# Fun for Everyone Children’s Corner Language: en Author: Marian Martin Glenmont, Ohio Original issue: The Heartbeat of the Remnant, Spring 2024 Source pages: 8–9 Read article: Original PDF: Spring\-2024\-Remnant\_for\-the\-web\.pdf [The Heartbeat of the Remnant, Spring 2024]() “Adrianna, what’s the temperature outside?” asked Asher\. He and Adrianna were sitting at the table doing school with their siblings Emily and Kianna\. “Probably about 50\.” Adrianna glanced lazily at the thermometer\. “Hey, it’s 65 degrees\! Mom, may we eat lunch outside?” Mom looked up from the sink\. “If you do a good job with your school until then, you may,” she told them\. “And if you get your school done before lunch, you may play outside for a while this afternoon\.” Asher let out a whoop and started writing fast\. The girls grinned at each other and picked up their pencils\. Everyone worked diligently until lunchtime\. Then Adrianna made sandwiches while Asher put cookies in bags, Emily collected bags of chips, and Kianna ran down to the basement to grab a few apples\. They each packed their lunch in a shopping bag and went out to their picnic spot, a big, flat rock in a clearing in the woods\. They ate quickly, then Adrianna suggested, “Let’s go kayak on the pond\!” “I guess we could,” said Asher slowly\. “But didn’t Mom say that Emily and Kianna are too small to handle the kayaks?” “Oh, yes, I guess she did\. Well, they can play on the swings or something,” she shrugged “I think we should play something everyone can help with,” said Asher\. He turned to Emily and Kianna\. “What do you want to do?” “Let’s make a playhouse\!” suggested Kianna\. “Yes, let’s\!” Emily agreed\. “You could hunt for us,” she told Asher\. “And Adrianna could be the mom\!” said Kianna\. Adrianna stood with a scowl on her face\. Playhouse indeed\! She was way too old for that\! “I’m going kayaking,” she announced\. “You can just have your playhouse\.” She picked up her shopping bag and put her sandwich and cookie bags into it\. She threw her apple core to the dogs and started for the house\. “Adrianna, can you please take ours too?” begged Emily\. “You're going to the house anyway\.” “You can take care of your own stuff,” Adrianna called back, crossly\. She dropped her shopping bag on the counter, hoping to slip out of the house before Mom saw her\. She heard her mom’s voice\. “Wait, Adrianna, what’s wrong? Your face looks like a thunderstorm\!” Adrianna sighed\. She hadn’t been fast enough\. “I wanted to go kayaking, but Asher doesn’t want to,” she grumbled\. “Well,” said Mom slowly, “I think Asher is remembering that the other girls can't handle kayaks yet\. What are they doing?” “They’re building a playhouse\. I'm way too old for that\!” Adrianna burst out\. Mom smiled, “What makes you think that?” “I'm sure none of the girls my age do stuff like that with their little siblings\.” “Are you sure you're not being selfish?” Mom asked\. “Sometimes, we need to give up what we want so that others can be happy\.” Adrianna shrugged and went out to the shed to get a kayak\. She lifted her blue kayak off the rack and hauled it down to the pond\. She snapped the paddle together, hopped into the seat, and pushed the kayak onto the smooth surface of the water\. She sighed with pleasure\. This was way better than building a playhouse in the woods\! She took a few loops around the pond before her paddle began to slow\. Somehow it wasn’t as fun this time\. She heard Asher and the girls laughing and shouting as they played\. Maybe Mom was right, she thought\. Maybe I would be happier if I gave up what I want so that we can all play together\. Slowly she paddled to the edge of the pond\. She stepped out of the kayak, pulled it out of the water, and flipped it over to dry\. Resolutely, she walked out of the pasture to find Asher and the girls\. ![A child paddling a blue kayak on a pond]() “Hey\! Here comes Adrianna\!” called Emily happily as Adrianna walked up\. Adrianna grinned, “It looks like you have your house about set up,” she said encouragingly\. “What do you need to finish it?” “We still need a stove, and something for a countertop,” said Kianna\. “I can help you find something,” Adrianna told them\. Together they hunted in the woods and the shed for boards and logs to finish the house\. When suppertime came and they went in for supper, Adrianna was very happy\. Mom was right, she thought\. It is more fun to give up my way and do what everyone else wants to\. ## Magazine citation - [A child paddling a blue kayak on a pond](): Brimming Focus Photography