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Puddle Jumping

KP KP

Published Jul 28, 2004

Modified Mar 6, 2008

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Published Jul 28, 2004

Modified Mar 6, 2008

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Puddle Jumper

All this rain has us a little giddy. Gothamist was driving last night (don't ask) and commented to our friend Leah how much we liked splashing through puddles even though it wasn't great for the car . No sooner had we done so when our car decided to tell us that was not okay. And left us stalled on the side of the road for over an hour. Served us right probably. It got us thinking that even when the rains fall and it may seem dreary out, it's easy to find the happy side to it all. Puddle jumping was one of our favorite things to do as a kid, most kids love it. You jump up with all of your might and land as perfectly as possible, both feet flat, in the best puddle you can find... sploosh! You get wet sure, but watching the aquatic explosion disperse around you is what it's all about. We recently re-engaged in the activity as an "adult" and were pleasantly surprised that friends were not appalled, but instead joined in the fun.

So with all this rain, there are now a number of puddles throughout this great city to explore. We say take advantage of these small collections of childhood distraction and puddle jump at least once today. You will find it fun and wonderfully rejuvenating. Just make sure if you splash someone, they are willing to play along. If they roll their eyes or get annoyed, you can just know that you are the one who's young at heart, and they are just a crabby old person who doesn't know how to have fun anymore.

We just found this poem that seemed to fit perfectly with today's weather from Richland Avenue Elementary School in West, L.A.

Dot a dot dot dot a dot dot Spotting the windowpane.

Spack a spack speck flick a flack fleck
Freckling the windowpane.

A spatter a scatter a wet cat a clatter
A splatter a rumble outside.

Umbrella umbrella umbrella umbrella
Bumbershoot barrel of rain.

Slosh a galosh slosh a galosh
Slither and slather a glide

A puddle a jump a puddle a jump
A puddle a jump puddle splosh

A juddle a pump a luddle a dump
A pudmuddle jump in and slide!
Eve Merriam

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