Lately I've been trying to figure out how to kill the hours between Abe's afternoon nap and his dinner. It's an awkward time because I've got two excited kids who want to move, jump and play, but Anna's typically tired and cranky so I don't feel quite right about running an errand and forcing her to "behave" in a store. The library works occasionally, but it's not a very long time period and I hate dragging her out of there before she's ready to go. Fits are one thing, but fits in a super quiet library are an entirely different animal.
I've been encouraging Anna to play downstairs in our basement because it's typically hot outside and I can only have Abe out in the sun for so long before I start to get scared about sunburns (yes, I worry about burning even with sunscreen on him). Then it finally dawned on me. I have a very well-shaded street with lots of very old trees. Why don't I just run them up and down the sidewalks?
So that's what we did last week...
Abe takes the lead in the pink mobile...
Anna tires of her tricycle and begins to steer Abe into every bush on the block
Anna dashes to the finish line
Anna has been asking permission lately to "get far, far away" which basically means she wants some space to run and be free from me, but it's balanced with her need for me to immediately come up to her when she's reached her "far, far away" location. She'll say, 'I want to get far far away, mom" and I'll say, "okay, run to that tree" and she'll do it and wait for me patiently to walk after her. And then we'll do it all over again.
I like that it doesn't occur to her yet that she has the power to actually just run away. Heaven knows I would be a wreck if I had a child who actually was a runner. My heart would constantly be in my throat. Abe, follow your sister's lead, please. Stay close to mama. Okay?
Monday we/she begins summer camp. Anna is terribly excited and I'm more worried about my separation anxiety than hers. We'll see who survives the first day better -- her or me.
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