Successful outing!
I just had to report that we had an amazing morning today. Our playgroup is trying to get together a little more frequently before the summer is over because we all feel like we're not getting to do all the things we had hoped we would do with our kids before the weather gets bad and things shut down for the season. So, today I setup an outing to go to City Park. The plan was to meet up and feed the ducks at the lake, go for a ride on the mini railroad train and then play at the park. I had never done this with Anya before, but had really wanted to, so I was happy for the chance. It turned out that only one other mom and her two boys could join us, but that was probably better for Anya's sake. She just gets really overwhelmed lately and the kid her age who came is really sweet and gentle and kind of keeps to himself, too, so it made for a very good combination.
We began talking about our outing yesterday, something which usually always helps Anya be more prepared for when we actually get somewhere. By this morning, she was pretty excited to go feed the ducks and ride the train. Before we left she was pretending to throw bread and then pretended to be a duck and gobble it up. When we talked about the train she asked if Kim would be on it, too. This confused me at first, but then I realized that last time we talked about riding a train was when we were on the Denver airport train shuttle earlier this month when we flew home with Kim, so that was her association. I explained that this train was different, but that she would probably just have to see it to understand.
We got to the lake and Anya was a tad bit apprehensive at first, but then she really got into feeding the ducks and had a blast. She kept saying, "They are waiting for me! The ducks are waiting for me to feed them!" When Markus, the other little boy, arrived, Anya was so sweet and asked me if he could feed the ducks too. I told her yes and she carefully broke off part of her bread and gave him some to throw. It was really adorable watching the two of them. They could only throw the bread about a foot into the water, so the ducks were all really close.
Once our bread ran out, we headed over to the train. Anya again looked a little unsure as we approached the train, but she had fun getting her ticket punched, picking out a seat and riding the train around the track three times. Evan and I sat with her in the seat and as usual, it was hard to tell by Anya's reaction if she was having a good time, but at the end she said it was fun and agreed that she would like to do it again sometime. She also really liked her ticket and wouldn't let go of it for a long time.
Then we went to the playground. This was where Anya really surprised me. She had a blast! She was climbing and running and talking and having an amazing time. She was doing things on her own and didn't need me to help her or be inches from her at all times. I was shocked at how many things she tried without any suggestions. And the hugest surprise was that she went down the slide for the first time this whole season. The only thing she didn't want to do was go on the swings. It is amazing how such a change in her behavior put me in such a good mood. She was like a totally different kid and it made me so happy to see that it almost made me cry!
Evan was great through the whole experience, too. He hung out in the stroller for the duck feeding, happily sat on my lap for the train ride, and dozed in the sling at the playground, so he was quite cooperative.
Overall, it was the most fun I have had by myself with the two of them together so far, so it gives me a lot of hope for the future. I know every morning can't be this fun, but it sure makes me want to try harder.
We began talking about our outing yesterday, something which usually always helps Anya be more prepared for when we actually get somewhere. By this morning, she was pretty excited to go feed the ducks and ride the train. Before we left she was pretending to throw bread and then pretended to be a duck and gobble it up. When we talked about the train she asked if Kim would be on it, too. This confused me at first, but then I realized that last time we talked about riding a train was when we were on the Denver airport train shuttle earlier this month when we flew home with Kim, so that was her association. I explained that this train was different, but that she would probably just have to see it to understand.
We got to the lake and Anya was a tad bit apprehensive at first, but then she really got into feeding the ducks and had a blast. She kept saying, "They are waiting for me! The ducks are waiting for me to feed them!" When Markus, the other little boy, arrived, Anya was so sweet and asked me if he could feed the ducks too. I told her yes and she carefully broke off part of her bread and gave him some to throw. It was really adorable watching the two of them. They could only throw the bread about a foot into the water, so the ducks were all really close.
Once our bread ran out, we headed over to the train. Anya again looked a little unsure as we approached the train, but she had fun getting her ticket punched, picking out a seat and riding the train around the track three times. Evan and I sat with her in the seat and as usual, it was hard to tell by Anya's reaction if she was having a good time, but at the end she said it was fun and agreed that she would like to do it again sometime. She also really liked her ticket and wouldn't let go of it for a long time.
Then we went to the playground. This was where Anya really surprised me. She had a blast! She was climbing and running and talking and having an amazing time. She was doing things on her own and didn't need me to help her or be inches from her at all times. I was shocked at how many things she tried without any suggestions. And the hugest surprise was that she went down the slide for the first time this whole season. The only thing she didn't want to do was go on the swings. It is amazing how such a change in her behavior put me in such a good mood. She was like a totally different kid and it made me so happy to see that it almost made me cry!
Evan was great through the whole experience, too. He hung out in the stroller for the duck feeding, happily sat on my lap for the train ride, and dozed in the sling at the playground, so he was quite cooperative.
Overall, it was the most fun I have had by myself with the two of them together so far, so it gives me a lot of hope for the future. I know every morning can't be this fun, but it sure makes me want to try harder.
posted by Lara at 3:08 PM
2 Comments:
Glad to hear your morning went so well!
I know these blog entries were here because I saw the pictures briefly at H's. Your description of Anya's day almost made me cry, too, as I could see how much fun she was having. It is a glimpse of what awaits you, I'm sure. (Not every time, but times like this will keep on happening.)
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