Park Safari
Mom is out of town. It's the first nice day of the year (75 and sunny). What to do? Make up for the lost month of April and go on a Park Safari.
Proving that if I put my mind to it I can outlast a 6 and 3 year old, we rolled out at 10am with plans to hit every park in Mendota Heights with a playground. There were a couple that ended up not having playgrounds and one playground we skipped because it was pretty much just a slide and swing set, but we hit the rest. 10 playground in 6 hours. Twenty-seven miles of driving, lunch at Culvers, ice cream at McDonalds, and more swings and slides than I can count.
At 3:15 with two parks left I am pretty sure I could have talked them into going home. Lucy had the thousand mile stare on the drive between parks and had long since bailed on the group shot by each park sign. Stella had a bit more stamina, but I sensed she was tiring too. I soldiered on. I was going for park overdose.
We departed Wentworth Park across the street from our house at 4:05, six hours after departure. Despite being exhausted, Lucy threw an epic fit when I informed her we were going home - kicking, scratching, screaming. It was so bad that I was concerned someone was going to call the police for fear that I was abducting her. Fortunately after we got in the house she cycled down and went quasi comatose for a half hour. We rallied afterward with a bit of play on our own swing set.
Bedtime was a breeze - both girls asleep within 2 minutes of laying down.
Proving that if I put my mind to it I can outlast a 6 and 3 year old, we rolled out at 10am with plans to hit every park in Mendota Heights with a playground. There were a couple that ended up not having playgrounds and one playground we skipped because it was pretty much just a slide and swing set, but we hit the rest. 10 playground in 6 hours. Twenty-seven miles of driving, lunch at Culvers, ice cream at McDonalds, and more swings and slides than I can count.
At 3:15 with two parks left I am pretty sure I could have talked them into going home. Lucy had the thousand mile stare on the drive between parks and had long since bailed on the group shot by each park sign. Stella had a bit more stamina, but I sensed she was tiring too. I soldiered on. I was going for park overdose.
We departed Wentworth Park across the street from our house at 4:05, six hours after departure. Despite being exhausted, Lucy threw an epic fit when I informed her we were going home - kicking, scratching, screaming. It was so bad that I was concerned someone was going to call the police for fear that I was abducting her. Fortunately after we got in the house she cycled down and went quasi comatose for a half hour. We rallied afterward with a bit of play on our own swing set.
Bedtime was a breeze - both girls asleep within 2 minutes of laying down.
Lots of pictures below. They aren't all that exciting. In fact the quality is a bit poor - my camera was accidentally set on some goofy Portrait pre-set, so only the tight shots look good. The volume of shots is more to drive home the point. 10 playgrounds - 6 hours!
Loaded with snacks and spare footwear - ready to roll!
It begins
Sisterly love is running high at #2
#3
#4
#5 - Lucy losing interesting group shot
A break for lunch and movie in the back of the 4runner
#6
#7 and the winner of our survey for best park
#8
#9 Should have been a contender for top spot, but crazy dad screaming at kids killed the mood.
#10 - The home course. Always a favorite.
Headed home: filthy, exhausted, with chunks of your Dad's neck under your finger nails. That's how we roll!
posted by kjb at
7:40 PM
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