The Em Zone: Summer Days

Here is our park visit from a mom's perspective: We met Xander and his mom at the park this morning. It feels good to have a social arrangement, but we are so busy taking care of our little ones that there is little time for conversation. Our babies are also too little to interact much with each other, so there is very little social aspect to this play date. Before I unstrap Molly from the stroller, I subject her to a slathering of baby sunscreen and the affixing of her shoes. Finally it would seem like she'd get some freedom to explore. We sit in the pebbles that fill the playground area. She is very content for a minute or two to merely let the stones fall between her fingers. You, astute reader, are likely correctly predicting that she quickly grew curious about the taste of the stones. The next several minutes are a wrestling match as I try to pry a pebble from her mouth, empty her tightly clenched fists of stones, and prevent her from grabbing any others. Remarkably, I succeed.
Making feeble conversation with my friend, we climb, babies in tow, a top the multifunction play center. We strategically place our bodies to block any places where the babes could fall. They spend several minutes deciding that they each desire the toy that the other is holding. Amazingly, their inability to share does not result in any anger or tears. A discussion about whether Molly and Xander are able use the slide unaccompanied, but not unassisted, comprised the next few minutes. We come to the conclusion that they probably are able, but the friction of the slide on their bare legs might hurt them. Xander and his mom climb down while Molly and I slide together.
We amble to the baby swings, examine them to make sure the hornet that had been sitting on the swing had not made a nest inside. Molly begins her crinkly-nosed, squinty-eyed breathy laugh as she begins riding the pendulum motion. I enjoy the moment with her briefly, but then run to the diaper bag to obtain my camera and her hat. Amazingly, she doesn't protest about the hat. My second attempt at affixing it works. As expertly as I try to photograph the swing in motion, I fail. I decide that it is more fun to watch her swing and laugh with her than try to capture an adequate photo. So, I spend a few minutes pushing her swing and watching her smile. We quickly get hot as the temperatures soar into the 90s. So, we return to the play structure to enjoy its shade. Molly is looking cute in her hat, so I snap some pictures as she stands and plays. Since we are getting dusty and sweaty, we decide to head home. Next week we'll try something cleaner, like toddler story-time.