Splash Pad

In the late afternoon yesterday, we headed to Brandi Fenton Park. Before getting out of the house, however, Henry discovered another one of Miss R's headbands. Doesn't he look cute in pink flowers? He had fun taking the headband on and off his head.




Brandi Fenton Park is a lovely place to take the kids. We went to the splash pad. Miss R wouldn't approach the fountains or sprinklers on her own. As usual, she wanted me to hold her and threw a huge fit whenever I tried to put her down, including when I had to go back to the car to change her. It can be hard working with her sometimes b/c she clings to me so. I'm hoping, however, that if I keep her close ("wearing the toddler" as an extension of the "wearing the baby" parental approach), she'll become more secure and that will help cultivate some independence. She had a good time when I ran through the sprinklers holding her. I honestly hadn't been planning to get wet during this escapade. Henry seemed to enjoy watching me get wet too.

Henry likes the fountains that shoot up on a timer. At one point, a mom came into the area that Henry was playing with her two children in a wagon. They were about 3 years old or so. I'm guessing that they had spastic diplegia CP b/c although they didn't have control over their legs, they got around by using their arms. There is this one fountain area where there is a pole with four buckets around the top. Water fills up the buckets, and then the buckets tip over. The kids placed themselves just a foot or so from where the splashes took place. Henry joined the 3 year olds and sat down next to the boy. They said "hi" to each other and waited for the bucket to rain down upon them. Henry did really well not getting water dumped directly upon him for several minutes. But then, a bucket splashed right on top of him, and he ran to Jeff and said "Go home! Go home!"

Jeff took him to the car and changed him into some dry clothes. We kept Miss R in her outfit b/c she didn't get that wet. We just added a pair of shorts. Then, we played on the slides. Miss R spent time with Jeff walking up and down onto the platform that contains the equipment. I think that she is getting stronger. Jeff said he thought that she might have jumped once (just a cm off the ground but a jump nonetheless).

On the equipment on which the kids spent the most time, there is a picnic table on the bottom side. Henry sat down at the picnic table. Then, we had the following exchange:

HENRY: Eat!
KATE: Where do you want to eat?
HENRY: At the table.
KATE: Well, we don't have any food with us right now. But we could go to a restaurant.
HENRY: Bring it to the park.

We came home, stopping by "Lovin' Spoonfuls" on the way. Had dinner. Henry liked the mushroom and cashew pate. Both he and Miss R ate some of my Thai rice. They ate French fries. Miss R destroyed some raspberries. Henry ate a couple. Miss R made have ingested a little. She tried a stir fried red pepper and seemed to like it. We watched "Monsters!" (or at least a good part of it). Had a bath. Then to bed.

Today, Jeff leaves for Philly for the "big move" at work. He's going to be working around the clock while there. I'll be trying to keep my head above water here at home. Jeff doesn't return until late Monday night.