How old?

For as long as I can remember, people have thought I'm much older than I actually am.  I'm not sure why - maybe my darker complexion and height give the illusion of maturity.

Example:
When I was in seventh grade I went with my sister and mom to Oklahoma State University's registration day.  My sister, Andrea, was planning on enrolling in the music program there.  When we walked around a foyer filled with booths, information desks, and employees, I was asked numerous times what degree I was going to get.

Example:
When I was fourteen, I went with my sister, Deanna, to a huge bridal show at the Marland Mansion in Ponca City.  Again, there were many booths set up with information on rings, photography, cakes, catering, attire, etc.  I was asked over and over again when I was getting married.

Example:
I went to India when I was fifteen (I turned 16 on the trip) with my sister and brother-in-law.  One day we took a train to Agra to tour the Taj Mahal.  As we were reveling in its beauty and taking photos of each other, an Indian family approached us.  They asked to take photos with us, and we obliged.  I remember feeling a little creeped out by the way one of the older men was posing with me. I later learned via my sister that one of the ladies was interested in setting me up with a marriage to her older brother (the one posing with me).  He was about 40 and can be seen standing beside/behind me in the following picture.  Of course, in India, I guess age hasn't traditionally been taken into account. . .

All that to say, a few weeks ago I'd been hanging out with some fellow staffers at camp, Ryan (16) and Chelsea (19) while waiting for my ropes course group to arrive.  After they got there, I walked over to meet them and a 14ish year-old promptly asked me if those were my two kids that I just left.

Are you serious?!  I know I look older than I am, but do I seriously look 40?!

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On the opposite extreme, the director's 5 year-old daughter asked me if Jesse was my da-da (dad).  That's reassuring, as people usually think me a cradle robber.

a bug on a leash!

A few weeks ago a boy at camp caught a flying beetle and gently tied a string around its neck.  After attaching the other end to a stick it was "3, 2, 1 launch!"  The bug was tossed into the air where it began to fly in circles around its new master.

Pet beetles?  They're going to be the new pet rock.

The only thing I did that was remotely close to that was to make a leash for my bunny with yarn. Unfortunately, I'd accidentally tied it in a slip knot and almost asphyxiated my own pet. It was a traumatic experience for both of us.

When I was a kid, I didn't do anything particularly creative. Definitely not as creative has having a Kite Bug, anyway.  My sister and I once sat on our front porch and chopped Rolly Pollies in half with our scissors (in fact, I think I may still have those scissors)  There were hundreds of them before we started our genocide.

Another time, my sisters and I set up boxing ring in our front yard.  We got some chairs and then connected them with yarn to make a square ring.  Unfortunately, our days as boxers were cut short after my mom investigated the ruckus.

Dragging each other down the stairs on sheets and blankets was also a common occurrence, despite the carpet burns and bruises we'd get.

When we lived in Oklahoma, we had an old shed in our pasture.  We collected artifacts (pieces of glass, old jewelry, coins, etc) and bones that we found and arranged them in there.  We called it our "museum" and opened it up for business.  We even had a log swing inside. Our customers were charged 5 cents to ride on it (or they would have been, if our mom hadn't discovered our fees sign).

In our tall weeds along the fence, we built a "house" by smashing down the grass.  We could play there for hours. There were plenty of rooms for everyone, connected by "hallways." We even built a loo so we wouldn't be inconvenienced. We had our own snack machine too, thanks to the large mulberry tree the grew above our "house."

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What kind of things did you play as a child?