polka dot suitcase

There really was a polka dot suitcase.

It was blue with big white polka dots. I was in third grade, and I was a funky little kid. I’d see something pretty normal — a puddle or a doorway — and before you could say Rorschach, my imagination would run wild and I’d come up with loads of weird connections and  stories and ideas that spread faster than mold on last week’s loaf of bread. Naturally, I wanted to write all this down to keep track of everything, and where else do you put inspiration but in a suitcase?

The suitcase was originally meant to hold Barbie stuff, but…well, I’m definitely not much of a Barbie kind of gal now, and I really wasn’t then. Barbie, with her itty-bitty shoes (and her…uh…not so itty-bitty chest), were dumped into the closet. And into the suitcase went all my flights of fancy.

I lugged that polka dot suitcase to school every day (woefully, because I never played with Barbie, I never learned fashion sense either).  And my wonderful teacher, Mrs. Bull, made a special desk for me overflowing with story prompts and idea-sparking pictures. I’d sit at that desk, open up my suitcase, pull out an idea or nugget of inspiration, and start writing.

My polka dot suitcase took me places filled with adventures and dreams and things like Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat trying to coerce Darth Vader into eating green eggs and ham.  Who needed a real passport when I had that funky suitcase that could take me anywhere? So now, ahem years later, I’m ready to dive into my suitcase again to see what funky stuff I can share with you.

Why?

Here’s why: I was brought up with a strong spirit of fun. Yeah, we didn’t have a lot of money. But my parents gave us an amazing gift: The ability to be creative, have fun, and be resilient. And now, as a parent, I’ve found I’m doing the same stuff with my kids. Okay, so now that they’re getting older (I’ve got a middle schooler! Wow!), there’s some eye rolling going on when I skid across the kitchen floor with my socks, pretending I’m Mighty Mouse (“Here I come to save the day!”). And maybe they’re not as thrilled by the apple carousels that used to delight them when they were tots. But parenting isn’t all about finger-wagging and doling out serious discipline. It’s also about FUN.

That’s why.

Oh, you won’t find anything earth-shattering, probably. What will you find? Stuff that’s just simple, goofy fun. Tricks you can do to dazzle your kids. Quick crafts to make a rainy day more fun. Maybe you’ll get an idea on how to help your elementary student learn his multiplication tables. Or maybe you’ll see products you want to get to play with, or a destination that tickles your fancy. Hopefully, you can pull something out of the polka dot suitcase that sparks some flights of fancy of your own.

The polka dot suitcase is for you if:

• You’re a fun-loving parent who’s got a wee bit of geek at heart.
• You stumble upon little, everyday things that catch your attention and you think they’re, like, so cool.
• You were called “eclectic” when you were younger…and may now be called “eccentric.” But you embrace it anyway.
• Your adult side frets about this gloomy economy, but your child side craves some fun.
• You want to have a blast in these oh-so-fast years as a parent with kids under your roof.

If you’re ready, grab the suitcase and let’s see what’s out there.