Dear Reese,
We have an impromptu picnic at Troup Park this evening. I buy turkey and cheese lunchables, deli scalloped potatoes, a fruit/veggie pouch, and a couple of bananas from Piggly Wiggly before picking you up at daycare. It won’t get me Mom of the Year, but we’re trying.
It’s cloudy and a little cool, but I’m desperate for some outside time after a rough workday, and you are an outside girl at heart. You want to sit next to me on the picnic bench, big girl, and we snack on dinner while looking out at the bay and up at passing flocks of geese. There’s music coming from Alpine down the shore; some band is playing in their outdoor tent tonight.
We hang out on the playground for a while after we’re finished eating. You love pretending to drive the SS Kids Boat. You also love the big slide. I help you climb to the top platform, and before I’m ready, you throw yourself headfirst down the steep slide and literally eat dirt.
I hold you while you cry and help you wash the dirt out of your mouth with water from your Spider-Man sippy cup. It passes quickly — no injury, just a bad taste. You spend the next ten minutes sitting on the grass trying to get the sippy cup lid back on the cup.
I do pay special attention to brushing your teeth before bed, though.
Love,
Mama