Park Adventures III

I have become very aware of how many activities out there are great to do with kids, but they wear out the parent more than the kids. And that is just a problem because guess what? Us parents are already worn out before the day even gets started, people! How children run off little sleep and still have endless energy is beyond me. 

Well, one lesson I have quickly learned as a parent is to make sure whatever the day holds, the Getting Out The Kids Energy activities and the Parental Energy Reserves are held in delicate balance.

Or else.

I am sure parks were made by some fun-and probably very desperate-parents who were thinking of ways for kids to let out some energy while the parents had the option of watching from the sidelines and recuperating. Bless them. I am eternally grateful.

With this in mind, I thought it would be fun to walk to a park that I had passed on one of my Tuesday Walks with Heather. So Chris, Riley and I set out with the stroller to find this park. 

Only I didn't know exactly where we were going, we didn't bring water for us adults, and we forgot Riley goes approximately 5.2 minutes before loathing her stroller with a passion.

By the time we finally found the park, we dragged our travel-weary bodies to the slide equipment, egged on only by Riley's snarls of frustration from being strapped into the stroller. It was an unnaturally hot day, and the equipment ended up being too hot to play on. We ended up playing in the grass in the shade of a tree. 

I tried to ignore my overactive mind, which obnoxiously pointed out repeatedly that we could have gone a few blocks and had the same experience in the shady grass of a considerably closer tree... 

Then we were back on the road, this time with Riley in her carrier. Angel Hubby Chris ended up carrying her the entire way home, and we exhausted the carrier's versatility by carrying her on his back front-facing-forward and front-facing-backward.

OK, I make it sound like the worst afternoon of all time, but it actually wasn't so bad. I mean, take a look at these two! Who couldn't love spending every hot, exhausting day with those smiling faces, huh?!

The best thing was that when we got home, she was so exhausted she was practically begging for a nap.

Not quite an all out victory, considering the casualties... but I'll take it!