Yesterday being another gorgeous spring day, I took the cranky, teething Bella for our usual morning walk to the park. So much more in bloom now than even on Friday: forsythia in full golden glory, magnolias glorious in white and pink, daffodils, tulips, hyacinth, dandelions even. The windows have been open the past few nights and the songbirds are coming back.
Inspiration struck as I passed the playground where we seldom stop. I pulled Bella out of the stroller and plopped her in the swing, unsure whether she’d howl or love it. Love it she did. Not quite full giggles, but definite smiles as I pushed her. She swung for a good ten minutes before I pulled her out. Her first swing ride: success. Sadly, I forgot to bring the camera so no pictures.
We continued on to a nice grassy spot overlooking the harbor where I let her down to roam around at will. She played with the grass a bit and then found a nice long stick which she kept trying to suck on. I tried to show her how to hit stuff with it instead and so she walked along the park bench, banging on it with her stick, occasionally squatting down to draw in the dirt with the stick and then trying once again to shove the end of the stick down her throat.
Then we had to head home for lunch. And the rest of the afternoon and evening she was quite cranky, except for our quick trip to the grocery store. The poor thing has another bottom tooth coming in and it looks like the top two won’t be far behind.
Those are wooden blocks, aren’t they? (Man, I love wooden toys. And it seems like it has become impossible to find anything in a “regular’ toy store that is not both plastic and noisy.)
Indeed they are. Great ones. (I’ll modify the entry to include the link.)
“Man, I love wooden toys. And it seems like it has become impossible to find anything in a “regular’ toy store that is not both plastic and noisy”
Amen.
I’m in the process of composing a post on my love of wooden toys and hatred of noisy plastic thingys. (I’ve got so much to say that I can never seem to get around to actually finishing said post.)
I like the add-on sets with the doric columns, ‘onion’ domes and other great arch. elements. We never did scrape up the money to buy them when our kids were younger, but I think that will be one of the first things my husband will buy when he is a grandfather. And I’m sure he’ll want to play with them too…
Ellyn,
Oh yeah, those are next on my wishlist.
Oooh, a link. Thanks!
And I look forward to the “hatred of noisy plastic thingys” post. Recently, I went into a toy store to try and find one of those “stackable, concentric rings” toys for my (at the time) youngest kid, and not only was I unable to find a wooden one…I wasn’t even able to find a silent one.
I left in disgust. (That’s what I do best.)
I have to confess, I gave in and bought the plastic rings. Of course, right now even if I could find the wooden ones, I couldn’t actually afford to purchase them. But I’m keeping my eyes open for the wooden ones, anyway. I’m hoping this summer I might catch some garage sales….
The internet is a great resource, too. Search “Melissa and Doug” or “Haba”, both companies that make excellent wooden toys.