Play place...

Jul 30, 2011

We started our Thursday together with a question, "do you want to go to a play place?".  Of course the answer was yes or rather "yeah".  I told her how our day would unravel, grandmas house to pick up mommies phone charger, the store to buy cherries, blueberries, yogurt and milk, home to make cherry yogurt popsicles, nap time, and then to the play place.  She smiled and said, "nama", she complained and said "no nap time", she laughed and said "popsicle" and she danced and said "play place".  Three out of four positive reactions,  I knew it was going to be a great day.

We made popsicles, we napped and we got ready for the play place and off we went.  I am so proud of myself, and Scarlett, but mostly myself.  I am not a "play with other mom's mom" so I was terrified about stepping foot into "play with other moms" territory.  When I take Scarlett to the park, I go to the park with the least amount of mom's. Seriously, I scout them out and just keep on walking if it is "too full".  I have this fear of being around other moms.  I don't know what it is?   What if they judge me, or even worse, Scarlett, or what if  I say the wrong thing, or we don't agree on food to feed our kids, or the importance of art and music in a growing child's life, or the amount of television a child should be allowed to watch (if any at all).  Yes, I imagine somehow getting into philosophical conversations with other moms and I start to squirm.   So this play place thing was a huge step in my mommy hood and I totally rocked it.  I walked in with confidence, signed wavers, payed the fees and step by step crossed the line into the shoeless playground, toddler in tow.  I smiled and small talked the next three hours away.  Scarlett was a big hit as the other moms commented on her skill with words and ability to listen and obey.  But, to be honest I think Scarlett was showing off.  She was really really good. Like, overly good.  She played well, she listened when I told her not to climb up the slide, or put the dirty toys in her mouth, she shared, she smiled, she laughed and even left  playground heaven without a single tear.

At the end of the day I didn't make any life long friends, but I also didn't feel scared answering the dreaded TV question with "my child doesn't watch T.V." and getting a response of "then what do you do all day?".   In fact it felt good to answer truthfully with "we draw, paint, listen to music, make crafts, dance, read, sing and build forts".  Scarlett is communicating, pretending and creating on a daily basis and I shouldn't feel bad sharing this with other mothers.  I should be proud of how I have chosen to parent because (most days) Scarlett is a great kid.  Yes I may let her have a piece of candy every now and then or watch an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba before bed time, but I am a good mother and Scarlett is a really fun kid...so from now on watch out mama world, I entered slowly but I am getting ready to run. 

And here are the two cell phone pictures I snapped of Scarlett playing...excuse the stinky quality, I don't have an iphone.  :(







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