Gone Fishin'

Fishing is a mostly male past time that runs in my family. I can't say I really spent a lot of time doing this while growing up, but I certainly had the opportunity.  But my Boyz have taken a different spin on the sport and often fish in our front hallway.  I can always tell when they're sneaking out of the locker room with a duster or a mop in their hand that they're going on a fishing expedition.  Some days I indulge their creativity, other days I don't - it all just depends on my mood.  Sometimes, I've been known to use it as an opportunity to get other things done around the house and I'll coach them and say "You know, fishing requires a lot of patience." or "Maybe they're just not biting right now..." to hold them off for a bit while still maintaining their interest.  Then after a while, they'll feel a tug on the line and when they raise up their "poles" they'll find an oreo or a box of raisins or a piece of gum or some other treat clipped to their "lines." It doesn't take much to capture the creativity of a child. And once you do, usually - they're hooked.