Sometimes you need the window down

Today we had no real plans. A Friday, all ours. And sunshine. It was a beautiful thing.
We packed up our lunches and met our friends down at the park for slides, swings and a picnic. We got sun on our noses and dirt in between out toes. It was awesome. (I would post pics, but our camera is broken...hopefully, I will get some from my friend Shiloah who joined us, because boy were the kids cute!)
Anyway...on the way home, we drove with the music up, our hands clapping and blue skies ahead. It was then I realized...we had the airconditioning on. Makes sense. The car was hot, the kids were hot, and my iced latte was now without ice. But with the airconditioning on...the windows remained up and this seemed wrong. Today was a window down day. Today was a day to expose the rest of the world to the music of my choice and my tone deaf attempt at superstar impressions. Today I was supposed to hold my hands out the windows and teach the boys to do the same. And so I rolled the window down.
"What doing mama?" Gavin asked.
"Rolling down the window, Gav."
"Window? No mama."
"Look, you can put your hand out Gavin." I showed him how to wave your arm up and down in the wind.
"No window, mama."
"Yes, Gavin. Sometimes, you really need to roll down the window. It's for your own good. Today is that kind of day."
"Okay mama."
It made me think, what other modern convienences are hindering my kids life experiences. Water shoes preventing the sand between their toes. Strollers that prevent them from long walks, where you can bend down to find your "special sticks" or "beautiful rocks". I know there are more.
Don't get me wrong. I am all for airconditioning and strollers. I am definately not above convienence. However, I decided today, to make it a priority that my kids don't miss out because of them. I want the sand in their toes, the watermelon dripping down their front, their special sticks drawing in the dirt. I want them to know the feeling of the window down, arm out in the air and their favorite song playing on the radio.
Today was a small step. Gavin will now accept the window down. The arm out the window, he's not so sure about, but for now, maybe that's a good thing!