MY PARK!!

I took the kids to the park today. I gave Ainsley the option of park or store (she needs a new spring coat). "PARK!!" She demanded.  She was so excited she could barely contain herself when we got out of the van.

She ran as quickly as she could to the playground.  Seriously, it was like grown women and the Victoria Secret's SemiAnnual Sale.  She'd have shanked you to get to that playground.

I booked after her with Xander in tow.  He didn't really seem to care, but Ainsley was ALL about the slides.  She's always greatly enjoyed slides, but at first she was hesitant.  She kept reading forward and asking me to hold her hand to help her down the slide. 

That lasted for all of about five slide trips.  Then it was: SLIDE!!! SLIDE!! I SLIDE!!

Xander didn't get too into the slide.  I put him on it and he slid. He didn't giggle or laugh, but once I put him down on the ground, he discovered The Most Awesome Thing in the World: WOOD CHIPS.

Wood chips are awesome for several reasons.
     1.  There are a million of them.
     2.  They cover DIRT.
     3.  They are deeelicious!

Hold my hand &
tasty woodchips!

Needless to say, I spent most of the time at the park holding Xander to prevent excessive wood chip consumption.  At one point, while Ainsley was slideslidesliding, Xander made a break for it. He crawled completely away from the park at Top Xander Speed, which is quicker than you'd think!

There were a few other kids at the park--we went at around 5pm. Late enough that the "normal" families have to get home for their dinners, but early enough that the hoodlums haven't come to the park to smoke and be surly.

There was a girl Ainsley's age and her bigger sister playing at the park. Miss A had more fun chasing after the big girl--she's still leery of kids her own age.  I'm not too concerned about it; she'll adjust soon enough.

Peekaboo!

Ainsley became super adventurous. The slide had a tube that connected to a larger, spiral slide. Because the bigger sister was in the tube, A followed her. Then she slid down the spiral slide. She wasn't really prepared for the spiral slide and sort of shot down it backwards and sort of upside down. She landed face first in the dirt/wood chips--her glasses fell off her face. It took EVERYTHING in me to not rush to her. She got up and dusted herself off, but couldn't get her glasses back on. So I helped.  It was nice to still be needed a bit. *grin*

She ended up becoming quite skilled at maneuvering the spiral slide. I didn't have to teach her anything...she just knew to hold on to the side to balance herself.  In case there was a doubt, she is a genius.  There are decidedly fewer pictures of Xander because he lived this trip on my hip.

When it was finally time to go, Ainsley protested something wicked.  If you heard a great wailing coming from the Fort Waynian direction? It was Ainsley...lamenting our abandoning her beloved park.

MY PARK!! WANT
MY PARK!!

Do it again!

Then she noticed that I had taken her picture...