|| old fashioned dirt ||

Liesl just ran in with her first mudpie. It made me laugh because I'm pretty sure I never had an interest in playing with mud. At summer camp when I was a kid, we were REQUIRED to go on a mud hike and I'm pretty sure 80% of the girls hated every second of that afternoon. The part I hated the most was the smell, and now, I wonder where in the world was this mud hike? 

One thing I'm thankful for as a parent is for the old-fashioned, outdoor childhood that my kids are getting. We don't have a ton of toys on purpose. Mostly because the kids are outside so much, they really don't play with toys. 

A Scottish friend and I were talking about how in Scotland, kids are sent to sensory playgroups. Here, they play outside in the dirt. I have to say, initially as a new mom, I was quite squeamish with the idea of Liesl getting purposefully dirty. But today, [progress], I stood and let a calf suck her fingers over and over and over again. [Yuck!] Jules begrudgingly touched the calf's ear -- mirror of my own opinion! haha!

Although, Jules has eaten a fair share of play sand and beach sand. Job well done, son! Way to strengthen that immune system!

The concept of germs isn't entirely new to me. I read an article way before marriage was on the scene about cutting out antibacterial soap. Our bodies need good germs. Living here, our kids need to be exposed to lots of home or farm germs to strengthen their immune systems. Although, Jules could have skipped drinking out of the [dirty] mop water bucket and the toilet, too [I caught him in the act - blech!]

NOW, we are careful when we go out and about. There are obvious sicknesses [meningitis and other scary sicknesses] that they very well could contract. But washing hands with good 'ole soap and water rather than hand sanitizer has carried Leon through a lifetime of living here, and we try to do the same. 

So I'm wondering how you moms in first world countries feel about your kids getting dirty?