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Shanty Baby
Jun. 1st, 2014 08:02 pmKerry, Jill, and Nina are visiting Portland this week. I wish the timing was such that I had more time to run around with them, but I did get to spend all day today with them. We started at Voodoo, moved on to Saturday Market, the fountains at Waterfront Park, and then a lovely food cart lunch. Tonight, I'm babysitting Nina while K&J have a date night. She's about 2.75 years old, and she's super duper cute. She's very sweet, and happy to play with me -- but I'm tired so she's watching videos now while I rest my weary old lady body from all our playing. I love that she digs me so much, but I get the feeling she's the kind of kid who loves everyone, so I'm not sure if I should feel special. Still, she's got a great smile and I'm happy she's sharing it with me. I may have spent several minutes playing in the fountain with her this morning. It may even have been my idea to go into the fountain. I've always wanted an excuse to do that, but I was never at the park with a kid :P
Portland parents, I will always be happy to take your kid to play in the fountains.
There are fountains at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville which are certainly just for landscaping purposes and not for children to play in, but when I was a kid (and, okay, still), I always felt drawn to play in any water I saw. My parents would never let me play in the fountains, but when I was out with my brothers...heh, heh. It didn't bother them to have a soaking wet toddler on their hands.
I know that at some point after infancy, parents let their kids explore the world more and more, bit by bit, and don't hover all the time, but when I'm responsible for little ones, I tend to hover. This kid's not getting hurt on my watch! But when I think how closely I feel like I need to watch children in my care, and then I think back to the fact that my parents left my teenage brothers to look after me so much of the time...did they actually want me to survive to adulthood? Heh. Somehow I made it.
Portland parents, I will always be happy to take your kid to play in the fountains.
There are fountains at the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville which are certainly just for landscaping purposes and not for children to play in, but when I was a kid (and, okay, still), I always felt drawn to play in any water I saw. My parents would never let me play in the fountains, but when I was out with my brothers...heh, heh. It didn't bother them to have a soaking wet toddler on their hands.
I know that at some point after infancy, parents let their kids explore the world more and more, bit by bit, and don't hover all the time, but when I'm responsible for little ones, I tend to hover. This kid's not getting hurt on my watch! But when I think how closely I feel like I need to watch children in my care, and then I think back to the fact that my parents left my teenage brothers to look after me so much of the time...did they actually want me to survive to adulthood? Heh. Somehow I made it.
