This Weekend's Activities

When our big Saturday plans for being productive got derailed due to lounging around, we ended up at Wheaton park. All four of us, including Mariposa. That was the point, to find an activity where she can come with us.

Everyone had a blast, especially those "everyone" who counts, like Ivan and Mariposa. Posa was in 7th heaven because there were so many little and big hands wanting to pet her.

Ivan had a good time too. First, he and I went on the merry-go-round. While waiting our turn, I though that the merry-go-round was going a bit too fast (watching it was making me dizzy), that the ride lasted too long (what if Ivan freaks out and wants to get off?), and that the horses were going to high up. But since we had gone on a merry-go-round at Dutch Wonderland two weekends ago, I figured he'd be fine. Actually, as the ride before us was clearing out and people started leaving through another gate,Ivan rushed for that gate, "ma turn, ma turn."

So I sat him on his horse, and held onto him. The ride was fine. It wasn't as fast as it looked and its length was perfect. Even though Ivan wasn't smiling during the ride, I could tell he was enjoying it. He was very serious and focused on something.

After the carousel, we went on the chu-chu train. He loved it. It was a 10-15 minute ride through the woods, and over a meadow, over a bridge, and in tunnel. He was funny. As some older kid in front of us stuck his hands out of the train, Ivan said "no, no, no touch, no touch." He was concerned because he knew such behavior wasn't allowed.

Then he swung a bit on a swing, before it was time to go home for a (non)-lunch and a nap.

In the evening, I wanted to go for a solitary exercise walk. But he insisted on coming with me. So we strolled to 29 and back, stopping at that new playground, where now we meeting with Sunday Morning Playground Moms. "Ganggound, ganggound," So we stayed and played. Sophia and Bella were there. He kind of played with them but mostly ran around and swung on the swing.

This morning, we went back to the playground. And like he's done for the last month, he refused to get out of his stroller for about 1 hour insisting we go "kuci." Since I refuse to give in, he eventually gets out of the stroller and starts playing.

What broke the ice this morning, where the icecicles that Meg brought. All kids congregated and had some, including Ivan. Then he was ready to play.

The sitting in the stroller insisting on "kuci" behavior has worried me a bit. He always needs a bit of sideline intro time before he jumps in to play, bit this playground stroller behavior is new. I guess he's going through a shy stage. Who knows.

In the afternoon, Andy, he and I went to check out a local outdoor pool--Martin Luther King Jr, of New Hampshire. He had a blast. Andy and he went into the toddler pool where they splashed around. Then Ivan noticed a drinking fountain with a water hose faucet. He was mesmerized. He spent a good half an hour playing with it. Then they went into the big pool, where they say in these inflatable donuts and flew down the "slow river." He had the biggest grin on his face.

For my taste, the pool was way too crowded. There was really nowhere to swim. But no one really goes to do laps at outdoor community pools. They're really for kids to splash around.

For most of the time, I was relegated to sitting in a chair with our stuff. That seemed to be the mommy duty. I was surrounded by other moms doing the same thing. Expect I started wondering whether they're just sitting there guarding the stuff, or are they maybe sitting there because they don't know how to swim. Many of them seemed to be Latino and African immigrants, so it was a possibility that passed my mind, especially for those women who weren't even wearing bathing suits.

I actually didn't mind sitting down because I thought the pool water was too cold anyway.