It is officially done! The playground is open for business. Now they just have to finish resurfacing the tennis court and basketball court, and then the entire park will feel like new. We are all pretty darn excited!
Mason on her first ride down the new slide.
Cooper loved playing peekaboo in the "jeep" inspired section.
Mason and Cooper test their balance.
Even Mommy got in on the action.
I think we’re going to have lots of fun at this new playground! Time to start scheduling some playdates.
My daughter is on a major Star Wars kick right now.
My son seems to ALWAYS pick HSM3 out of the movie basket.
I should not be surprised that Mason was all too eager to give Chase kisses over the weekend. Granted, it was the parents asking for the first kiss, but after the first one, they were all about it! (Ok kid, keep your lips off my daughter!) I was the one in third grade chasing my crush, Chad (or maybe it was Philip… ok, it was both) all over the playground trying to kiss him. So I guess the apple does not fall far from the tree.
What’s great about Mason and Chase is that they so easily pick up right where they left off. The two have been best buds since utero. Chase’s mom and I walked together, vacationed together, complained together and ate together during our pregnancies with these two. When they were born, they just had to be best friends. I stayed home with both Mason and Chase a few days a week for 6 months… Needless to say, they formed a connection.
And it seems this connection cannot be broken. Although Chase moved about 30 minutes up I-270 from us, when the two of them get together, it’s like they are still neighbors. It’s pretty darn cute. I hope for their sakes that this connection is there forever. While I’m not picking out their china pattern just yet (although the arranged marriage has been discussed), I just hope they form a friendship that will last over the years despite their distance. Everyone needs one of those friends who you can say you’ve known since before you can remember.
Well, we have determined what is what at the park. Pretty darn exciting, I must say. Spinning stools, stepping pads, rocking animals (all technical names, of course!)
The older kids playground is definitely bigger and grander, and it seems there might be space for even more than what is already there.
Mason gives the park 2 thumbs up
Looks like all that is left is securing the footings and adding back dirt and mulch. We were originally told it would take two weeks from start to finish, but I’m guessing it will be a little longer than that. Our family hope is for the beginning of August. Oh wait, that’s only a week away! Where does the time go?
Stepping stools and rocking animals
Hoping that the next park post will be the final one showcasing the kids happily playing on their new playgrounds!
I LOVE the Maryland Zoo. I feel bad – almost like we were cheating on the National Zoo today – but the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is just so different (and dare I say better?)
Granted, it was a beautiful day so that makes anything better. But we all had such a memorable time. This was my second trip to that zoo. First great impression was that as FONZ members we got in free, which definitely helps spirits these days.
After our tram ride to the far side of the zoo, we went straight to the giraffes. Since they are no longer at the National Zoo, this is quite a treat.
What amazing animals!
There is the option to feed them, but Mason was a bit too scared. I hope she gets over it soon because I think it would be awesome to get even closer to them.
After giraffes, we went to see the elephants. Baby Samson is getting bigger, but not as big as I expected. Camel rides are available by the elephants, but again, Mason is too scared right now. Another thing I hope she grows out of. I don’t see any trips to Egypt in our future, so this would be a pretty cool experience right in our own backyard!
"Mon-nee" Cooper loved the chimps.
As we walked through the rest of the zoo (about 7,000 steps according to Papa’s pedometer), we enjoyed seeing so many animals and creatures up close. It is a very different experience than the National Zoo. While it is not as nice and clean as the National Zoo, it is much more shady and up-close. We didn’t have to strain our eyes to see animals way up in the hills or fight crowds to see through small glass windows. (I’m sure many people could say that this is because the habitats for the animals are not as natural as they should be, but I’m going to just stick with the visitor experience right now.)
The Children’s Zoo was also a big hit. A Marsh, Meadow, Farm… Nests big enough to sit in!
My cute baby birds!
After a couple of hours and a carousel ride, we had seen almost all of it and enjoyed a pretty decent lunch of pizza and chicken tenders. (Oh, and of course, ice cream) The kids were definitely tuckered out, and so was I! We can’t wait for another trip up to the Maryland Zoo.
The park is making progress. Actual equipment is up, and we can start to see the “vision.” We have been told there will be a play structure for younger children and one for bigger children. Can’t quite tell which is which now, though.
One structure is up, but holes for more!
Since many of my clothes are in the laundry, today I put on the skirt I wore to my rehearsal dinner, and it made me think of 2 things.
1. If I’ve had this skirt for 6 years, it might be time to update my wardrobe.
and….
2. I absolutely loved my wedding.
Now I need to find the "poem" we wrote for everyone! (& probably retire the denim jacket too)
Honestly, it was one of the greatest weekends of my life. Everything worked out just as it should have, and I was ecstatic to finally be Jeremy’s wife.
I remember not being stressed at all. I believe many people were stressed around me, but they expertly kept it away from me. Despite torrential downpours the night of the rehearsal dinner, we all had a wonderful time in the Boordy Vineyards barn eating, drinking, and being merry amongst friends and family. The day of the wedding, things just seemed to work out perfectly. The rain stopped, the clouds parted, and a calming breeze blew through the trees right as I walked down the aisle with my mom by my side and a bagpiper leading us. It was magical. I will forever remember every tiny detail of that weekend.
I wish I could say that construction was beginning at our house. Perhaps in our backyard or in our basement… But alas, it is not our construction. Our neighborhood park is finally getting the upgrade we’ve been waiting on for over a year! We were first promised a new park last summer. Plans were finally started last fall. Then in the spring, right as the weather got nice, they fenced up the playground equipment because they had deemed it unsafe. (hence the promise of a new one) Last we heard, the new timeline was October, so imagine our surprise when we saw progress last night. There is hope that we just might get to enjoy this playground once or twice before the winter. Excuse my enthusiasm… Parks are the kind of thing we get excited about at the Lake house.
The old playground equipment is gone for good.
Watching the digger move dirt around became the neighborhood entertainment.
The new swings will stay, but Mason enjoyed seeing their current state.
I imagine we will be checking in on the park almost daily since it is great entertainment. Please forgive my slew of posts about the playground construction if this is not your cup of tea. But if I’m looking for good in every day, it’s easy to find it in our excitement about a new playground!
I’m on a “Mason high” this morning. I’m proud, I’m dumbfounded, I’m excited, I’m in love.
I feel like Mason “grew up” over the weekend. She has been awing Jeremy and I with her attitude, her conversation, and her poise. I’m not going to say we’re out of the “Terrible Three’s” just yet (I wouldn’t want to jinx anything), but this weekend was a nice glimpse into our future (minus her little brother who cannot seem to catch a break in his mind, which results in horrible tantrums).
Some examples:
At a birthday party with a combination of 4-year-olds and 6-year-olds, Mason only needed about 10 minutes to warm up to her environment and venture out on her own. This is a big deal for her as she is usually hanging onto our legs for a good half hour before letting us coax her into the crowd by saying we’ll be right by her side.
Mason transitioned into an official booster seat in the car this weekend as well. She looks so grown up using the real seatbelt and was a major help to Cooper since she has more range of motion now. She loves her new seat and is so proud of herself.
Then this morning… Picture this. After being told she cannot wear her Crocs or Ariel sandals for the day, she agrees to wear her pink sneakers. Then she’s told that sneakers don’t really go with her dresses, so she’ll have to wear shorts. (I honestly thought I was going to get a meltdown since she wears dresses and sandals daily, but she just replied, “Ok, Mommy.”) She gets dressed in the cutest white shorts, pink shirt, and pink sneakers. Adorable. But I had to layer more on there by asking if I could put her hair up. (Again, expecting a no, I got a “Sure.” Is this really my daughter?) I do up her hair in pigtails, and she is super excited. She grabs her new lunchbox, puts it over her shoulder like a purse and is ready to go. Oops, we need to make her bed (can’t forget that now, can we?). “I’ll just put my bag right here so I don’t forget it, Mommy.” Then out to the car where she gets into her new booster seat. As we walk up to school, I just am in awe. My daughter – happy in shorts, sneakers, and pigtails; excited about school; with her lunchbox over her shoulder. I will never forget that image. And I had the biggest smile on my face because I could not have been more proud of her at that moment.
I love this girl so much. I know I say that a lot, but it’s true. She inspires me everyday. She puts a smile on my face everyday. And she evokes my pride in her everyday. Basically, she rocks my world.
This is a totally random post, but I need some help. I might be divulging too much here, but I’m hoping I’m not the only one in this situation.
Our house does not have “that smell.” You know that smell that always lets you know you’re home? The smell your best friend’s house had when you were younger… The smell that comforts you… The smell that evokes so many good memories… That smell. We don’t have that smell.
I went home today during lunch and was greeted by an unpleasant smell in our house. I didn’t have time to research it, but I know in reality, it is just the basic unpleasantness of a family of four in an old house. Maybe it’s because Cooper’s diaper pail is in his room on the first floor instead of hidden in an upstairs bedroom like houses of my childhood. Maybe it’s because our one and only bathroom is right there smack dab in the middle of the first floor. Maybe it’s the sink full of dirty dishes because we played volleyball downtown last night and had no time to wash the kids’ stuff from school. Maybe it’s the mildew smell from the basement that never seems to go away these days.
No matter how you slice it, though, our house just never has that “welcome home” smell that is so pleasant and inviting. So I pose the question to you… What smells do you remember from your childhood that were comforting? And how can we get “that smell” into our home? Is it a lost cause until Cooper is out of diapers? Do I raid Yankee Candle this weekend? Your help is much appreciated.
Find Good In Every Day 