Night Games

It's that time of year that I remember so well as a child- when you could escape outdoors right after dinner to play with your friends in that golden hour between dishes and baths. I so remember hurrying hurrying hurrying through the dishes when it was my night- agonizing as my mom took her time washing- seeing my brothers slip on their light spring jackets and head out the sliding glass door. As soon as I was done with the last dish I would follow them. And out back I would find the neighborhood collected- everyone in grade school anyway. We would split into teams and do a quick horsengoggle (how do you spell that?) to see which team got to quickly fade into the fields that abutted our neighborhood and hide. The other team was IT and we had to count and then go find them....We called the game ditch and it was a marvelous combination of hide and seek and tag and mayhem. For years now I have agonized just a little because it didn't seem like my boys would have those same memories...occasionally we will have a bunch of friends gathered somewhere and the kids will play an awesome night game- all of them thrilled to the bone to be running around in the glowering dark. But it's not regular- there didn't seem to be any crowd in the neighborhood who would play day in and day out. But now it's happened. There are enough kids who can be let outdoors on their own and trusted not to run pellmell into the street. Eli's the oldest, but that suits him fine. He likes taking care of little ones. Theo is right in the middle of the pack and seems to shine there- sometimes trying desperately to keep up, other times helping to guide a little guy. It's quickly become the habbit that as dinner is wrapping up I notice their eyes sneaking peaks outside- their ears are perked up for the sound of kids laughing. And then they are gone. Shoes on and out the door- thrilled to play their version of ditch. There are no fields to run in here in St. Paul, and their territory is only a couple houses' front and back yards before they run into fences- but it is a whole new world to them and they are loving it. What's not to love about running around in the evening, hefting a nerf weapon, playing night games? Of course, since it is Minnesota- soon night will not really set in until well after their bedtime, but that doesn't matter right now- that lovely aspect of these games will come again in the fall. For now they will take that golden hour and run with it- returning to the house relunctantly when called (my mom had a bell she would ring and everyone knew the Sages had to go) eyes bright, fingers chilled, hearts beating strong.