When you start thinking about things that your children did back when they were growing up, there are a zillion stories to tell.

Jonathan was born nine years after the other three.  As a result, I was a relaxed Mom.  I knew all the stages we were going to go through, and that none of them lasted very long.  Like when your kids wanted to make a "cave"?  There were a million ways to do it.  I had a refrigerator crate in my back yard when I was growing up.  Some of my kids set up card tables and covered and them with quilts.  One of my kids backed my two love seats together and covered them with sheets.

But Jonathan decided he wanted a real cave.  So he, and ten of his friends (they were probably around nine or ten at the time) all got shovels, and every afternoon after school they set to digging in our back yard.   Every day the hole got deeper and deeper.  And the pile of dirt surrounding it got higher and higher.  It kept them busy for weeks.

People would pass by and ask if I knew there were kids in my back yard digging up my lawn.  I guess they thought I hadn't noticed!!   Even my friends would ask why I was allowing such destruction and why didn't I stop it.

It was just dirt!!  And after a few weeks, the boys all lost interest and set out on a new project.  And I had the hole filled up.  No big deal.  They had a blast, and I knew where they were every day after school.  I could watch their progress out the kitchen window.

People get upset about the strangest things.  I guess we are all different.  But I find it strange that it bothered people that I was letting Jon and his friends dig a hole in the lawn.  Getting it filled back in and getting new sod was cheaper than a box of Legos.  And now, thirty years later, when Jon and his friends get together, they still talk about the cave they dug.  It's a fun memory they have.