A Good Try

With the promise of temperatures in the mid 70s on Wednesday

I decided to plan a big, special, surprise date day for you and I. 

I called around, looked up open and close times, movie showings, 

made reservations, wrote down addresses and even printed a map of our route.

I had big plans. 

Of course, we left an hour later than I'd wanted to, 

only to find that our first park on the schedule was closed. 

So much for calling around to double check.

Oh and I did manage to leave my cell phone at home, 
so we had to go back to pick it up. 

We did drive to a couple of other parks that were duds. 

Finally, we stopped at a super fun park with LOTS of 

school kids playing during their recess. 

We had a lot of fun there. Sliding, swinging, monkeying around 

and snacking on our picnic lunches.

On the way to the next destination, we were in the area 
where I lived for several years growing up. 
So I drove through and showed you the house,
and the old tree (that used to be young and safe) in my friend's backyard 
where we would all climb and hang out in the summer. 

I also showed you the alley next to my old house, 

since we've been talking about alleys lately and you've had a hard time

understanding exactly what they were. 

Then we went to the WLS. 

When we returned to the Jeep to get some money so we could pay

for some corn, I locked the keys and all spares inside. 

We fed the geese while we waited for the locksmith to

come and break into our car for a mere $40. :(

We then returned to the WLS to go on the habi-treck. 

You played on the new playground equipment, and then we walked.

We couldn't WAIT to see the cougar... who was out of the exhibit for training.

"Stop back again soon" said the sign. 

We were really batting 1000. :(

But we made the best of it and took the rest of the trail anyway. 

At least we had the warm sun and each other. 

After the WLS we went to the Bay Beach Park. 

It's huge and always fun. 

We ate some more of our lunches and then played.

You shocked me when you decided it would be fun to jump,

repeatedly, from probably 8-10 feet off the ground! So not like you.

You were being very brave.

We rode the teeter totters. You're finally heavy enough 

to give me SOME weight to work with on your end.

And then we spotted the red swirly thing that you 

used to LOVE when you were little.

I encouraged you to spin down it 

while I laid on the ground and photographed you.

And then I told you to look at me and smile. 

You did...

and you smashed your head on a pole against a platform, 

falling to the ground in agony. 

You grew the biggest egg on the back of your head, 

and we decided to skip the movie, dinner, 

and space night at church that were left on the list, 

and just GO HOME

(before we killed ourselves or someone else!)

And even though the day was covered in unexpected mishaps and obstacles, 

we did not frown, or get angry, or fight. We just kept on keeping on, 

and enjoyed one another and the sunshine. 

We'll have plenty of warm days to try our date day again. 
Prayerfully, we will stay intact the next go!