A New Playground

A nine year old boy lives next door. Lee luh-uhves him. And he is so sweet - he comes over to talk to Lee, and last weekend, he asked Lee if he wanted to play in his yard. Lee was overjoyed to be playing with the "big boys." But then, disaster struck. The big boys were going down the street to another boy's house, and Lee wanted to "go along." It was so sweet to include him. But, of course, I can't let him just go walking down the street at three years old. I said no.

Oh, the tears! The ensuing conversation about wanting to be older, promising to be careful and staying in the grass, wanting to play with the boys, and so on. My heart was breaking to watch it.

Bryan came up with the great idea of going to an elementary school we drive by often. Lee always asks to go play there. So we packed up and went to play. There was a another little boy there and Lee played and had fun and (temporarily) forgot his troubles of young age.

This was also KW's first time to play at a real playground. She loved the climbing, and even got her first busted lip. After a brief hug, she wanted to try the mountain ladder again, even though there were still tears!

Jelly legs! She would NOT stand on the playset, because of the holes in the floor!

Lee and I did a cool obstacle course circuit. It will be fun to watch him become more adept at the stations.

And since it was dinner time, we turned it into a family outing, with shelling peanuts, dinner, and ice cream. No, we won't do this every time he can't "go along," but I am so glad we did it this time.

(Update: It happened again yesterday, but fewer tears, and no ice cream required. Just lots of digging for earthworms with mom! He asked me to pick them up and put them in his jar, but I told him Mommies don't pick them up, just little boys. Ha!)