’s the best 🙂
Thank you so much for the reminder, my friend! *hugs* & *kisses*
And you’re very welcome for the header, you chose a great picture so I only enhanced what was already there. It was my pleasure! 🙂
I hear you in this Estrella. I grew up way too fast, and missed out on some of my growing, or at least it seems that way. I too love watching kids play and playing with them.
And you make it sound so easy. “…enhanced what was already there”. You have a very creative eye, and I appreciate it 🙂
That’s exactly what is so wonderful about doing things we love, we can make it seem so easy.
And now you’re just making me *blush* Thank you, it’s always nice to be appreciated, people tend to forget this.
This morning I passed a park and noticed little kids playing and running around while their parents and grandparents cautioned them “Don’t run, honey!”, “Slow down!”, “Be careful.”, “You’ll hurt yourself, take it easy.” – it instantly made me think of this post. And it makes me think of how much of our fears is taught and assimilated instead of truly felt. (this thought might develop into a blog post)
Parents can be so funny. They forget that they survived childhood 🙂
I love how this came to mind when you were watching the kids 🙂 *hugs*
Love this post, K. Especially this: Kid Stuph is about shedding the trappings that keep us bound in a form of adulthood.
Thanks J 🙂