Just swinging
Little #3 on the swings while Little #2 is playing soccer after school.
Tag: park
Last Park Day of July 2013
This week’s “Tour of Parks” stop took us to the local nature center. Little #1 visited here for a school field trip last year and saw how they make maple syrup.
Here are the three older ones by the frog statue made from trash pulled from the Mississippi River.
They had lots of fun playing in the sand and water.
There was also a huge garden where the kids were encouraged to water the flowers, vegetables and herbs.
The kids asked when we can go back again, so we will definitely be adding today’s stop to our “must return” list.
Tour of parks
We have been joining our friends for a weekly tour of parks this summer. Today we had a lovely lunch outside and played at TWO parks – one on each side of the street. As always, the littles had a blast!
First day of fall
The kids and I stopped at the park on the way home from picking Nolan up from preschool this afternoon. The air was crisp and the sun was shining – it was a beautiful fall afternoon.
Just swinging
We took the kids to the splash pad tonight after swimming lessons. That may sound a little redundant, but really it wasn’t. While Shecklet #1 is a fish in the pool, Shecklet #2 has not enjoyed his lesson experience. We won’t be returning him to the pool (in that setting) for a while.
Anyway…it was extremely hot & humid today, so after we exited the warm junior high pool, we headed for the cool water & “spider web” as Shecklet #1 calls it. (It’s the giant rope climbing structure at the park next to the splash pad.)
While we were there, we gave Shecklet #3 her first opportunity to swing. She loved it!
Climbing high
At another visit to the local splash pad park, Shecklet #1 scaled the rope tower. I was amazed that the little guy was so bold! Really, it probably should surprise me that much. He’s a monkey in the backyard on the swing set too. But this thing is seriously high! And then to top it off, he makes the whole thing move by holding on and bouncing on it!
While we were at the park, we also noticed an amazing sight in the sky – the sun was peeking through the clouds with “fingers” of light streaming through. It was what I picture when I think of God reaching out from heaven. So beautiful!
Play day with friends
We met our friends, at the park this morning. The kids had a blast on the equipment, the super long slide into the woods, and the “adventure” walk we took. The boys all had swords, compliments of one friend, while the other friend and I followed them through the “forest.” Afterward we went back to our house for a pool party. The kids went from the sandbox to the pool and back again until there was a small beach in the bottom of the pool 🙂 They also relaxed on the hammock for a little while. It was a great way to spend a fun summer day.
Sun & Swings
Today was the second day in a row that we were able to get outside. Let’s hear it for the sun! After Shecklet #2 got up from his nap, I loaded the boys into the wagon and headed for the park. I would have taken a few pictures of the two monkeys on the playground equipment had I remembered that the technology I needed was right in my pocket. It wasn’t until I noticed two teenage girls using their camera phones that I realized I actually had a camera with me as well.
Swinging was a tolerable activity this afternoon, (some days it is definitely not!) so we ended our trip with a lesson in how to move our legs out and in to “pump” the swing. Then Shecklet #1 wanted to help push Shecklet #2. Shecklet #2 was a good sport even though he looks a little annoyed in the picture.
Consequences
The thing I dislike the most about being a parent is having to discipline. I hate being the bad guy. I wish someone would invent a fool-proof way to get my kids to listen to what I’ve asked them to do (or not do) and have them follow through.
Today Shecklet #1 was having a overly-whiny afternoon, so I told him he would be taking a nap. No tantrum was thrown when I said it was time to head upstairs (which was positive) but the little guy refused to stay in bed. This tends to happen when he naps, so I’ve been having him sleep in our bed instead of his so at least Shecklet #2 has a chance to get a good nap in. I swear I went back upstairs to check on him a half dozen times. A few times he was just sitting up on our bed, so I had him lay back down. But at one point I walked in to find the lamps on and clean socks, that were previously in the laundry basket, strewn all over the room. Apparently I missed the memo that nap time meant throw the laundry everywhere. At this point, I had to follow through with the consequence for not napping that we had talked about – no afternoon trip to the park. I don’t know who was more disappointed, him or me. It hurt to have to say we weren’t going, especially when he turned on the waterworks, but I knew I had to remain firm. I’m hoping that one of these days, something will click in that little 3-year-old head of his and he’ll understand that his actions have consequences. Until then, we get to keep working on the meaning of cause and effect.