Castles In The Sky

I saw this quote earlier today and I loved it:

"There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds." ~ G.K. Chesterton

It's imagination - it has no limits except for those imposed by our own limited minds.   It is not reality, it doesn't have to follow any rules of logic, it just has to be thought to be so - this is the wonder of imagination.

My boys, like most children, have wonderful imaginations and I enjoy just sitting back and unobtrusively observing this imagination at play.   (Today they are elephant keepers.  Justin does the groceries while carrying around "an angry robot" and Kaleb is looking after a baby who apparently keeps pooping on him.)

Earlier, their elephants were hungry so they (the boys) climbed on the arm of the couch, elephants in hand, searching through the leaves of the dwarf umbrella tree plant I keep on the fireplace to see if they could find food.   Apparently there are snakes and lizards living in this jungle of a plant...  I thought I just housed dust bunnies.

A few moments later, I hear the hushed "Don't tell Mommy" followed by a quick furtive glance in my direction.   (Don't they realise Mommy's hearing rapidly improves upon that statement?)  "Uh, don't tell Mommy what, Kaleb?"   "This elephant was hungry but he was tired so he couldn't walk to get food.  I got him some leaves. Sorry".   This is true... there are now tiny crumpled leaves all over my carpet.  I'm glad I haven't vacuumed yet!

Other times, our home has been invaded by pirates (who apparently own green markers and like to draw on walls.)   We're also frequently visited by aliens who have this undeniably strange appetite for stuffed animals.   Diesel, our puppy, is a dangerous tiger, who lies in wait, ready to attack.  (I'm guessing this is due to his brindle 'striped' appearance)  "Shhh...don't wake up the tiger.  He'll eat us!"  

Their most favourite game of make believe is all about molten streams of lava and erupting volcanoes (also known as "ercanoes".)  They're very careful about the hot lava, jumping from couch to chair and building pathways out of books, traveling in special lava-proof boats or donning lava-proof shoes.  This hot lava prevents them from walking to the table at dinner time:  "The hot lava will get me";  putting on their coats and boots:  "I can't walk in the hot lava.";  playing safely at the park:  "Ahhhhhhhhhh....I'm falling in hot lava!"

Oh the wonders of the imagination.  The freedom, the possibilities, the transportation from reality to make-believe.   Let it soar!

Comments

  1. While reading this I imagined that I was right there where their creative imaginations were, observing them as you said unobtrusively while at play! You and your siblings were that way!

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