Week 13: Hunting for New Experiences

{Exploring Local Playgrounds}

While I am not sure that Ryan will ever tire of things like going to the lake or playing in the backyard with Shaelyn or going to Bella’s house for a visit, I think exploration and trying new things is healthy for the spirit — as well as a provided break in monotony for those of us who have, for example, outgrown watching the same three movies over and over again (Caddyshack, Christmas Vacation and any of the Lord of the Rings trilogy excluded).

With Ryan out of camp for a week, I thought this was a good week to explore a few new places in the area.

Each time I drive to the chiropractor, I notice a glimpse of a wooden playground structure in a Merrimack park called Kids Kove.

While newer playgrounds like the one we have in Bedford offer solid structure and fun activities, there is something both graceful and curious about exploring a wood playground’s nooks and crannies. My affinity to the wooden playground could be an homage to my childhood and going to the wooden playground in Woodbury, CT at the Woodbury Hollow.

One day this week we stopped at a local Subway and picked up some sandwiches — and brought a bottle for Julia — before heading off to Kids Kove. Ryan was immediately engaged with the immense structure of bridges, castles and tunnels losing herself in the playground for a good forty-five minutes before Julia started to show signs of needing a nap. Ryan’s only regret — not having any other friends to play on the castle with. Next time we’ll be sure to invite a friend to come along. Exploration is so much more fun with a partner in crime.

Later in the week, on an especially hot day, our adventures took us to the Splash Pad in Derry, NH. Ryan had been chittering with excitement about visiting the Splash Pad since I had first brought up the name a week prior. Although our past experiences with splashing-type water parks with showers and the works was’t positive, Ryan was convinced she would just love the Splash Pad.

So off we went. A 1/2 hour drive later and ten minutes on the playground — nice, but more suited for kids a little older and bigger than Ryan — and less than five minutes on the Splash Pad itself, Ryan was ready to head home. It could also have been the promise of a Dunkin Donuts Coolata on the way home that had one of her feet in the car the whole time.

{Finger Food}

Ryan wasn’t the only one looking for new experiences this week. Julia has been so interested in watching Ryan, Jen and I eat that we thought she may be ready to try some finger foods on her own. We ran out to Target to hunt down some “puffs”, the kind that dissolve nearly immediately in a child’s mouth to prevent them from choking. After grabbing a few different flavors, we put Julia in her high chair and threw a few banana puffs on the tray in front of her. She immediately grasped at them and tried to pick them up. Once she got them in her hand, however, she wasn’t quite sure what to do with them.

Once we helped the puff into her mouth, she made an initial face of interest before fear of the unknown kicked in eliciting the face below.

Maybe we aren’t quite ready for the finger food yet?

{Heavy Construction}

Over the last few weeks Ryan has taken to building pillow forts out of the couches in the living room. At first it was just throwing some pillows and blankets around and taking a doll with her into their “house”. It has since evolved into the need for multiple rooms and a roof. These structures are difficult to construct and delicate enough to fall easily when entered by a jumping four year old.

The best part of Ryan’s fort craze is that it provides big blocks of self-entertaining time — once the structure is sound enough to “not fall”. The worst part…cleaning up.

{Stats and Facts}

• Drops of water on Ryan at the Splash Pad: 4
• Hours spent in the kiddie pool in the backyard: 6
• Puffs Julia swallowed: 1
• Tacos Ryan consumed: 5
• Miles Dad ran: 7

{Photo of the Week}

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